Lie #2: You Will Never Be Free From It

This lie follows immediately from the last one.  If everyone does it, then there’s no use trying to escape.  And when we try to escape, and fail repeatedly, this lie gets reinforced all the more.

It’s like the pastor who spoke to “Leo” in Pornified, a book referenced in the “Sins of the Mind” section.  He told Leo’s wife she should just get over his porn problem because “all men struggle with pornography.”  She left the church.  Why?  Because that pastor was preaching enslavement, and enslavement is depressing.  No one wants to be a slave, and yet this man–a man whom God has put in place as the spiritual overseer for a group of people–honestly believes that men cannot find freedom from this type of sin.

How far has the church fallen that it could be filled with people who think enslavement to sin is part of life?  What happened to Jesus’ victory on the cross?  See, this comes back to the idea of God eradicating not just the penalty for sin, but its power over us as well.  You must grasp this idea and believe it.  God wants you to be free, and has already done all that is necessary to bring it about.  But we, like the dog in Proverbs, return to our vomit.  Go read the Reasons to want freedom again.  God wants us to have victory.  Jesus says it here:

John 16:33
I have spoken these things to you in order that you may have peace in Me.  You have affliction in the world, but take courage–I have overcome the world.  (NT Transline)

I John 5:4
Because everything having been born from God is being-victorious-over the world.  And this is the victory having been-victorious-over the world–our faith.     (NT Transline)

The phrase ‘being-victorious-over’ is one word in the Greek, and is commonly translated as “overcome.”  If we are born of God, we should be living victoriously over every sin that comes against us.  We see here that it is not a one-time victory.  We don’t overcome it once.  We are being victorious, continually.  This is how we are meant to live, as Christians.  Not defeated and unable to go through a week without salivating over our insecurity as we forget the love of God in favor of a horde of prostituted naked women.

How do you feel after looking at that stuff for hours?  Probably just like the guys studied in Pornified.  Numb, ashamed, bored, frustrated.

Unsatisfied.

Empty.

How do you feel after a great worship or prayer service when the presence of God fell and was tangible, and your spirit rose?  You feel strong, powerful, confident, and clean.  Loved.  Rejuvenated.  Ready to do something.  The enemy fears nothing more than a Christian motivated to do something.

Defeating the Lie
You will be free from sin if you desire it with all your heart.  The Bible verse that directly counters this second lie can be found in Paul’s letter to Titus, one of my favorite verses:

Titus 2:11,12
For the grace of God appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us that having denied ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sound-mindedly and righteously and godly in the present age. (NT Transline)

The grace of God trains us to deny evil desires, and even better, to live in a manner pleasing to God in this present age.  This is a declaration that purity and holiness and righteousness are not only possible, but they are the very will of God.  It is God’s will that you live in righteousness, with a sound mind.  Thinking clearly.  Not driven all over the place by this and that feeling, desire, or image.  Thus, to say we will never be free is essentially to call God a liar.

It’s like when a famous celebrity actress or model gets discovered to have an illicit “sex tape” that was unwisely filmed during a previous relationship.  This has happened with disturbingly increasing frequency.  And what is the world’s response each time?  Totally hypocritical.

They say something like this: “A former boyfriend of the victimized celebrity is now selling a tape of them having sex, and she is suing him for defaming her and for profiting off her embarrassment.  That lowlife scum is milking her fame for all he can get out of it.  I feel so sorry for her family, and hope she is able to move on from this and win her lawsuit to pull the (protected free speech?) tape off the internet…..”

“But, before that happens, let’s go watch it!!!”

This is what happens.  There is this compulsion that we have to watch it.  I also observed this during the Daniel Pearl tragedy several years back.  He was the reporter who was beheaded by Islamic terrorists in Pakistan, and they filmed the beheading and posted it on the internet.

I noticed some people felt like they had to see it.  It’s out there, and it’s horrific, and I hope they kill all those terrorists, but I still want to see the video.  Why?  Why do we have to watch it?  You want to watch a real human being get his head severed?  And we think the Romans were sick with their gladiators.

Just because something scandalous makes the news doesn’t mean we all have to mindlessly flock to it.  I don’t care if everyone you know goes and watches it.  You don’t have to.  And guess what?  When you have the grace of God inside, teaching and training you to live in this present age a life of godliness and righteousness, you won’t have a hard time saying ‘no.’

In the same way, God’s grace empowers us to walk in complete freedom from any sin that entangles us.  God’s grace empowers us to reach our true potential.  It is possible.  It is God’s will.  But as the prophet asks, will God find faith on the earth?  If we don’t believe these verses and the truths in them, if we don’t act on those beliefs, then freedom will remain an idea only.

You can be free from it.  Yes, you can.