Purity Not Pollution

In order to live a productive Christian life and grow in Christ, we have to make sure that our minds are pure and that we are protecting ourselves from harmful influences. Psalm 101 states:
2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.

This is an incredibly bold declaration, and if we are living up to what these verses say, we can experience the fullness of God's Spirit working through us.  When we are tempted by the enemy, who seeks to get our eyes off Christ into what doesn't edify and doesn't contribute to the glory of God, we can recognize that the Scripture promises a way of escape. We are enabled by the Spirit to make the right choices about what we allow to enter our consciousness. 

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The Lord has made available to us powerful resources so that we can take action against sinful thought patterns and destructive behaviors. The retraining of the mind is a key, according to 2nd Corinthians 10:
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

I had mentioned recently that our freedom in Christ and as Americans does not give us the ability to do whatever we want.  I think of the commentator, David French, who said that these Drag Queen Story Hours were "blessings of liberty." In these events, grown men dress up as ladies and read stories to small children at local libraries, which certainly presents a normalization of transgenderism. These displays, in my opinion, should not be allowed to infect local communities behind a fictitious shield of freedom of expression.  Whatever happened to community standards?  And, parents are speaking up.

One could say that this type of freedom is a cornerstone of conservative thought and practice. Many Christians identify as "conservative," but this practice, as well as a recent incident in Florida, show that the two are not always consistent. Consider what happened at a large meeting of the student organization Turning Point USA (not to be confused with the ministry of David Jeremiah, which is called, Turning Point).  There, a high-profile "porn star" named Brandi Love was "welcomed" as a VIP the the event, but then asked to leave that large gathering in Florida.  Newsweek reported that:

TPUSA explained the decision to remove Love from their event, telling Newsweek on Sunday night that the move was "in keeping with its standard operating procedures to not involve porn brands, influencers, or personalities that post or publish sexually explicit and pornographic content."

After she was dismissed, Love took to social media and denounced the organization as a "cult," and said, "Adult entertainment was normalized by Larry Flynt, Hugh Hefner & The Supreme Court," adding, "These people saying you can't be conservative and a pornstar are simply trying to exact control over a population group."

Certainly, Love can make the case for the free market, capitalism, and freedom of expression.  But, is her occupation moral and does it contribute to the betterment of society?  It's not "cancel culture" to limit or ban harmful expressions.  That's why we have laws, rooted in the 10 Commandments, against theft and murder.  Those Commandments also say it's wrong to cheat on your spouse, which is not illegal, but certainly does not contribute to a better functioning society.

And, the Bible warns us against lust - repeatedly.  

Just before the coronavirus drastically affected the 2020 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature, lawmakers in both chambers voted to declare pornography as a "public health crisis" in the state. According to CNSNews.com, Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, declared in a press release that, “Alabama has become the 16th state to formally recognize the harmful effects of pornography on public health..." She added:

“Modern pornography -- with its limitless quantity, speed, and violent or degrading themes -- is a jarring new variable in human development," she said. "It’s not surprising that such a variable would have negative effects on brains and bodies built for person-to-person sexual contact."

The article quoted from NCOSE's website, stating.

The summary shows, among other things, that 93% of boys and 62% of girls saw Internet porn during adolescence. For college males, 49% "first encountered pornography before age 13."

Also, "64% of young people, ages 13–24, actively seek out pornography weekly or more often," and 11 porn sites are "among the world’s top 300 most popular Internet sites."

Josh McDowell came on The Meeting House last year and issued a warning about pornography during the pandemic, contending that would be one of the direct results of lockdowns and isolation.  A CBN.com story related:

Christian author Josh McDowell stated that even before the pandemic, “All research showed the number one epidemic globally – in every country of the world – was loneliness.”

It hits colleges especially hard with two-thirds of students feeling “very lonely.” That can be as hard on your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Loneliness can also lead to higher rates of death, illness, injury, smoking, obesity and high blood pressure.”

Two other conditions hitting hard during these days: depression and anxiety.

All three feed into porn addiction.

He went on to say, “And that’s what we have during the COVID-19 time,” adding, "That’s why we’re going to have a huge explosion of porn when we come out of this crisis.”

The Bible tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Pornography brings about a transformation, too, but it is a negative one that leads to the corruption of the mind.  While the Bible calls us to be pure, pornography brings its own unique form of pollution.

We have to fight back with the practice of pulling down strongholds and meditating on Scripture.  The power of the Word in our minds can wash us clean from thinking that doesn't line up. Other solutions involve accountability among believers and even professional assistance.  The enemy is strong, especially in this area, but the resources that God makes available are stronger - it's important to admit the severity of the problem and search out Christ-centered solutions.