Pure Relationships

We consistently need to be refreshed and affirmed in our knowledge of God and walking in His ways. In 1st Corinthians 6, we can read these words:
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

God wants only the best for us, and He has made it possible for His desires to be reflected in our desires. We have the capacity to walk in purity and to reject sinful thoughts and deeds. When we recognize who we are because of Jesus, that gives us power to actually walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him. We have to take great care of our souls so that we can overcome the desires of the flesh.

+++++

God has given us a template for relationships that bring glory to Him, and He calls us to walk before Him in purity and devotion to Him. 1st Timothy chapter 4 states:
8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.
10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
11 These things command and teach.
12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

It's Valentine's Day, and I think this is a perfect opportunity to rejoice in the love of God, and if we are in a marriage or committed relationship between a man and a woman, we can celebrate what He has given. 

We can also be reminded to be watchful about those things that can negatively affect our relationships. And, pornography is a very poor substitute for God's plan for sexuality. 

A leading purveyor of this harmful material has been facing some pushback, and recently announced a policy that could reduce the amount of porn that is available to children.  The National Center on Sexual Exploitation announced on its website in late January:

This week brought a momentous step forward in the fight against Pornhub and its parent company Aylo (formerly MindGeek).

After facing several lawsuits brought by courageous survivors of sex trafficking and child sexual abuse … After losing nearly all their major corporate partnerships including Visa and Mastercard, Instagram and Youtube … After being the subject of countless scathing media pieces … After a viral petition with more than 2 million signatures … Pornhub has FINALLY announced that it will be [kind of] verifying the age and consent of all individuals depicted in videos.

But, as NCOSE points out, this will only apply to material uploaded beginning January 24; material loaded before that point is still available.  And, the organization says that the verification procedures are "alarmingly weak."

But, even though, as the article alleges, Pornhub is trying to change its image (if that can be done), there has been a long line of action against the site; here are examples:

• Pornhub is the subject of 12 lawsuits in the U.S. and Canada
• The U.S. federal government charged Pornhub with knowingly profiting from sex trafficking; Pornhub admitted to the crime
• All major credit card companies and payment processors cut ties with Pornhub. The only payment form left available to them was cryptocurrency.
• Nearly all mainstream corporations stopped serving as advertising or distribution partners for Pornhub. This includes Roku, Comcast, Kraft-Heinz, Unilever, TikTok, and Instagram.
• Countless mainstream media outlets, such as the New York Times and the BBC, published scathing exposés on Pornhub’s abuses
• Pornhub’s parent company laid off 70% of its employees, and the CEO and COO resigned
• Exodus Cry led a public petition campaign calling for Pornhub to be shut down, which garnered over 2 million signatures.

Faithwire recently reported on the possibility of the state of Ohio limiting minors' access to pornography; the article says:

The proposal — Senate Bill 212 — would require visitors to pornography sites to confirm they are of legal age by mandating an identification check through an independent, third-party verification application, according to WSYX-TV.

The article goes on to state:

Age-verification laws have been passed in eight states, including Utah, Montana, Louisiana, and Virginia. They have been introduced in another 10 states.

In response, the largest pornography website, Pornhub, has protested the laws by blocking access to the site altogether in states with such requirements, according to CBN News.

This is certainly responsible legislation.  But, we also need to be talking about adults' usage of pornography. In that realm, it seems as if personal choice is the main deterrent.  And, that is an especially relevant challenge for the Church.

We have to recognize that temptation presents itself - but we don't have to give in.  We have the power to overcome the strategies of the enemy to lure believers into his grip.  1st Corinthians 10 tells us that we have a way of escape that is available to us.  But, each of us has to build himself or herself up so that we can release God's resources in those times in which we need to stand strong.  We have the Word of God, we have the name of Jesus, and we have powerful weapons that enable us to take every thought captive.