WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT...
FORNICATION?
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 & 1 Corinthians 7:1-2
"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband."
The dictionary meaning of the word "fornication" means any unlawful sexual intercourse including adultery. In the Bible the Greek definition of the word "fornication" means to commit illicit sexual intercourse. What constitutes unlawful sex? Whose laws do we live by? Worldly standards or laws many times do not always line up with the Word of God. The founding fathers of the United States established many laws that were originally based on Christian standards and the laws of the Bible. However, through time the United States has drifted far from these standards and at the present our moral standards are shocking the world. However, immorality is not only found in the U.S. but is a world-wide epidemic. Societies throughout history and around the globe have embraced sexual standards that are called sins in the Bible.
Fornication is not just tolerated in our society but is actually being encouraged. The sin of fornication is being committed even among Christians, as many couples "live together" and have sex before marriage. The Bible tells us to flee this sin. We have counseled Christians of the opposite sex who share an apartment and they told us they were not having sex so this surely wasn't wrong. The Bible declares these words in 1 Thessalonians 5:22-23:
"Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Our lives as Christians are a living witness to others and we cannot break the laws of God without hindering others from coming to Christ. We must live our lives in purity before a sinful and wicked world. We should not be living according to their standards but according to God's standard in the Bible. No couple should live together outside the bonds of marriage.
Many say they live together before marriage to see if they are compatible as they don't want to divorce. This may sound like a justifiable reason for committing the sin of fornication, but in God's eyes it is still sin. Statistics however, show that those who live together before marriage are more likely to get a divorce than those who do not. Living together shows a total lack of trust in God and a failure to commit to Him the choosing of a mate. Christians who are living in this situation are out of the will of God and need to repent and seek God as to whether this person is the right one for them. If it is God's will for them to be together they should marry. Otherwise, they need to change their living arrangements.
As Christians, the goal of any relationship should be to cause the people in our lives to love and know the Lord better. Living together is shameful and selfish as the parties do not care what others think or how they might affect their families and others. They are living to please their own lust and selfish desires. This type of life style is destructive and especially so for children whose parents are living a bad example before them. No wonder our children are confused about right and wrong when parents degrade the sanctity of marriage by living together out of wedlock. How can living together cause children to love and honor God when their parents break the laws of God before them because they are lustful?
Young people today need to be taught to abstain from sexual intercourse and remain pure virgins before marriage. So many problems in marriages today stem from the fact that they are not virgins when they marry. Young people are bringing wounded emotions and diseased bodies into their marriages because of prior promiscuous affairs. STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) are so widespread that the statistics are shocking. There are 12 million new cases of STDs annually in the United states and 67% of these occur among persons under the age of 25. In fact, every year one out of six teens contracts an STD. 100,000 to 150,000 women become infertile each year as a result of STDs.¹ Others endure years of pain as some of these diseases are incurable. What a tragic price to pay for sexual sins. The Bible is right when it says fornication is a sin against one's own body.
The sin of fornication is not only defined as illicit sexual intercourse between those who are not married but also is an umbrella for other sexual sins as well. The Bible also speaks of the sin of incest as fornication in 1 Corinthians 5:1:
"It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife."
The Bible also lists whoremongers as fornicators in Revelation 21:8:
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
All prostitutes and pimps are fornicators. Couples who just "live together" according to the Bible, are committing the same sin that whores commit. Singles who "make love" fall into the same category. Just because society has accepted this type of living does not make it right. The Bible must be our standard of what is right and wrong. We must change our standards if we do not want the wrath of God to fall on us. God hates sin but He loves the sinner. If anyone repents and calls on Jesus today He will help them to come out of any illicit relationship and heal them of all past hurts and even heal any disease that they may have contracted.
God gave us the laws in the Bible for our good. They are not meant to deny us any good thing but they are given so we can enjoy the proper sexual relationship in the proper time. If we obey the words of the Bible and "flee fornication" and glorify God in our bodies, the Lord will bless us beyond what we could believe.
Psalm 145:17-21: "The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever."
End Notes
¹ Statistics from the April 1, 1993 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle.
_______
Editor's Note: For help if you are struggling with any sexual perversions we recommend the following ministry that can help you.
Desert Streams: http://www.desertstream.org
This is a California-based Christian organization which offers programs for people seeking sexual and relational wholeness and healing.
Love Lines: http://www.lovelines.org Help for getting free of sexual addictions.
Betty Miller has written several books on other topics as well. To view titles or purchase those books click here: http://store.bible.com/
If this message has been a blessing to you and you would like to see more like them posted on this site, you can help make this possible by your gifts to Bible.com Ministries. Click here to donate
Showing posts with label Pre-Marital Sex. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pre-Marital Sex. Show all posts
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT..... PORNOGRAPHY?
By Betty Miller
Song of Solomon 2:15 says, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." Foxes sometime in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think are little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.
One of the most devastating problems that has ensnared many good people is the sin of pornography. Many of these same people will testify that they were ensnared with just a "peek." This one "little fox" led to their downfall. Many, out of curiosity, just went to a site to see what was there. This is one of the devil's tricks to get people ensnared. Satan, is the power behind this attraction to forbidden sexual images. People that are trapped today can tell you there is an evil "drawing" that compels them to return again and again. Many are desiring to be free, but seem hopelessly gripped by this evil desire. We want to share the good news -- there is a way out through Jesus Christ.
In the U.S.A., as well as many other nations of the world, our societies have become the most sexually saturated societies in human history. Sodom and Gomorrah might be the only exceptions. America's pornography industry is not only pervasive, but powerful as well. It generates more than $12 billion in revenue annually. In 1997, more than 665 million pornographic videos were sold. On the Internet, there are more than 72,000 pornographic sites. Sexually explicit "900 number" phone calls are a $2.4 billion-a-year industry. ¹
From the Internet to video stores to magazines and "900 numbers," pornography can be easily accessed nearly anywhere in America. This involvement is not limited to world at large, as surveys reveal the Christian community is highly involved in this evil snare of perversion too. How did this happen? What can be done to help people get free from this bondage? What does the Bible offer as hope to those ensnared in sin?
God has called the church to be the answer to the problems facing those addicted to pornography. God hates this sin, but He loves the sinner and wants to set them free. Many marriages are being destroyed by this evil, as after the addiction of pornography has set in, then the normal marital relationship with their spouses is no longer satisfying. Many husbands then want their wives to partake in bizarre sexual behavior with them or use sexual toys as stimulants. Some couples even watch erotic videos together to arouse each other before they engage in sex. These abnormal approaches to what God intended to be a wonderful relationship, defiles them. Instead of finding satisfaction... guilt, shame, and dissatisfaction set in. True love and intimate sharing is replaced with raw lust. What God meant to be the most beautiful experience between two people becomes a hellish depravity. God can, and will restore this relationship if they will call on Him. There is absolutely nothing that is outside of God's ability to forgive, deliver, heal and restore.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
How did our world arrive at a time in history that has so much emphasis on sexual perversions? This did not happen overnight. When the church failed to maintain a holy standard and example to the world, the world's evil influence gained momentum and now has saturated our society. Little by little, the church lowered her standards. Instead of the church influencing the world, the opposite happened, the world influenced the church. The church began to watch movies that each year became a little more dirty, a little more violent, a little more immoral, a little more deviant, a little more crazy and a little more erotic. Now today, there are unspeakable things on film that come directly from hell. They were inspired by the devil himself. These "little foxes" are now raging wolves. Sin and evil are progressive. Several layers of gray have now become black.
An example of how this happened in the area of women's dress, would be to observe the progression of women's styles. Women's hem lines have gone up while the necklines have gone down. It didn't start by going from ankle length to above the knees overnight. It took years for the ladies in the church to gradually adopt this revealing attire that others were wearing. Most Christian women on stage look no different than those in Hollywood. I am not saying that we should wear our hair in buns with no make-up. However we don't have to look like the women of the world. We can be stylish and attractive without being immodest and lustful in our dress. Today young girls come to prayer meetings in shorts and crop tops and never think any thing about it. Before you call me prudish ( I will admit I am old fashioned, yet in my school days we didn't experience the sexual violence that is happening today), let me share where I am going with this.
My husband and I, while pastoring the church, prayed with many young and not-so-young men, who were deeply disturbed as they were having problems keeping their minds on the Lord. The distraction ---- pretty young girls who would attend services in shorts, ultra tight jeans, short skirts, or low cut dresses. The men did not want these lustful feelings and were sincerely fighting to keep their thoughts pure. Most of the young girls were totally oblivious to the fact that they could be contributing to a man's temptation toward lust. I remember an incident when several people were gathered around a man to pray for him for healing. One of the young girls who wore a sleeveless and low cut top kneeled down at his feet while others stood in a circle around him to pray. I happened to be standing over her and looking down as we started to bow our heads and pray I could see her breasts above her low cut bra. The thought came to me how these young men must struggle to pray when they could see the same view as I saw.
WHAT CAN WOMEN DO TO HELP MEN GET FREE FROM THIS BONDAGE?
Most of the indulgence in porno is done by men, although some women come under its power too. However, since this affects everyone in the family, it is a family problem. It must be addressed as a family issue. One of the things that I believe women are doing today, that is adding to this problem, is the way in which they dress. The goal of many young girls today is not dressing to be well groomed and attractive, but rather to be sexy. Sex crimes and rapes have soared in numbers and women's dress habits have contributed to this problem. I believe because we have not taught our daughters to dress modestly it has contributed to these crimes. We must teach our sons and daughters morality and return to Bible standards if we are to see this problem reversed.
Men no longer have to go to houses of prostitution to see women's unclad bodies. They can go to any beach or public swimming pool in the world or just watch the ads on T.V. It is really a disgrace to the church when our young daughters are allowed to wear bikini swimsuits and many of the mothers wear them too. I am not excusing men and their porno habits but we women must also change if we expect the men to get free from their sin. The Bible speaks about how women should be attired:
Proverbs 11:22, "As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion."
1 Peter 3:1-5, "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands."
How To Be Free From Pornography
(1.) You need to first of all repent of your sin and ask Jesus to come into your heart and cleanse you and deliver you from this evil. No sin is too black or wicked that the blood of Jesus cannot cleanse you from it. The Bible says in:
1 John 1:9-10, 2:1-2: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
(2.) Because pornography is a spiritual problem you will need spiritual help in getting free from it. By partaking of this evil you have opened yourself up to demonic control. You may need someone who has the gift of the Holy Spirit to pray deliverance over you. You should seek out a Bible believing church that believes in deliverance and knows how to deal with demons. The Lord will lead you in this matter if you ask Him. Do not allow pride to prevent you from getting help and getting free if you need it.
James 4:7-8, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
(3.) As you commit your life to Christ and obey Him you can get the victory because you are not fighting this battle alone, but you have access to the power of Christ and what He did for you.
Romans 6:12-18:
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
(4.) Today men and women must war in this culture to maintain their sexual purity. This battle is a battle in the mind. You must cast down imaginations that do not agree with the Bible and quote the Word of God over your body and mind.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
(5.) You must stay away from the area of temptation and destroy all videos, games, magazines, etc. that are pornographic. If you must use the computer in your work environment, you should employ a filter service for your ISP or software that filters out those evil invitations so they do not enter your e-mail and cannot be accessed by your browser.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20: "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
(6.) Should you stumble or fall, do not stay down. Just ask the Lord to forgive you and start again in your walk with Him. Ask Him to empower you to overcome. You cannot do it in your strength. Just remember that in Him you can do all things.
Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
(7.) If you need prayer we will stand with you for your victory. You can write us through the prayer room. You need not give your name. The Lord will know who you are. Remember, the Lord loves you and so do we. Blessings! Contact us through the PRAYER ROOM.
(8.) If your life or marriage has been devastated by sexual addiction we highly recommend a book that has been helpful to many called An Affair of the Mind by Laurie Hall. This amazing book is published by Focus On The Family and written from the first-hand perspective of a wife whose husband was addicted to pornography for over 20 years. This powerful book delves deep into many facets of sexual addiction. The principles in this book, if applied, can save many marriages and restore even those who are most bound to sexual addiction.
In summation, many are snared by just a "peek" or just a little curiosity in regard to pornography. Don't allow any little things that could lead to a pornography addiction. Calendars or pictures of naked women, Playboy magazines or movies with erotic sexual scenes are just a few of the things that can open the door for a greater entanglement into the pornography trap.
End Notes:
¹Chris Mitchell, CBN News Reporter. Fact File Resource, Air Date: November 10, 1998
An Affair of the Mind by Laurie Hall
If you are struggling with this problem there is an excellent book that could be of help to you. Published by Focus On The Family and written from the first-hand perspective of a wife whose husband was addicted to pornography for over 20 years, this powerful book delves deep into many facets of sexual addiction. The principles in this book, if applied, can save any marriage and restore even those who are most bound to sexual addiction. The author shares candidly of her struggles as she sought the Lord for the salvation of her marriage and restoration of her husband. The things she learned from the Holy Spirit along the way will minister to every person who reads the book. It will help both husbands and wives.
________
You can also find help at the following sites so you can get free from pornography and find healing if you are sexually and relationally broken:
Love Lines: http://www.lovelines.org Help in getting free from sexual addictions.
Pure Intimacy: http://www.pureintimacy.org/
Mastering Life Ministries: http://masteringlife.gospelcom.net/
Desert Streams: http://www.desertstream.org
This is a California-based Christian organization which offers programs for people seeking sexual and relational wholeness and healing.
Betty Miller has written several books on other topics as well. To view titles or purchase those books click here: http://store.bible.com/
If this message has been a blessing to you and you would like to see more like them posted on this site, you can help make this possible by your gifts to Bible.com Ministries. Click here to donate
gotquestions
Song of Solomon 2:15 says, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." Foxes sometime in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think are little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.
One of the most devastating problems that has ensnared many good people is the sin of pornography. Many of these same people will testify that they were ensnared with just a "peek." This one "little fox" led to their downfall. Many, out of curiosity, just went to a site to see what was there. This is one of the devil's tricks to get people ensnared. Satan, is the power behind this attraction to forbidden sexual images. People that are trapped today can tell you there is an evil "drawing" that compels them to return again and again. Many are desiring to be free, but seem hopelessly gripped by this evil desire. We want to share the good news -- there is a way out through Jesus Christ.
In the U.S.A., as well as many other nations of the world, our societies have become the most sexually saturated societies in human history. Sodom and Gomorrah might be the only exceptions. America's pornography industry is not only pervasive, but powerful as well. It generates more than $12 billion in revenue annually. In 1997, more than 665 million pornographic videos were sold. On the Internet, there are more than 72,000 pornographic sites. Sexually explicit "900 number" phone calls are a $2.4 billion-a-year industry. ¹
From the Internet to video stores to magazines and "900 numbers," pornography can be easily accessed nearly anywhere in America. This involvement is not limited to world at large, as surveys reveal the Christian community is highly involved in this evil snare of perversion too. How did this happen? What can be done to help people get free from this bondage? What does the Bible offer as hope to those ensnared in sin?
God has called the church to be the answer to the problems facing those addicted to pornography. God hates this sin, but He loves the sinner and wants to set them free. Many marriages are being destroyed by this evil, as after the addiction of pornography has set in, then the normal marital relationship with their spouses is no longer satisfying. Many husbands then want their wives to partake in bizarre sexual behavior with them or use sexual toys as stimulants. Some couples even watch erotic videos together to arouse each other before they engage in sex. These abnormal approaches to what God intended to be a wonderful relationship, defiles them. Instead of finding satisfaction... guilt, shame, and dissatisfaction set in. True love and intimate sharing is replaced with raw lust. What God meant to be the most beautiful experience between two people becomes a hellish depravity. God can, and will restore this relationship if they will call on Him. There is absolutely nothing that is outside of God's ability to forgive, deliver, heal and restore.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
How did our world arrive at a time in history that has so much emphasis on sexual perversions? This did not happen overnight. When the church failed to maintain a holy standard and example to the world, the world's evil influence gained momentum and now has saturated our society. Little by little, the church lowered her standards. Instead of the church influencing the world, the opposite happened, the world influenced the church. The church began to watch movies that each year became a little more dirty, a little more violent, a little more immoral, a little more deviant, a little more crazy and a little more erotic. Now today, there are unspeakable things on film that come directly from hell. They were inspired by the devil himself. These "little foxes" are now raging wolves. Sin and evil are progressive. Several layers of gray have now become black.
An example of how this happened in the area of women's dress, would be to observe the progression of women's styles. Women's hem lines have gone up while the necklines have gone down. It didn't start by going from ankle length to above the knees overnight. It took years for the ladies in the church to gradually adopt this revealing attire that others were wearing. Most Christian women on stage look no different than those in Hollywood. I am not saying that we should wear our hair in buns with no make-up. However we don't have to look like the women of the world. We can be stylish and attractive without being immodest and lustful in our dress. Today young girls come to prayer meetings in shorts and crop tops and never think any thing about it. Before you call me prudish ( I will admit I am old fashioned, yet in my school days we didn't experience the sexual violence that is happening today), let me share where I am going with this.
My husband and I, while pastoring the church, prayed with many young and not-so-young men, who were deeply disturbed as they were having problems keeping their minds on the Lord. The distraction ---- pretty young girls who would attend services in shorts, ultra tight jeans, short skirts, or low cut dresses. The men did not want these lustful feelings and were sincerely fighting to keep their thoughts pure. Most of the young girls were totally oblivious to the fact that they could be contributing to a man's temptation toward lust. I remember an incident when several people were gathered around a man to pray for him for healing. One of the young girls who wore a sleeveless and low cut top kneeled down at his feet while others stood in a circle around him to pray. I happened to be standing over her and looking down as we started to bow our heads and pray I could see her breasts above her low cut bra. The thought came to me how these young men must struggle to pray when they could see the same view as I saw.
WHAT CAN WOMEN DO TO HELP MEN GET FREE FROM THIS BONDAGE?
Most of the indulgence in porno is done by men, although some women come under its power too. However, since this affects everyone in the family, it is a family problem. It must be addressed as a family issue. One of the things that I believe women are doing today, that is adding to this problem, is the way in which they dress. The goal of many young girls today is not dressing to be well groomed and attractive, but rather to be sexy. Sex crimes and rapes have soared in numbers and women's dress habits have contributed to this problem. I believe because we have not taught our daughters to dress modestly it has contributed to these crimes. We must teach our sons and daughters morality and return to Bible standards if we are to see this problem reversed.
Men no longer have to go to houses of prostitution to see women's unclad bodies. They can go to any beach or public swimming pool in the world or just watch the ads on T.V. It is really a disgrace to the church when our young daughters are allowed to wear bikini swimsuits and many of the mothers wear them too. I am not excusing men and their porno habits but we women must also change if we expect the men to get free from their sin. The Bible speaks about how women should be attired:
Proverbs 11:22, "As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion."
1 Peter 3:1-5, "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands."
How To Be Free From Pornography
(1.) You need to first of all repent of your sin and ask Jesus to come into your heart and cleanse you and deliver you from this evil. No sin is too black or wicked that the blood of Jesus cannot cleanse you from it. The Bible says in:
1 John 1:9-10, 2:1-2: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
(2.) Because pornography is a spiritual problem you will need spiritual help in getting free from it. By partaking of this evil you have opened yourself up to demonic control. You may need someone who has the gift of the Holy Spirit to pray deliverance over you. You should seek out a Bible believing church that believes in deliverance and knows how to deal with demons. The Lord will lead you in this matter if you ask Him. Do not allow pride to prevent you from getting help and getting free if you need it.
James 4:7-8, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
(3.) As you commit your life to Christ and obey Him you can get the victory because you are not fighting this battle alone, but you have access to the power of Christ and what He did for you.
Romans 6:12-18:
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
(4.) Today men and women must war in this culture to maintain their sexual purity. This battle is a battle in the mind. You must cast down imaginations that do not agree with the Bible and quote the Word of God over your body and mind.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
(5.) You must stay away from the area of temptation and destroy all videos, games, magazines, etc. that are pornographic. If you must use the computer in your work environment, you should employ a filter service for your ISP or software that filters out those evil invitations so they do not enter your e-mail and cannot be accessed by your browser.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20: "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
(6.) Should you stumble or fall, do not stay down. Just ask the Lord to forgive you and start again in your walk with Him. Ask Him to empower you to overcome. You cannot do it in your strength. Just remember that in Him you can do all things.
Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
(7.) If you need prayer we will stand with you for your victory. You can write us through the prayer room. You need not give your name. The Lord will know who you are. Remember, the Lord loves you and so do we. Blessings! Contact us through the PRAYER ROOM.
(8.) If your life or marriage has been devastated by sexual addiction we highly recommend a book that has been helpful to many called An Affair of the Mind by Laurie Hall. This amazing book is published by Focus On The Family and written from the first-hand perspective of a wife whose husband was addicted to pornography for over 20 years. This powerful book delves deep into many facets of sexual addiction. The principles in this book, if applied, can save many marriages and restore even those who are most bound to sexual addiction.
In summation, many are snared by just a "peek" or just a little curiosity in regard to pornography. Don't allow any little things that could lead to a pornography addiction. Calendars or pictures of naked women, Playboy magazines or movies with erotic sexual scenes are just a few of the things that can open the door for a greater entanglement into the pornography trap.
End Notes:
¹Chris Mitchell, CBN News Reporter. Fact File Resource, Air Date: November 10, 1998
An Affair of the Mind by Laurie Hall
If you are struggling with this problem there is an excellent book that could be of help to you. Published by Focus On The Family and written from the first-hand perspective of a wife whose husband was addicted to pornography for over 20 years, this powerful book delves deep into many facets of sexual addiction. The principles in this book, if applied, can save any marriage and restore even those who are most bound to sexual addiction. The author shares candidly of her struggles as she sought the Lord for the salvation of her marriage and restoration of her husband. The things she learned from the Holy Spirit along the way will minister to every person who reads the book. It will help both husbands and wives.
________
You can also find help at the following sites so you can get free from pornography and find healing if you are sexually and relationally broken:
Love Lines: http://www.lovelines.org Help in getting free from sexual addictions.
Pure Intimacy: http://www.pureintimacy.org/
Mastering Life Ministries: http://masteringlife.gospelcom.net/
Desert Streams: http://www.desertstream.org
This is a California-based Christian organization which offers programs for people seeking sexual and relational wholeness and healing.
Betty Miller has written several books on other topics as well. To view titles or purchase those books click here: http://store.bible.com/
If this message has been a blessing to you and you would like to see more like them posted on this site, you can help make this possible by your gifts to Bible.com Ministries. Click here to donate
gotquestions
Friday, 3 February 2012
divorce can never be good for children
A divorce can never be good for children no matter how amicable it is, says study
By FIONA MACRAE
Last updated at 12:18 AM on 2nd February 2012
Comments (116)
Share
Sad: New research suggests there is no such thing as a good divorce where children are involved
There is no such thing as a good divorce when children are involved, a study has concluded.
The analysis of almost 1,000 families found that children suffer when their parents’ marriage ends – no matter how amicable the split.
The researchers said their finding contradicts the widely-held belief that it is possible to have a ‘good divorce’ in which the children and adults emerge relatively unscathed.
They called for marriage counsellors to make greater efforts to save marriages in distress and said that divorcing parents need to do more to protect their children from the fall out.
The research team began by comparing the welfare of children whose parents had divorced with those whose marriages were strong.
Those from broken homes scored more poorly.They then zoomed in on almost 944 families from around the US which had been through a divorce or the end of a long-term relationship.
The families were divided into three groups.
Co-operative parents shared childcare, still got on well with each other and rarely fought – fitting the criteria of a ‘good divorce’.
Parallel parents shared childcare but rarely spoke to each other. The third group was described as single parent families because the absent parent had little or no contact with their child.
More...
'I'm a figure of hate': Single mother of 14 slams critics who brand her a scrounger
The parents were interviewed while the children were teenagers and the children interviewed when they became adults.
All three groups gave similar answers, debunking the idea of it being possible to have a good divorce, the journal Family Relations reported.
While in their teens, those with co-operative parents had fewer behaviour problems than other youngsters from broken homes.
However, they did no better than the others in terms of self-esteem, satisfaction with life and school or experimentation with cigarettes, drugs and alcohol.
A divorce can lead to social problems encountered for the children in the family (Posed by model)
And their school marks were worse than those whose parents had no contact with each other.
As young adults, those from a ‘good divorce’ were just as likely to have under-age sex and be promiscuous as those whose parents led entirely separate lives.
Similar results were obtained for children whose parents had co-habited before splitting up and those who had been married and divorced.
The Pennsylvania State University researchers said that overall the results provide ‘only modest support’ for the good divorce hypothesis.
They said that previous studies that have backed the idea may not have been as through as theirs.
It is also possible that the idea of a ‘good divorce’ caught on because people simply wanted it to be true.
Researcher Paul Amato, a professor of family sociology, said divorcing parents should be given more advice on how to help their children adapt to the sudden change in circumstances.
We have not taken seriously enough the extent to which children are affected in divorce
And he called on marriage counsellors to do more to save marriages that have not irretrievably broken down.
He concluded: ‘Not all children with divorced parents experience long-term problems.
‘But people’s willingness to accept the good divorce hypothesis is reason for concern if some parents are lulled into believing that their children are adequately protected from all the potential risks of union disruption.’
Norman Wells, of the Family Education Trust, said: ‘The authors of this study are to be applauded for having the courage to honestly examine the evidence on such a sensitive issue.
‘Many parents make sterling efforts to mitigate the damaging consequences of family breakdown for their children, but they can never be eliminated altogether.
‘We have not taken seriously enough the extent to which children are affected when their parents separate.
‘Although divorce rates in the UK have declined in recent years, family breakdown is affecting growing numbers of families as a result of the rise in cohabitation and births outside marriage.
‘Co-habiting relationships are much less stable than marriages and even more so when children are involved.
‘The importance for children of the life-long marriage of their parents cannot be overestimated.
‘Far too often separation and divorce are presented as quick-fix solutions without thinking through the longer-term implications.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2095181/A-divorce-good-children-matter-amicable-says-study.html#ixzz1lLi8ssnZ
By FIONA MACRAE
Last updated at 12:18 AM on 2nd February 2012
Comments (116)
Share
Sad: New research suggests there is no such thing as a good divorce where children are involved
There is no such thing as a good divorce when children are involved, a study has concluded.
The analysis of almost 1,000 families found that children suffer when their parents’ marriage ends – no matter how amicable the split.
The researchers said their finding contradicts the widely-held belief that it is possible to have a ‘good divorce’ in which the children and adults emerge relatively unscathed.
They called for marriage counsellors to make greater efforts to save marriages in distress and said that divorcing parents need to do more to protect their children from the fall out.
The research team began by comparing the welfare of children whose parents had divorced with those whose marriages were strong.
Those from broken homes scored more poorly.They then zoomed in on almost 944 families from around the US which had been through a divorce or the end of a long-term relationship.
The families were divided into three groups.
Co-operative parents shared childcare, still got on well with each other and rarely fought – fitting the criteria of a ‘good divorce’.
Parallel parents shared childcare but rarely spoke to each other. The third group was described as single parent families because the absent parent had little or no contact with their child.
More...
'I'm a figure of hate': Single mother of 14 slams critics who brand her a scrounger
The parents were interviewed while the children were teenagers and the children interviewed when they became adults.
All three groups gave similar answers, debunking the idea of it being possible to have a good divorce, the journal Family Relations reported.
While in their teens, those with co-operative parents had fewer behaviour problems than other youngsters from broken homes.
However, they did no better than the others in terms of self-esteem, satisfaction with life and school or experimentation with cigarettes, drugs and alcohol.
A divorce can lead to social problems encountered for the children in the family (Posed by model)
And their school marks were worse than those whose parents had no contact with each other.
As young adults, those from a ‘good divorce’ were just as likely to have under-age sex and be promiscuous as those whose parents led entirely separate lives.
Similar results were obtained for children whose parents had co-habited before splitting up and those who had been married and divorced.
The Pennsylvania State University researchers said that overall the results provide ‘only modest support’ for the good divorce hypothesis.
They said that previous studies that have backed the idea may not have been as through as theirs.
It is also possible that the idea of a ‘good divorce’ caught on because people simply wanted it to be true.
Researcher Paul Amato, a professor of family sociology, said divorcing parents should be given more advice on how to help their children adapt to the sudden change in circumstances.
We have not taken seriously enough the extent to which children are affected in divorce
And he called on marriage counsellors to do more to save marriages that have not irretrievably broken down.
He concluded: ‘Not all children with divorced parents experience long-term problems.
‘But people’s willingness to accept the good divorce hypothesis is reason for concern if some parents are lulled into believing that their children are adequately protected from all the potential risks of union disruption.’
Norman Wells, of the Family Education Trust, said: ‘The authors of this study are to be applauded for having the courage to honestly examine the evidence on such a sensitive issue.
‘Many parents make sterling efforts to mitigate the damaging consequences of family breakdown for their children, but they can never be eliminated altogether.
‘We have not taken seriously enough the extent to which children are affected when their parents separate.
‘Although divorce rates in the UK have declined in recent years, family breakdown is affecting growing numbers of families as a result of the rise in cohabitation and births outside marriage.
‘Co-habiting relationships are much less stable than marriages and even more so when children are involved.
‘The importance for children of the life-long marriage of their parents cannot be overestimated.
‘Far too often separation and divorce are presented as quick-fix solutions without thinking through the longer-term implications.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2095181/A-divorce-good-children-matter-amicable-says-study.html#ixzz1lLi8ssnZ
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