Last fall, we were having a fun family outing at a nearby theme park – until we found out that our grandson was in the infirmary with his parents and with the park’s emergency medical staff. The problem was that he had somehow gotten a small metal object in his eye – which resisted all efforts to remove it. Well, without hesitation, we quickly brought our park outing to an end and headed for the hospital – where, thankfully, a specialist was able to remove that object from his eye. But we had to take it seriously – he had something potentially damaging in his eye – and that could affect how he sees things from now on.
Well, I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about “Something Damaging In Your Eye.”
Sadly, more people than ever are allowing something damaging in their eye – and it’s affecting how they see some things that are too beautiful to ruin. It’s not a pleasant subject, but it’s too big an issue to ignore – it’s pornography. You know it’s out of control when a recent survey shows that one out of five pastors is involved with pornography. These days you don’t have to go out and buy a magazine or go to a movie. You can find it all over the Internet or rent it in a video.
Jesus hasn’t changed how He feels about feeding our sexual fantasies. In Matthew 5 beginning in verse 27, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said,’ Do not commit adultery’. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”
Very strong language. Clearly, this really matters to Jesus. It needs to really matter to us. Jesus told us “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your whole body also is full of darkness” (Luke 11:34). Jesus says that what we allow in through our eyes affects everything about us. When what we allow in is distorted and unnatural sexual images, it’s going to affect far more about us than we ever dreamed.
In fact, someone’s listening right now who knows how true that is – you never thought you’d get this hooked ...you never realized how it would make it almost impossible for you to think about the opposite sex in a right and respectful way. Pornography horribly distorts God’s gift of sex by detaching sexual desire from a relationship...and by causing you to view people more as things. And it can eat away at your marriage – because you’ll be increasingly less content with your lifetime love, bringing to her the unreal expectations that have been fueled by twisted fantasies.
If the monster of pornography has invaded your life, it’s time to face the monster – before it does any more damage. Confess it . . . burn all your bridges to it . . . get some accountability.
Please, get on your knees and pledge with King David – “I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” - Psalm 101:3. And tap into the incredible hope of 2 Corinthians 10:5 - “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Be done with the shame. Be done with the slavery. When something damaging is entering your eye, you have to take immediate corrective action – or it can affect how you see everything from now on. You know that the Son of God – the Liberator...is the One who made this awesome promise, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
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