Why is there an “anything goes” attitude about sex, even among people who identify themselves as Christians? The answer is found in the way we have let our guard down. We have ignored Jesus’ admonition to “keep watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
The meaning of the word “pray” in that verse is pretty obvious, but what did he mean by “keeping watch” in order to avoid falling into temptation? Well, consider the way temptation works. James 1:14-15 says, “Temptation is the pull of our own evil thoughts. These evil thoughts lead to evil actions.” In other words, the initial battlefield for all of us is our mind. All our troubles start with what we dwell upon in our thoughts. The application of this truth is simple: we must be careful about what we allow into our mind (music, television shows, books, magazines, internet sites, movies, etc.).
Over the past three decades there has been a major desensitization taking place in the public’s attitude toward sex. Where has this desensitization taken us? Well, consider these findings by researchers at the University of Michigan: by the time the average American girl is eighteen, she has watched 1500 televised sex acts (they found that boys average about a hundred less because they don’t watch as many soaps). The study also determined that 94% of all sex depicted on television and in the movies is between people who are not married.
When we combine these findings with the proliferation of sexually explicit lyrics in music, the explosion of popularity of pornographic internet web sites, and the continued loosening of Christian principles at every level of society, is it any wonder that most Americans are okay with just about any kind of sex, so long as all the participants are willing. We have abandoned “old-fashioned” biblical morality in favor of a more politically-correct “to each his own” attitude.
There is an old computer term called “GIGO,” which is short for “garbage in, garbage out.” When you put bad information into a computer you will get negative results. This is also true for human beings. This is why God, in 2 Timothy 2:22, says “run from anything that gives you evil thoughts, but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.”
The latter part of this verse emphasizes the importance of who we choose as friends. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be fooled: Bad friends will ruin good character.” Many of us, particularly when we are young, totally ignore this principle, yet the influence of peer pressure in the decisions we make is so well documented that it is beyond debate.
The reason we need to be careful about who we choose as friends and what we choose to allow into our minds is simple: “What a person thinks is what he really is” (Proverbs 23:7). Your thoughts define who you are! Satan has many of us deceived into believing that what we fantasize about is really just harmless daydreaming, but the reality is that what we think about has a direct impact on how we feel and, ultimately, how we act. Which brings us back to the first Bible verses we considered: “Temptation is the pull of our own evil thoughts. These evil thoughts lead to evil actions” (James 1:14-15).
Henry Harris is Senior Pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church, 330 Tres Pinos Rd, Hollister, CA. If you have questions or comments, please visit the church’s website at rollinghillsfamily.com, email [email protected] or phone 831-636-5353.
