CODE V 

I will look away from the gutter, but be prepared to pull people out of it. 

BIBLE READING: Colossians 3:5-11 

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 

DEVOTIONAL: 

The days of finding a few torn pornographic magazines in the bushes, or plucking up enough courage to reach the top shelf for the latest mags are all but over. Today we have a torrent of porn delivered to our smart phones and tablets, wherever we are and whenever we want. 

A Scandinavian research team have suggested that 90% of all the data the human race has ever produced has been generated in the past 2 years! How much porn is there on the internet? To be honest no one really seems to know, but what we do know is that porn is everywhere and it is viciously addictive, degrading, damaging and exploitative. 

The Bible tells us is that sexual immorality is incredibly destructive to the person God has created. With each step and exploration into porn, the goal posts are moved further and further back and soon the seemingly harmless page 3 glance has turned into a rabid addiction that is rarely satisfied. 

In 1961 Albert Bandura, a psychologist, got a group of adults to punch and beat up an inflatable doll in front of a group children. He then asked the men to leave the room to assess the children's reactions. They also threw punches at the doll. The point is, we copy behaviour, and when un-healthy, un-balanced fornication is displayed to us and we feed on it, it can shape our expectations, passions and practices. 

Men of honour, men who live to follow Jesus are men who aspire to greater things, to self-control and purity, even in the locked room where no-one sees! What we discover when we accept Jesus as Lord is that a war rages within us, an invite to the dark where secrets and lust can be grown and nurtured. Our old life keeps pulling us and calling us, but at the same time the Holy Spirit shows us another way. 

When it comes to addictive patterns and snares in our lives there isn't always a quick fix, but victory can be found. As we yield all areas of our lives to the Holy Spirit, as we bring the light into that darkness we find strength and a new freedom. Like all things, these addictions need to be fed to survive, and when we stop feeding them, they begin to wither and die. The battle for your purity is real, what you going to do about it? 

QUESTIONS: 

• Have you battled or are you battling with an addiction? 
• Do you think porn can be damaging to us? 
• Why do you think Paul in Colossians urges follows of Jesus to put sexual immorality to death? 
• How can we do it? 

PRAYER: 

Jesus, we know that you have set us free to live a life of abundance; help us never to be imprisoned again. Teach us real freedom from sin that we can know your wonderful grace that has found us and saved us for greater things. Help us to yield to you, help us to be honest and bring everything to the light. In the company of our brothers we call this stuff out before you. Save us Jesus, for your glory. Amen