Response to Christianity Today Magazine

In the latest CT online blog there was a good article about ways to prevent pastors and leaders from getting involved in sexual sin. Doing so is badly needed for many well-known preachers have fallen over the past few years.

However, I think the CT article was fairly shallow and failed to deal with the real issues that arise from the heart. Mark 7:15 ff

He summoned the crowd again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile."

When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them, "Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
"But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles.

From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.

All these evils come from within and they defile."

For over 30 years I have ministered to Christians of all maturity levels and now focus almost exclusively on pastoral and counseling with leaders. The suggestions, as good as they are, are not nearly enough nor do they get to the root of the problem. James 1 says

When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.

Evil desire is from Epithumia: A Wounded heart/hole in the soul/ sickness of the soul
Dragged away-A force of great power pulls at us
Enticed to do destructive things

Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

After the wounded heart conceives an evil/destructive idea, sin, missing the mark is born. As the sinful behavior grows and develops it gets stronger and more controlling of life. This considered to be a compulsion.

When it is full grown it bring us death of soul and body.

Overwhelming sexual temptation leading to destruction arises from a deeply wounded soul. It does not arise from good clean lust, healthy sexual desire, but from a sickness of the soul. It is not caused by the Internet, magazines, beautiful women or a lack of male accountability.

I have ministered to several hundred men and women involved in compulsive sex. I have never ministered to one involved in pornography, masturbation or adultery that had an ongoing vital heart experience with the Holy Spirit. Nor with his wife. They are always hiding their anger, bitterness and a deeply wounded soul. The porn/masterbation compulsion is more related to angry punishment of a woman and the release that it provides momentarily than to sex.

The formula I use in ministry is AB = C + D
Addictive Behavior = Compulsions plus Dependency

Compulsions are any behavior pattern that arises from inner discomfort and gives momentary relief to that pain. The inner pain can be guilt, shame, rejection, anger, unforgiveness, etc. For Christians, of course, pornography makes the innr guilt and thus the pain increase. Many people have compulsive behavior but are not Addicts for they are not also Dependent.

Dependencies are habitual behavior designed to get a high. Sex, cocaine, food, etc can all give us a high. Many people are sexually Dependent but are not addicts.

When one is both reducing inner pain and getting high we consider them to be addicted. Healing demands that we remove the inner pain by biblical means of reconciliation, marital counseling, forgiveness, healing, etc and show people how to get "high" biblically. After this, accountability groups will work.

New legalisms will not work to treat Christians caught in the web of sexual lust. Only by working on the inner life will we succeed. It is the heart that matters not the internet or Playboy Magazine. I see miracles happen all the time.

Shalom,
Gary R. Sweeten, Ed. D.