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Tongues of Fire: The Early Church Part 2

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After the Church grew massively in the book of Acts, persecution was not far behind. But the Lord gave his followers the boldness to endure.

Spiritual Growth

When the early church began to experience massive growth, persecution was not far behind. But the believers, knowing their weakness, prayed earnestly for boldness and God gave them the power to endure. This is Part 2 of our short series, “Tongues of Fire: The Early Church.”

Host: Steve, we want to continue our discussions on the early Church. In a message that you shared with our staff, you covered Acts 3 and 4. Talk about the backdrop of these two chapters.

Steve: Well, it may sound obvious, but the backdrop is Chapter 2. In Chapter 2, we had the enormous revival that hit Jerusalem and 3000 souls came to the Lord in one day. Plus, who knows what happened in the weeks and months after that. But you have to think about what was going on with the disciples during this period of time. All of a sudden, they go from a church of 120 to a church of 3000 people. And if that isn't enough of an enormous challenge, you're talking about every one of them being a brand new believer who needs to be discipled.
         But beyond that is the fact that these people needed to be worked out of years of indoctrination in Pharisaism, Judaism, ritualism and all their traditions. So, I believe that during that time, the Lord was using the disciples to bring the Church along and help these new believers get more established in the faith. Then when the Lord felt like it was time to take another step forward, this thing happened there at the temple.

Host: Well, we don't have time to share all the details, but can you tell us in a nutshell what happens in Acts 3 & 4?

Steve: Well, John and Peter are going up to the temple to pray and there's a crippled man there begging, and Peter somehow got a sense from the Lord that that man needed to be healed. He saw that he had faith and the Lord healed him through Peter. Then the man gets up and he is ecstatic as one can imagine being someone who's been crippled all their life. And he's running and leaping and praising the Lord it says.
         And so that creates a whole stir and all kinds of people come rushing in to find out, “What is this?” And it’s obvious that it's a tremendous miracle. So, Peter seizes the opportunity to begin to preach to the people right there at the temple. And while he's preaching, he's interrupted by the guards from the Sanhedrin who were sent in to break the meeting up and haul them in to answer for what in the world they were doing there.

Host: As I was going over your notes on this chapter, I couldn't help but think that this is like an instant replay of what happened with Jesus. Why did the Sanhedrin react again this way? You would think maybe they'd learn by now.

Steve: Yeah. And you're referring to the blind man who got healed right there at the same basic place at the temple by Jesus. The bottom line I think was that there was an enormous amount of pride in that Sanhedrin. They felt like they were the experts. They were the religious leaders. And so, when it came to John and Peter, the Sanhedrin were thinking “these guys are just upstarts. Who are they? They're fishermen from Galilee.”
         I mean, in a sense, you could understand how the religious leaders would feel. It's almost like usurping their authority. It's one thing if they were to be teaching out somewhere in the streets somewhere but for it to be right there at the temple was a bigger issue to them.  But also, for the Sadducees who ran the Sanhedrin, they didn’t believe in the resurrection, and that is the message that Peter was preaching forth boldly. He was preaching that Jesus Christ has been resurrected and the Sadducees didn't take kindly to that a bit.

Host: Well, how did Peter and John handle the antagonism that they were getting here?

Steve: Well, you can imagine how intimidating of a setting this must have been for Peter and John to be hauled in, in front of the 70 religious leaders of the country. But instead of the timidity that Peter had shown a few months before right before the crucifixion, a holy boldness overtakes Peter and he just begins preaching his heart out. And not only preaching his heart out, but he puts his finger right in their face and calls them the murderers of the Messiah. It is unbelievable that he could do what he did. He didn't back down one inch.

Host: It's very telling what Peter and John did when they were released.

Steve: Yeah, they went right into a prayer meeting. They went back to the disciples and their close friends, and they started seeking the Lord, but what is really interesting to me is what they were praying for. They weren't praying for protection. They weren't praying that God would defeat their adversaries. They were praying that God would give them holy boldness no matter what it cost them. And God really responded to that prayer.

Host: How much do we need that today? We look at what's going on around us. We look at the attack on the Church, the attack on our faith and on Christianity. Really, we ought to be praying for, as they did, a holy boldness in us as believers to be a witness in the midst of all of it.

Steve: Yeah, because from there they went out after that and really everything that you see unfold in the book of Acts is an answer to that prayer. But also, you know that was the way they were praying regularly, and you just see it keep unfolding and unfolding under these great events that occur through the book of acts in the days following. And I know for ourselves here at Pure Life, when we get on our faces before the Lord and we really start seeking Him, we see God move in really wonderful ways.
         But we are human beings, and we are not built in ourselves to seek the Lord at that level all the time. That's just the reality of our fallen nature. So, we tend to need to do it on occasions. And we need to set apart special occasions to really seek the Lord, not just our normal time of seeking, but an extended time — an impassioned time. And when we do that, God never fails to follow through with His power.

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Door opening to the sun shining outside

Tongues of Fire: The Early Church Part 1

Articles

If we are to have great revival in the church today, we need to cry out for the Holy Spirit's power to come upon us from on high.

Spiritual Growth

Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from on high to become His witnesses. That kind of power is exactly what is needed in the church today. Welcome to Part 1 of a short series called “Tongues of Fire: The Early Church.”

Host: Steve Gallagher has joined me in the studio. Steve is the founder of Pure Life Ministries. Steve good to see you again.

Steve: Glad to be here.

Host: Steve, we want to talk about an 8-week series that you did on the early Church. You started your first talk in this series, “The Commission of the Church” by looking at the books of Luke and Acts. Tell us a little bit about the relationship between these two books.

Steve: Well, they were both written by Luke the physician and unlike the other gospel writers, Luke wasn't an eyewitness to the events of the life of Jesus. During Jesus’s lifetime he was a Greek who was probably living in Philippi. And he also wasn't around during the early years of the Church. So, he acted primarily as a historian, which meant that he had to go and get accounts from other people. When he wrote these two books, he did it as a two-part history of the Church. So, part one was the story of Christ, which is the book of Luke. And then part 2 was how the story continued forth after Jesus died. That's how it was first passed around, as a two-part book.

Host: You mentioned in your talk that there were three purposes Luke had for writing the book of Acts. Talk about those.

Steve: Well, he gives us one of the purposes with the first thing he says right in his opening remarks in the book of Luke. He said, “So that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:4 NIV) He was referring to this man, Theophilus, who apparently was some kind of Roman official. He was giving him the story. That was number one. His second purpose was that he was providing a historical account of what happened. How Christianity began and how it grew from there. But also, the third thing was that he was attempting to justify Christianity to the Roman world. Because that was the world he lived in, in that day, and he was trying to present a credible, believable account of what Christianity is and why the people didn’t need to fear it.

Host: People love stories, and we love the development of characters in a story. I love the way that you brought out the leading character in the story of Acts. Talk about that.

Steve: The book of Acts is almost like a play, if you can imagine it that way. You've got two leading characters. First, you have Peter, who dominates the scene in the early part of the book of Acts and in the early Church. He is the main person. But of course, the book of Acts continues on from there. So, the second leading character becomes the Apostle Paul, and the focus shifts from Peter to Paul. But really the leading character in the story in Acts is the Holy Spirit, because it is the Holy Spirit who inspires. It's the Holy Spirit who leads. It's the Holy Spirit who is presenting Jesus Christ. He's operating through these men and He's operating in circumstances. The Holy Spirit is the leading actor in the book of Acts.
         In Chapter One, Jesus gives His final instructions to the disciples right before His ascension. There were 50 days between when He was Passover, when He was crucified and Pentecost, where that great outpouring happened, and the first 40 days consisted of Jesus presenting Himself to His people. Then His ascension happened and that was 10 days before Pentecost. And at that time He instructed the disciples to wait for 10 days.

Host: Yeah. And He not only instructed them, but He also made a promise to them.

Steve: Yes. He promised them that if they would wait on the Lord, if they would seek His face, that the Holy Spirit would come upon them, would empower them and make them witnesses throughout the world. That is the Great Commission: to go into all the world and make disciples. And this part of Christianity, which I'm afraid is often lost in the church, as weak as it is, is a major role of Christianity. We are to go forth as representatives of Jesus Christ.
         In other words, the way that you live your life should make a loud statement to people that I fully believe in Jesus Christ. I obey Him. I live my life in such a way that it reflects His character and His nature everywhere I go. And that is part of the Great Commission. And as I live my life that way, I pour myself into other people who are new to the faith and I disciple them. I help them to mature in the faith.

Host: Yeah, and that certainly is what we see being lived out in the early Church. How we long to see more of that today.

Steve: Yes, we do. Absolutely.

Host: Did the disciples play a part in bringing this outpouring of the Holy Spirit and revival about or was this a sovereign act of God?

Steve: This is always one of the big questions regarding revival, because this was the mightiest revival Earth has ever seen as far as I'm concerned. Is it the Lord just sovereignly acting, or is it that people pray and do the right thing to bring it about? And if you listen to Charles Finney, that's what he would say is that it's just a simple formula. It's no different than a farmer going out and throwing seed in the ground and watering it. If you do that, you're going to have results he would say. But I'm not so sure about that.
         I understand what he's saying and there is truth to it, but to battle through on your knees to bring about something like a mighty revival requires a real touch from God. And in this particular case, Jesus told them what was going to happen. So, there was an expectancy building up. They knew what to do. They were to wait on the Lord, which is what they did for 10 days. And at the end of that 10 days, which happened to be on the day of Pentecost, The Lord came forth. Was it because of the disciple’s prayers and waiting on the Lord? Yes. Was it a sovereign act of God? Yes. It was both.

Host: Yeah. You know, in our current culture, we find it so hard to wait on the Lord for anything. But again, we're in a time where we desperately need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And what does God want us to do? He wants us to pray. He wants us to be doing the things that we're supposed to be doing, but it's going to be a sovereign act of God that He's going to pour out His Spirit in these last days. So, can you now explain to us, what did happen on the day of Pentecost?

Steve: 120 of Jesus’s followers had been waiting on the Lord for 10 days. Praying, fasting and probably spending time in the Word. They were probably spending time in silence as well. They were doing spiritual things for the most part. And on the day of Pentecost, as they're gathered about, maybe there was a little bit of anticipation because it was such a special feast day, but there was no guarantee that anything was going to happen that day.
         But the Lord knows how far He can stretch us. And if He would have gone past 10 days, I have a feeling people's hopes would have started diminishing and fading, and maybe they would have started losing that sense of anticipation. But anyway, on the day of Pentecost, all of a sudden there's this rumbling. Maybe they heard it from a distance and it got louder and louder. But suddenly, the whole place is filled with the presence of God and just like a fire gets so hot that flames dance around outside of the wood, that's the way it seemed in the spiritual realm. There were these flames of fire dancing around these people and the Lord was pouring Himself out on them, in them and through them.
         Whatever was going on, it just gripped the people of the city and before you know it, thousands of people were gathered. Imagine Tiananmen Square in Beijing, where thousands of people were pouring out into the city, and they had those demonstrations so many years ago. I think it was kind of like that, where something so exciting was happening that thousands of people were showing up and then Peter gets up and boldly begins to preach.

Host: I want to hear that sermon. Well, we have it written down, but I would like to see the instant replay of that one.

Steve: Well, just looking at the highlights that Luke gives us, it's pretty impressive for the guys first sermon. Because for your first sermon, usually you feel awkward and you're not sure what to say. You're kind of stumbling through it. But he got up in the power of God and gave a powerful message. And more than it being an inspired message where he was saying the right things, much more important was the fact that the presence of God so filled the atmosphere that his words were so convicting that they went into people's hearts and 3000 people got saved that day.

Host: We hear of revivals and moves of God today. Sometimes they truly are revivals, but sometimes they aren't. But the way we can discern more clearly is by the fruit that follows these events. What happened following this revival?

Steve: That really is a good point, because when people come to the Lord through a powerful conversion it makes a difference. Take my wife as an example. She got saved at the tail end of the Jesus Movement in the late 70s. And I don't know how to explain it, but I don't see those kind of conversions anymore. You just don't hear about people being powerfully converted and just being on fire for the Lord right from the beginning. There is something when a revival is taking place that people get so dramatically affected, and then it comes out in the way that they live their lives.
         And as you read through the rest of Acts 2, you see that the people were meeting together regularly. They were sharing their possessions with each other. You know some miracles had to happen to get people to do that. And they were spending a lot of time in prayer and in Bible study. They had all the markings of people who were on fire for the Lord. It wasn't just that they got saved and went back to basically their same old lifestyle with a few alterations. No, they got powerfully saved and went out and changed the world.

Host: Oh, that the power of God would come down like that today and we would see that kind of dramatic conversion of souls.

Steve: It's going to happen. I don't know when exactly, but it is coming.

Articles
Pure Life Ministries Podcast Episode #596: Why You Should Read "Chasing the Dragon"

#596 - Why You Should Read "Chasing the Dragon"

Podcasts

Latest podcast: A British girl brings God's light into "The City of Darkness." We review Jackie Pullinger's story, "Chasing the Dragon."

Spiritual Growth
Finding Freedom

In 1966, a British girl named Jackie Pullinger stepped for the first time into "The Walled City." This small Hong Kong district was a place of horrors—sewage ran through the streets, prostitution, drug use and lawlessness were rampant. But where the darkness seemed impenetrable and all-powerful, God used an unlikely woman to bring many souls into God's marvelous light. In this episode we review Jackie's autobiography, "Chasing the Dragon."

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The Story of Greg & Paloma

The Story of Greg and Paloma

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Click here to see the wonderful story of Greg and Paloma, how God redeemed their marriage through the Pure Life Residential Program.

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Sexual Sin
For Wives
Finding Freedom

Fresh out of prison, Greg wanted a fresh start on life. Marriage and church attendance soon took the place of drugs and crime. But Greg never let go of his porn addiction.


His hidden life quickly began destroying his marriage to Paloma. But when divorce seemed like the only way out, God stepped in and redeemed Greg’s life, and brought healing to Paloma’s heart.


Find out how the Lord used Pure Life Ministries to do it.

Short Videos
People crying out to the Lord

Timeless Truths: Jesus Christ is More than Able to Deliver Us

Articles

Timeless Truths: Ken Larkin reminds us of Scripture's promise that through Christ we can have freedom from sin's power.

Finding Freedom
Salvation

If someone has been in sexual sin for 10 years, is there any hope that they'll be able to get free? What about 20 years, 30 years or 40 years? In this Timeless Truths segment, Ken Larkin uses Scripture to show that even the worst of sinners can be redeemed.

Host: Ken we want to tackle an issue that must come up very often as you're counseling here at Pure Life Ministries. It comes in from someone who is based on their question, at a point of despair, and they're really wondering, “Can a person reach a place where complete healing and restoration regarding their sexual sin just isn't possible?” Let's help that person out.

Ken: I would say absolutely not, Peter said, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” (2 Peter 3:9-10a NKJV) And with that passage of Scripture, I see four important things regarding people and sin. First, God has given us promises. Of course, one of those promises is freedom from the power of sin. Before Jesus was born, it was spoken of Him that Jesus would come and save His people from their sins. And there are many other passages of Scripture that offer tremendous hope for freedom from the hold of sin for the believer.

Host: You just said that one of God's promises is that He would give us freedom from the power of sin. That promise used to really trip me up because I would want to do the right thing, I'd want to be free from the power of sin, and yet I felt myself being tempted by sin. Talk a little bit about the difference between the temptation of sin and the reality of sin having power over us.

Ken: Well, the temptation to sin is simply that there's something natural within our fallen humanity that's susceptible to sin. And there's that downward pull where you have something in you that wants to sin. As an unbeliever you have no other option. Eventually you're going to cave in to whatever particular issue you deal with. As a believer, you have the power of the Holy Spirit where you can be tempted to sin, but you can say no. It doesn't mean you'll never be tempted, but you don't have to cave in and give in to it.

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Host: Yeah. And that's a good differentiation because I think sometimes one of the things that drives a person dealing with sin into despair is not recognizing the difference between temptation and sin. And so, they just simply give up. And of course, the enemy is always right there telling them that they have no real power over sin because they keep getting tempted by it. But there is great hope in knowing that with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can say no to temptation.

Ken: Yes, absolutely.

Host: You said there were four things. Next, let’s talk about how God views those that are struggling with sin.

Ken: Well, God is very patient with a person struggling with sin. He understands our natural humanity. He understands that we are all tempted. And since He understands that, He comes alongside the believer and gives them a way out. Alongside that, I would like to add that it's never too late to repent.
         Some people think that they’ve passed the point of no return where they can’t repent anymore. That's just not true. If you're breathing, God is still giving you the grace and the opportunity to repent. Of course, it is true that the longer a person resists, quenches and grieves the Holy Spirit, the harder their heart will become. And then, the further you get from the Lord, the less likely you'll want to turn back to the Lord. But the opportunity is always there.

Host: Yeah. I used to kind of look at it like, the longer I wait to repent, or the longer I continue on in my rebellion, it’s almost like I'm giving ammunition to the enemy. Not only am I feeding my flesh, but I'm giving ammunition to the enemy who's always going to turn it back on me and try to convince me that it’s too late to repent or that God doesn't love me anymore. But knowing His heart and knowing that He is patient while at the same time He requires repentance from us, that can help us to avoid those pitfalls and those lies from the enemy.

Ken: Amen. The fourth thing I want to bring out is that it's not God's desire for anyone to perish. He greatly wishes for all to come into salvation through repentance. God's desire to free sinners and to save people is so great that He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins. So, there's no lack of desire on God's part for all to be saved and freed from their sin.

Host: Yeah. Again, I want to reflect back on some of the twisted thinking that we can find ourselves in. And sometimes we think, “God's just playing games with me. He's setting standards that I can't meet and He's just waiting for me to fall.” But we've got to know His heart and we've got to know His Word. And His Word says that it is not His desire that any should perish. That's His heart and we have to hold on to that truth about who He is.

Ken: Yes. Amen.

Host: Ken, as we wrap this up, we do want to make a balanced presentation. That while God is gracious, while He is patient with the sinner, while He wants us to change, we should never use that as a license to continue in our sin. What's the danger in thinking that we have a license to sin?

Ken: Well, the danger is that if you continue to resist the conviction of the Holy Spirit and refuse to repent, eventually you will have to face judgment for that. Of course, that won't happen until either the person dies, or the Lord returns to this earth.

Host: And dying could be tomorrow.

Ken: That's the thing. You don't want to be presumptuous, because you don't know when that day may come. But God is always there for the believer. Anytime you're willing to turn to the Lord, He's graciously opened His heart so that we can do that. And He will help anyone who sincerely wants to be free from sin.

Articles
You Must Understand How Porn Affects the Brain | 10 Half-Truths that Keep Us Addicted to Porn

You Must Understand How Porn Affects the Brain | 10 Half-Truths that Keep Us Addicted to Porn

Short Videos

Is understanding how porn affects the brain really one of the secrets to getting free? Find out in Ep. 10 of "The 10 Half-Truths Series!"

Root Issues
Sexual Sin
Finding Freedom
Spiritual Growth

In recent years, many have claimed that brain science is giving us cutting edge insights into the nature of porn addiction—and how to help addicts.

In this episode: Is understanding how porn affects the brain really one of the secrets to getting free?

Short Videos
Pure Life Ministries Podcast Episode #594: You Must Understand How Porn Affects the Brain | The 10 Half-Truths Series

#594 - You Must Understand How Porn Affects the Brain | The 10 Half-Truths Series

Podcasts

This episode: Some say brain science gives cutting edge insights into porn addiction. Find out why you don't need that to live in freedom.

Sexual Sin
Finding Freedom

In recent years, many have claimed that brain science is giving us cutting edge insights into the nature of porn addiction—and how to help addicts. But is understanding how porn affects the brain really one of the secrets to getting free, or just another half-truth that keeps many locked in their addiction? Plus, we'll talk with Steve Gallagher about why he determined not to use the principles of psychotherapy at Pure Life Ministries.

Resources

Podcasts
Pure Life Ministries Podcast Episode #593: The Answer to Your Present Addiction is in Your Past | The 10 Half-Truths Series

#593 - The Answer to Your Present Addiction is in Your Past | The 10 Half-Truths Series

Podcasts

This episode: If we want to live in freedom now, do we have to "work through" bad childhood experiences? Or is that another half-truth?

Sexual Sin
Finding Freedom

Many people say that the road to addiction begins with negative childhood experiences. They also claim that we have to "work through" our past if we want a happy future. In today's show, Steve Gallagher shows why that is just another half-truth that keeps people locked in addictive behaviors.

Resources

Podcasts
The Answer to Your Present Addiction is in Your Past | 10 Half-Truths that Keep Us Addicted to Porn

The Answer to Your Present Addiction is in Your Past | 10 Half-Truths that Keep Us Addicted to Porn

Short Videos

Does God's Word tell us to "work through" our past as a way to get free from addiction? Find out in Ep. 09 of "The 10 Half-Truths Series!"

Root Issues
Finding Freedom

Many people say that the road to addiction begins with negative childhood experiences. They also claim that an addict needs to "work through" their past if they want a happy future.

In this episode: We'll talk about why digging through the past is never God's solution for addiction.

Short Videos
Luke Imperato "What was lacking in my repentance"

What Was Lacking in My Repentance

Sermons

Many of us may have placed little to no value on God's kindness, and the results have been catastrophic.

Root Issues
Finding Freedom

Many of us may have placed little to no value on God's kindness, and the results have been catastrophic. In this message, Luke Imperato leads us through some biblical history to discover the key to repentance.

Luke challenges us to take a look at our own recognition of the Lord's goodness, pointing out that many of us have not come into real, heartfelt repentance. In fact, many of us stay under the control of sin because we reject His mercy and kindness; if we want any life-changing repentance, we need to understand that His will is mercy and He desires forgiveness.

Sermons
People with hands raised at a concert

Timeless Truths: Sexual Sin is About What We Worship

Articles

Timeless Truths: Steve Gallagher shows how the natural sex drive can easily become an idol of sexual pleasure in people's hearts.

Sexual Sin
Root Issues
Finding Freedom

Every human being was created with the capacity—no, the need—to worship. In this Timeless Truths segment, Steve Gallagher shows how the natural sex drive can easily become an idol of sexual pleasure in people's hearts.

Host: Steve, I want to first focus in on the term that you used in your book, “At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry”. Instead of sexual addiction, you used the term, “sexual idolatry”. Explain why you used that term and give us some insight into what it is about us as human beings that even opens the door for these kinds of struggles.

Steve: Well, idolatry of course, is a term we find in the Old Testament. The Jewish people were tempted by the pagan nations around them into the worship of false gods. And these idols were in the form of Baal or Asherim or many other forms of false gods and religions. The term “addict” or “addiction” is not found in Scripture. So, the concept of sexual idolatry is really the biblical way of viewing sexual addiction.

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Host: Well, what is it about humans that opens the door to that? Are we just by our nature going to end up worshiping something?

Steve: Yes, absolutely. The way the Lord created our inside world, our heart is going to be a place of worship. Something is going to be at that altar. It's just the way humans are. We have to have a purpose in life. We have to have something that is the most important thing that really makes us want to get up in the morning and go through the day. And most people have a number of things that compete for our affection and worship. Mothers for instance, hold their children in very high esteem and that of course is a normal thing, but even that can turn into idolatry. But no matter who we are, we're going to have things that become very important to us. And obviously, for some that becomes sex.

Host: What role does the enemy have in having an outside influence on people in regard to sexual idolatry?

Steve: Well, obviously the enemy hates us, he hates God, and he wants to do anything he can to lure us away from truly worshiping God and allowing the Lord the position of the throne of our hearts. So, he's going to do all that he can to get us to look in a different direction than the Lord. So, he's going to constantly tantalize us with outside interests or whatever to get our eyes off Jesus.

Host: That makes me think then that he doesn't really care what it is. If sexual addiction works, then that's fine with him. But even if it's something that may otherwise appear good, if he can use that to draw us away from our focus on God, then he's happy.

Steve: I wouldn't maybe go quite that far. It is true that he's happy to get us focused on anything else than the Lord. The only hesitancy I have to go that far though is that something like sex, food, drugs, or alcohol, can be so powerful. They can have such a powerful grip on a person that the enemy then has the further assurance that a person is probably not going to break free.


Host: Well, let's talk about the person that has been influenced either by the enemy or their experiences and they are in bondage to sexual idolatry. Talk a little bit about what this person looks like. What kind of routines or patterns might we see in someone that's in this position?


Steve:
Well, first of all, it's important to know that they can come from all walks of life. All races and both genders. So, who the actual person is can be anybody in that sense. So, their routine of life is going to vary depending on what the person does for a living and what's going on in their lives. And the way that they get involved in sexual sin even will vary to some degree.
        Some people will go weeks without giving over to sexual sin and then all of a sudden, they'll throw themselves into it for a binge for a couple of weeks nonstop. More typical, I suppose is the guy, or even woman who gives over once a week and then for the rest of the week it drops off the radar. And then the momentum starts building again and then they find themselves overwhelmed with temptation and giving over again.


Host: What's going on in the inside world of these individuals? How are they looking at others around them? How are they looking at their jobs? What's going on in their own minds?


Steve: Well, they're in a prison of self, and anytime a person is in a prison of self, then the carnal mindset is going to be much stronger and more magnified in that person. If, let's say, that person is prone to being critical, they're going to be even more critical of others. If that person's prone to pride, they're going to be more prideful. The more you give over to an addictive type of sin like sex, the stronger the other types of mental struggles are going to be inside of you.


Host: Can you talk a little bit more about the general life of a sex addict? What kinds of things might one notice about someone that is in the bondage of sexual addiction?


Steve: There is such a marked difference in a person who is really walking with the Lord and someone who's bound up in sin. For a person who's really walking with the Lord, they have a softness to their countenance. They have a passion for God. They are talking about the things of the Lord a lot. You see them in the Word every day. You see them having a vibrant devotional life. There's something about them that reflects Christ. They're concerned about other people. That's what the Christian life is supposed to resemble.
        Someone on the other end of that spectrum, who's giving over to sin regularly, they're going to be the opposite of those things. They're going to be hardened against the things of God. They're going to be cynical. They're going to be more concerned and interested in the things of the world than they are the things of God. They'll go to church, but it's almost obligatory. There’s just such a complete opposite in the way that they live life.


Host: In regard to the person in bondage to sexual sin, the verse that comes to my mind is that the wicked flee when no one pursues. (Proverbs 28:1a) Do you find that there's especially a sense of paranoia in people who are given over to secret sexual sin that nobody else knows about?


Steve: Yeah, the full verse is, “The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1, NASB 1995) And it is true that especially with sin that is as shameful as sexual sin, there is the element that if you are secretly giving over to sin, you get the sense that people know what's going on inside you. It is like a paranoia or a fear that somehow those around you have figured out what's really going on in your secret life.


Host: And in that secret life, I assume that those who have been giving over to sexual sin for a period of time, it has become not only an issue in their life, but it becomes the identity that they relate to. Is that possible to overcome? Can you actually gain a new identity as you come out of this sinful lifestyle?


Steve: Yes, absolutely. Part of Christianity is all about transferring the old identity of self, who we have always known ourselves to be, and transferring that identity to Christ and His characteristics. And when a person really is converted to Christ, that resemblance starts to show forth in their life and you can start to see that is where they want to be.


Host: So that's where the hope is.


Steve: That's where the hope is. That you have within you the Spirit of the living God who is compelling you toward a righteous lifestyle.

Articles
Some People View Porn to Medicate Their Pain | 10 Half-Truths that Keep Us Addicted to Porn

Some People View Porn to Medicate Their Pain | 10 Half-Truths that Keep Us Addicted to Porn

Short Videos

Do people watch porn as a way to medicate emotional pain, or is something else going on? Find out in Ep. 08 in "The 10 Half-Truths Series!"

Root Issues
Spiritual Growth

What makes people view porn? Some would say that people view porn because they want to escape feelings of emotional pain. That sounds plausible, but is it biblical?

In this episode: Is porn addiction nothing more than a misguided pursuit of emotional relief, or is something else going on?

Short Videos