Book Review: Purity in the Age of Porn

It's a hard topic to raise in Sunday conversations at church. We know the impact, but we fear the implications on sin at work in our churches. If you're like me, you might fear the paralytic hold this sin has on people.



Matthias Media has produced a Mini-Magazine (Minizine) on pornography, which exposes the true effects of pornography (James Warren), the centrality of Jesus' death and resurrection in dealing with sexual sin (Gordon Cheng) and practical points in resisting viewing of pornography on the Internet (Simon Roberts). It's a simple and gracious exploration on the topic, one which I would feel confident in giving away to any brother or even non-Christian friend to read.

What the Minizine does well is to dispel some lies on pornography with Biblical insight and social research. Lies such like: viewing pornography is harmless, it brings real or even superior sexual fulfilment, or that it's within our nature and we cannot stop it. I was made more confident of my convictions after reading James' segment, that pornography can and does cost a lot more than what most people imagine, in terms of relationships, marriages, self-esteem and even the ability to enjoy sex.

James makes it clear that there is a good way - the best way - for our sexual desires to be fulfilled in accordance with God's plan for marriage. It is the most happy place for other-person-centred sex and one where there is most enjoyment. We are encouraged to proclaim that God designed sex and knows how we can best enjoy it. Any other material designed to elicit desire is pornography and is a far cry that takes away more than it offers.

There is a place of the Good News of Jesus' death and resurrection in combating pornography, indeed all other immoralities. Gordon's illustration from Paul's letter to a very immoral Corinthian church is relevant to us in the 21st century. What we excel in sexual sin, they probably did better and earlier by more than a millennium. It was delightful to hear that there is good news and forgiveness for the sexually immoral and that in Jesus' resurrection there is certain hope that this guilty, shameful body with its emotional and physical scars of sexual immorality will be restored for good.

But for all its practical help, especially in the section on Internet usage, its clear expose of pornography's harms and the deliverance from sin in Jesus, the Minizine does not mention how we can use the gospel to help break the "pornography cycle".

The addiction cycle, begins with viewing, then continues in sexual climax, then results in depression from guilt and finally the need to feel good again. And it is this need to feel good that requires an antidote of the God of Good News. We need an alternative, a relationship, a person, that holdouts fulfilment and the promise of comfort, right at the point where we have failed and are filled with guilt after consuming pornography. Practical inhibitions will reduce the amount consumed, understanding the ills of climaxing to pornography will help us control the self, knowing Jesus forgives our guilt and shame, but it is a desire for fulfilment in God alone - that will alone prevent anyone from having to find contentment in pornography, and from many other immoralities like greed, ambition and gluttony

Book Review: Help for a sick prayer life

Help for a sick prayer life

Prayer is a battle, and the goal of this Minizine collection of three essays is to rejuvenate readers in our prayer lives. In the the first essay, Tony Payne lists the common "viruses" that make our prayer life a sickness instead of a joy, so that we can restore our prayer lives to health. The three-headed monster consists of our doubt in God's sovereignty, doubt in God's willingness to answer our prayers, and our misunderstanding of our relationships with God.





We might think that something as basic as the sovereignty of God is imprinted in the mind of all Christians, but I was reminded that a lot of Christians do not pray for small and mundane needs, and this reveals a doubt in the sovereignty of God in all things in our hearts. Doubt in "modern" times is reflected in the belief that God does not intervene with the mechanics of a naturalistic world: He is distant from His creation and its "scientific" laws set in stone, so there is no point in asking Him to change our course in life. Yet it is shown that clearly that the Bible is full of examples of just how God is active in the natural and the so called "supernatural", and in fact this distinction is not truthful in describing the Christian God who sustains, changes and directs His world.

Even more infectious within evangelical minds is the idea that the Biblical God is a sovereign whose will cannot be changed. So in fact we are limiting God's ability to change His own mind. This to me seems like a tougher doubt to defeat but Tony provides this answer from Bible - that the will of God includes the Christian prayer. A good example is Moses who prayed for God to show mercy to His rebellious people, and God did forgive His people. I was encouraged that we have a God who does listen and is earnest for us to pray to Him in repentance and with trust.

The Minizine has a very practical outline of Biblical prayer, based on Matthew's record of "The Lord's Prayer". I agree with Paul Grimmond in the usefulness of praying with the mindset and priorities of Jesus, who has the mind of God Himself. Personally, the most humbling effect in praying using Jesus' model is that I realise prayer, just like all other things in life, are about God Himself: what He wills and desires as He brings the whole world under His kingly rule.

Praying in line with God's will doesn't take away the joy of asking God for good things, rather it adds to the confidence I have in asking God, because He knows what is best for our wellbeing. Jesus spells out some of God' major concerns for us: the forgiveness of our sins, the provision of our daily needs, the help we require in daily battles with evil and so on. Paul urges us to pray with the Bible in mind because we will then live in right relationship with the one who made us and desires the best for us through prayer.

Lastly, Colin Marshall writes about the opportunities and privileges of praying in a small group. His desire is to point small groups into fervent prayer units. I often smiled when reading through this section because the stereotypical pitfalls were so true. Having been the leader of several small groups, I have experienced and contributed to the droughts and drabs of last minute prayers, repetitive prayers, the irreverent prayers that best described as self-absorbed and inward focused prayers. This segment brought new enthusiasm in me as I go back into my weekly small group to battle with biblical, God-focused and outward looking prayer, and to prioritise prayer in our meetings.

the atonement. book review @500 June '08.

Is God an angry God? There is a problem of humanising God with people who say no. Some who say yes also idolise a humanised god. But in brief, the Lord hates sin and all that is demeaning of his glory and goodness. "The Atonement", by Leon Morris, is a condensed treatment of the propitiation - the turning away of God's anger - achieved at the crucifixion of Jesus, His only Son. I remember the rich meaning Morris made of the "Cross" when I read it, shortly after I became a Christian at 14.

Similar treatises and books have been written throughout history on the atonement. Paul is the first one to have done so at length in his letter to the Romans. Followed by church fathers who formed the Nicean Creed (though for a slightly different purpose of refuting Arianism and other heresies). The Reformation were full of people, such as Luther, Calvin, who continued this tradition. To this day, it is the most important aspect of Christian faith that is attacked, scorned and abused at the scoffer's expense. I think if you do not see the beauty of God's character in sacrificing His one and only Son so that our sins are paid for and punished, then you cannot be sure about your salvation, your right state with God or understand the full extent of His love and justice. As I said, many say yes and no to atonement a priori are idolisers of a humanised god, not the God of the Old and New Testament as revealed in the Law, Prophets and His Son.

Morris goes through the Old and New Testaments thematically to look at big headings of atonement. Covenant (promise), Sacrifice, Day of Atonement, Passover, Redemption, Reconciliation, Propipiation and Justification. Not only does he do a good job at the Bible explanations, but there are hugely important daily ramifications of understanding the atonement and its themes. What does it say about our guilt feelings? Where does the death penalty fit in? What does it mean for freedom from sin in our lives? The atonement overshadows every aspect of the Christian life.

We should always be reading a practical book, and culturally relevant book, and a theological book or bible study at the same time. This is of the last category. Please borrow it from me at NDCCC if you'd like. It saves you from reading Calvin (in German originally), Packer (technical) or Stott (longer).

outreach media: good news through icons, really.

Our vision dominates our senses. Advertising companies suck us in with billboards, shopfronts, webpages to get their message. On the brighter side, there is an organisation with a good message to give, not to sell, it is called Outreach Media, and is based in Sydney.

We went to the FEVA (Fellowship for Evangelism of the Arts) annual dinner last night at Newtown, and was reminded of how creative these christian images from Outreach Media were. You may remember the "Jesus Loves Osama" poster back in February last year? It made world headlines, and were repeated stolen from churches that displayed it. People wanted it because it was controversial. But Christians loved it, because Jesus Christ really loves Osama, even Osama, whom the world hates. It encapsulates the outrageous love God has for His enemies.

I'm all for sending the right message. The technical term is message discipline. Every breath I take is another moment for the proclamation of something. The stars proclaim their beauty and fame. Leaders proclaim their discipline and ability. School kids proclaim or rather yell out their need for security and peers. Christians proclaim the good news.

So far, not many churches have made use of these creative icons that proclaim the good news. "Oh, they're controversial. It's just art. What would the neighbours think? Shouldn't we spend the money elsewhere?" Please, at the very least people think when they read these billboards from Outreach Media. And, in all their products so far, their theology has been spot on. Jesus came as Lord, He divides the world into love or hatred of Him, not a tasteless backwash. The good news ought to confront everyone, sinner, saint, believer, agnostic or unbeliever.

So I ask, which of the icons above do you worship? Jesus is not one of them, because He can't be sold to you. He gives himself freely. Is that okay with you?