[Jesus said] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Matthew 5:27-29
Guard Your Eyes
Daily Devotion – February 15, 2023
Devotion based on Matthew 5:27-29
See series: Devotions
It’s been called a victimless crime, and yet it’s almost always done in secret. It’s an industry that generates billions of dollars a year, but its workers are degraded, coerced, and exploited. In December 2022, three of its websites ranked in the top 15 most visited worldwide, but many people make sure to clear their browser history after visiting them. You’ve probably guessed by now that this is all true about the pornography industry.
Maybe most troubling is the gradual acceptance of pornography as part of the 21st-century digital life. In 2016, a survey by Covenant Eyes found that more teens and young adults considered not recycling to be more immoral than pornography. Culture and society are growing more accepting of lust and sinful desires.
That’s why Jesus’ words are so important right now. Jesus brings clarity to God’s laws. He gets right to the heart of the matter. Any form of sex outside of marriage or separate from your spouse is sinful. Jesus knows that lust damages relationships, both with people and with God, and lust damages the people involved with the sin. And many studies back up the damages caused by pornography to its viewers and workers.
Jesus came to heal the hurt between people and God. He came to fix the damage caused by the lust in our hearts. Jesus saves people from all their sins—even the sins done in secret and in shame. But Jesus didn’t die on the cross just so we could go back to the destruction of sexual sins. If you’re struggling with pornography and looking for help, go to the website conquerorsthroughchrist.net. There is help, and there is hope.
Prayer:
Jesus, you’ve conquered all my sins. Thank you. Live in me and for me to conquer all my temptations. Amen.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
