There is a book out there called "Every Man's Battle,"about the struggle for sexual purity and freedom in the lives of men, particularly Christian men. While I bristle at the assumption that there isn't a man out there who doesn't struggle, particularly to protect his eyes and his mind from the universal availability of pornography in our culture, I haven't yet met him. 

As a younger man (several people have recently told me that 32 is "getting older"), there was a period when the measurement of vitality in my relationship with God was so one dimensional that my Christian life was little more than a success/fail chart in a struggle with adolescent lust. During those times I spent a lot of energy trying my darnedest to mortify my self (kill the sin in me) by memorizing passages like Matthew 5:27-30 and condemning myself with them. (My less that optimistic paraphrase: "Gouge out your eyes and cut off your hands because it's better to be a blind torso of a man that to burn with lust.") I spent a lot of time wallowing in self hate and pity, memorizing places like Psalm 51..."against you and you only Lord, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight" To cut to the chase: I spent a lot of time and energy in the scriptures and yet just like Jesus said in his day: 

I searched the Scriptures because I was thinking that some how they would fix me, save me or magically give me eternal life; and it is the scriptures that bear witness about Jesus, yet I keep on refusing to come to Him that I may have life. (Oh 5:39-40 ESV)

Kept reading Matthew 5 and insisting to myself that it was the evidence of my disqualification, the nails in my coffin, the last straw in God's patience with me... refusing to see that the point was to be humbled, broken, to mourn and to hunger and thirst for righteousness, because thats when we are aware of our need for comfort and mercy...thats when what God has for us in Christ can finally satisfy and we can rejoice in our inheritance: real beauty and God's face and peace and not just in a pardon. (read Matthew 5 again).

Kept reading Psalm 51 and forgetting that the point was that my conviction was supposed to lead me to a God who is a God of salvation, one who will take hyssop and wash me in the blood of his son...

A great thinker once said that the only way to replace one love or obsession is with another greater obsession, a greater love and greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends...

God wants to set you free...and it is possible...gospel possible...call me...or somebody.

This week's video was produced by Campus Crusade at San Louis Obisbo as an invitation and teaser for a "guys" retreat to discuss sexual purity. Many thanks to the Cru crew from SLO among us who submitted it.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
(Mat 5:27-30 ESV)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
(Psalm 51:1-7 ESV)