The painful reality is that pornography has made terrible inroads into the lives of  some Christian men and boys (and some women).  We can remind ourselves to be diligent to enter into ongoing surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, who gives grace and power to live a life of holiness.   Dear friends, God is holy!      

In C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce, the narrator witnesses one of the bright spirits interacting with a ghost with a red lizard on his shoulder. The lizard is whispering in the ghost’s ear. After yelling at it to be quiet, the ghost turns away from the mountain to which he is journeying, back towards the bus to hell. The lizard represents everything that keeps us from God. The spirit the ghost is speaking to has burning hands outstretched, ready to kill the lizard as soon as he verbally permits him to do so. The ghost states why the spirit shouldn’t kill the lizard.  The reasons sound like arguments some people give for not stopping pornography:

1. He doesn’t want to bother the spirit with killing it
2. It isn’t presently bothering him because it went to sleep
3. He’ll be able to get it under control himself through gradual process
4. He doesn’t feel well enough to go through with “the operation”
5. He thinks killing the lizard would kill him
6. He’ll go and get his doctor’s opinion (back in hell), and come back later

The lizard then whispers into his ear that the spirit can indeed kill him, but it would kill the ghost as well. The lizard tells him that it is only natural to have him on his shoulder, and it is not natural to be without. He promises to be good, although he has not been so in the past. The ghost almost believes the lizard, but then finally relents and begs the spirit to kill the lizard. In one swift moment the flaming hands of the spirit kill the lizard and throw it to the ground. After this, something wonderful happens. The ghost is remade into a solid spirit. What used to be the lizard becomes a great horse, which the new spirit rides away on.

This illustration is worth noting.   Men and boys, do not try to placate lust.  Do not reason your way out of sin with “I'll do better next time.”  Clearly, there are serious long-term consequences when we give in to lustful thoughts, when we look at women to lust after them in our hearts, when we allow pornographic images to enter our minds and hearts through our eyes, when we act upon sexually immoral desires.   Give God complete ownership.    Ask Him to give you the grace to cut the sin of lust off at the root.   This is not for surface bandaids.   We're talking an Ephesians 5:3 heart operation: “Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.” Dear Father, help us to be pure men and women, loving You and loving each other! 

Let us “boldly go where no man has gone before” and discover how a Christian should relate with the government.   Now let me get my tongue out of my cheek to assure you that it takes a life-time of walking with Jesus and letting God's Word refine and purify if we wish to learn how to actively honor, pray for, and relate with the government that rules over us.   Consider the following principles.   

Pray.  Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,  who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  I Timothy 2:1-4.   If a follower of Jesus wishes to engage in God's work of redemption in the lives of others, to see the reality of godliness, reverence, salvation, and the knowledge of the truth, then pray for kings (Presidents) and all who are in authority.   One vote means something in a nation of 300 million, but a life dedicated to communion with the Creator of those 300 million?  Ah, what power!   What authority!      

Submit.  Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.  Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.  Romans 13:1-3.  Yes, I have sometimes  wondered why “Courtesy. Professionalism. Respect.” remains the byline of the NYPD, but even when a follower of Jesus does not feel respected by governing authorities, we are called to respect them and be subject to them. 

If the State asks you to disobey God, don't do it.   We ought to obey God rather than men.  Acts 5:29.  We are called to love our enemies.  If the State calls us to kill, we obey God, not men.   We are called to speak the truth in love.  If the state tells us to call evil “good,” or good “evil,” we obey God, not men.  We know that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  If the state tells us not to preach the truth, we obey God before men.   Sure, we are in the world, but we are not of the world.   We can do more to change the world by leading an individual to believe in Jesus Christ and actively follow Jesus, than we can by trying desperately to revise or change or influence the government.   Which ticket is God on?  Republican?  Democrat?   God is the Supreme Ruler over all.   Follow Him! While writing a letter to the President or a Senator or a Congressman can be good, never forget that communion with the Supreme Ruler on their behalf is to be done first of all.