The Problem Of Pornography: Why It’s Wrong And How To Help -- By: Heath Lambert

Journal: Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Volume: JBMW 17:2 (Fall 2012)
Article: The Problem Of Pornography: Why It’s Wrong And How To Help
Author: Heath Lambert


The Problem Of Pornography:
Why It’s Wrong And How To Help

Heath Lambert

Assistant Professor of Biblical Counseling
Boyce College
Louisville, Kentucky

Pornography is the defining sexual sin of our day. In Christian circles adultery and homosexuality often capture more headlines, but I am persuaded that in terms of sheer numbers they cannot hold a candle to the devastation of pornography. Last year I counseled six people struggling with homosexuality and around eighteen caught in adultery and fornication. I don’t know exactly how many I helped who were locked in pornography, but the number is in the dozens. As bad as that number sounds those people are not the ones I am concerned about since they came trying to expose the darkness to light and find grace to help in their time of need. They wanted help.

The people who concern me are the ones who did not seek out me or anyone else. These people pose the deeper problem. They are the ones who are hiding in the dark while destroying their marriages, ministries, and Christian witness under the radar. They are the ones waiting to be caught when they least expect it. They are the ones who will not know God’s blessing in their home or ministry even though things might appear to be going well on the outside. They need urgent help, but will not get it because nobody knows they have a problem.

The church must wake up to this problem. Thousands of young Christians are being hooked and making shipwreck of their faith. The church must begin seriously to address this issue with sermons, resources, and skilled counseling that addresses the problem for the horrifying reality it is.

It is not as though there are no resources available on pornography from a Christian perspective. I just completed a book for Zondervan, due out next year, entitled Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace about helping people overcome the problem of pornography. In preparation for that book I read a ton of books on the topic by Christians in addition to scores of articles and blogs. Christians write a lot about this issue, but two challenges continue to confront the church when considering pornography.

The first challenge concerns understanding the nature of the problem of pornography. Christians are unanimous in the conviction that pornography is wrong and harmful. What has proven to be a bit more challenging is understanding why pornography is wrong. If Christians do not understand what pornography perverts they will not be equipped to set it right. In this article I want to try to correct some mistaken understandings of the problem of pornography and explain what is at the heart of this problem from a biblical perspective.

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