If you've ever had a whoops moment with superglue you are not alone! I had many people tell me their superglue stories on Sunday after I compared sexuality to superglue. The issue of sexuality is front and center in today's culture, and it's one which Jesus raises as important in Matthew 5:27-32.
I wasn't able to say everything there is to say on Sunday so I thought I'd take a moment to address a few questions I’ve received.
What does God say about sexual abuse?
One important issue I didn't even touch was sexual abuse. For any person who has been sexually abused, I want you to know that the Bible is very clear how God feels about sin and sexually abusing someone is one type of sin. In a number of places, God talks about how angry He gets when the powerless are mistreated. Exodus 22:22-24 says,"You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless."That's pretty strong language, but it gives us a picture of God's heart for those who have suffered any type of abuse.
Is looking the same as lusting?
In Matthew 5:28 Jesus says if you've looked "with lust in your heart."He's helping us to understand the main issue is the intention of the heart. Can I look at a person and find them attractive without violating what Jesus says? I think I can. In fact, in his excellent book on pornography, Wired for Intimacy: How pornography hijacks the male brain, William M. Struthers writes, "One of the greatest victories that a man recovering from an addiction to pornography and compulsive sexual acting out has is when he can look at a beautiful woman and not feel the need to mentally treat her as a sex object." However, many in our country have conditioned themselves through the use of pornography to be unable to do this. Their immediate response to seeing someone attractive is the lust in the heart which Jesus is condemning.
What software do you use for accountability?
I use Covenant Eyes accountability software on all my electronic devices. It helps me establish good guardrails for myself because it takes the anonymity out of my internet life.