MiniZine: Purity in the Age of Porn (PDF Download)

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word." (Ps 119:9)

We can only wonder what the psalmist would have made of our sex-saturated culture--where roadside billboards advertise technology for better sex, where yesterday's soft-porn movies are today's normal prime-time television, and where more than 80 per cent of teenage boys admit to viewing pornography.

The psalmist may not have known about the internet, but the real problem is the same today as it was then: our sinful, straying hearts. The solution is also the same: guarding our hearts with the truth and wisdom of God's word.

The three articles in this mini-magazine bring the truth of God's word to bear on the problem of pornography. They urge us to treat God's good gift of sexuality with respect, and to be honest and open with each other as we strive to honour the Lord Jesus with all of our heart, mind and body.

Given the nature of this topic, we urge pastors and group leaders to use this resource with Christians in their care.

Contents

• The naked truth about porn, by James Warren
• Sexual immorality: Some thoughts from Corinth, by Gordon Cheng
• Avoiding the traps of an online world, by Simon Roberts
• Discussion guide

Introduction

“Sex. Sex. It’s all young people are interested in nowadays. I don’t know what the world’s coming to.”

The quote is from Monty Python’s The Life of Brian, released in 1979. Three decades on and things haven’t changed. Except maybe it’s not just young people.

Oh, and now we’ve got the internet. So instead of just thinking about it, you can watch it—anytime, anywhere, anyhow that’s convenient.

It’s a cliché to say that we live in a sex-saturated society but it’s hard to know how else to describe it. And like it or not, it’s the world we live in as Christians. That’s why we’ve produced this MiniZine on the topic of pornography.

The three short articles you’re about to read are an invitation to treat God’s gift of sex with respect, and to be honest and open with each other as we struggle to honour Jesus with all of our heart, mind and body.

The first article looks at what pornography really is and at the harm it does, as well as suggesting how we can talk openly and honestly about sexual purity as God’s people. The second article reminds us that we belong to Jesus, who died and rose again for us, and that both our problem with pornography and the solution are essentially spiritual. The final article talks about what we can and can’t do with internet filters to help with the problem.

Of course, we can’t say everything there is to say. Our prayer is that this short magazine will help Christians talk together about the issue and encourage each other from God’s word. We hope, in other words, that it starts a conversation about living as redeemed, holy people in this world, to the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

— Paul Grimmond

What is a MiniZine?

It's not a booklet, or a leaflet, or a tract. It's not a full-sized magazine either. It's somewhere in the middle: a short collection of articles, in an economical, easy-to-read format, with a discussion guide included.

The aim is simple: to provide high-quality Bible-based input to help Christians encourage each other.

MiniZines are ideal for giving away, for starting personal conversations, and for small group discussion.