 This is the fourth article in a series on pornography. Be sure to read part one, part two, and part three. . . . Russell Brand, a comedian turned podcaster, has been in the news due to his conversion to Christianity. In a recent video he spoke of his former life of sexual sin. Note what he said: I’ve paid for sex before; I will not say that I slept with prostitutes because I will not denigrate those women with that term. I prostituted them. I participated in sin. I objectified them. [I was] so keen to worship at false alters that I allowed myself and other people to be denigrated. I desecrated [God’s] code… Brand’s words are noteworthy because he is brutally honest about the nature of his sin. When he spoke of his former life, he did not sugarcoat what he had done. He could have softened his speech by euphemisms. He could have said, “I had relations with a prostitute.” But he knew that would not be an accurate way of speaking. He took real responsibility for his actions. He used the kind of language that pointed at himself and did not shy away from the utter vulgarity of his actions. His remorse comes through when he says things like, “I prostituted them, I objectified them, I denigrated them, I desecrated.” Scripture talks about using just weights in measures. While the principle primarily applies to the world of finances, it also applies to our speech. The words we use in regard to our sins should be appropriately scaled to the evil of them. We shouldn’t “make light” of those things that are seriously grave in the eyes of God. When breaking with patterns of sin, including the sin of pornography, it is necessary to own up to one’s actions in this way. Like Brand, we must speak of our sins in an honest and true fashion. This is a particularly necessary when confessing them to God. For instance, when it comes to the use of pornography, we should confess that we sinfully covet illicit pleasure, we commit adultery in our hearts, we objectify women, and mentally prostitute them. We may admit further sins, such as how we are selfish, unthankful, and discontent with our singleness (or marriage). We can also state that we defy heaven’s good laws, despise God’s providence, desecrate our souls, and so forth. Why does this matter? It is because our actions are not far from our words. How we speak of something will typically dictate how we do those things (or if we do those things). When we make something sound better than it really is, we justify it. We remove the guilt that is associated with it by making it to appear more tame. And, as a result, we are more likely to tolerate the action. When we hear Russel Brand’s words, we hear echoes of King David, who “acknowledged his sin” and “did not cover his iniquity.” David knew that he shouldn’t offer up a trite prayer for forgiveness. David knew that he needed to use honest scales in regards to his failings. So, as he pursued God’s forgiveness, he pulled back all the polite covers that could be thrown over his actions and truly disclosed the evils of what he had done. If we want to find the same forgiveness and freedom, we should do the same. We should take time to bow before God and own up to what we have done. In so doing, we ought to think seriously about the nature of our defiance. We should then use words that accurately describe the offensive nature of our actions. We should take full responsibility for our sins by openly acknowledging the evil of it. We can be assured that when we do, we will not only be forgiven, we will gain something more. We will gain a holy revulsion. We will find that the Lord will produce a godly disgust within us, and we will be less and less apt to fall into these sorts of patterns again. Remember: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Prov. 28:13 Keep up on the teachings and news by subscribing to the Hopewell Weekly.  Free eBook on Biblical Womanhood The noble woman of Proverbs 31 is held up as an iconic embodiment of biblical beauty and virtue. Take a little journey through the passage by downloading this free ebook. Consider how you might begin to embody some of the same godly virtues.  Looking for Help?
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