In the past, I’ve written about the importance of having a positive life vision in the battle against lust. Without a positive life vision that motivates self-control in the present, people often get entangled in all kinds of self-gratifying behaviors that don’t serve their medium and long-term interests. Today, I’ve transcribed a short clip in which Pastor John delivers a passionate plea for people to avoid lust–for love’s sake. Pornography “is so cheap, so low, so small, and the kick-back afterwards is so weak, and so miserable.” Pastor John advocates instead that people cultivate deeper, superior pleasures that carry the potential to satisfy, bringing to mind his famous coinage: God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in him.
I tell you, the Bible does not say cut off your hand and gouge out your eye rather than lust for nothing. This is war. And the main place to fight the battle is not by making a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s by fighting for joy that is superior to the quick surge that comes from pornography. It is so cheap, so low, so small, and the kick-back afterwards is so weak, and so miserable.
John Piper
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Transcript Of John Piper On The Key To Escaping Porn:
Boys and girls, listen to this. You think this is a boy thing. This is not just a boy-thing. I’ve had girls come up to me and confess this. For love’s sake, say “no” to pornography. I’d love to do a whole weekend on this with you sometime, but it probably should be separate groups. Boys and girls separated. We’ll do that sometime on how to battle this thing in your life.
But tonight, for love’s sake, for the love of your future spouse. I can tell you how much horror is going on in our church right now in marriages because some men and some women are hooked on pornography. And they got hooked at age 14. And now they’re 29, ruining their marriages. And they cannot get free from this thing.
And so, for the sake of love–the solution to this problem guys and gals on the internet. The solution to this problem is not duty, OK? “You’re not supposed to do this.” “I won’t do this.” Duty–that will fail. You know it will fail. It has failed.
What will not fail, what will succeed over time is “I am going to fight for a superior pleasure that severs the root of the lie that comes to me out of this monitor, that says I will be happier. I will experience more pleasure if I go there with this mouse than if I don’t go there.” There has to be a superior pleasure. A triumph over lower pleasures by higher pleasures. So one of the goals I’m hoping will come out of this weekend is that we are increased in our ability to cultivate deeper, higher, longer, pleasures.
I’ll be real honest with you, and I’ll risk boasting here because you need to know this about your preaching pastor. I have never ever seen a pornographic picture on the internet. And I haven’t looked at a pornographic magazine since I was 16 and I found a Playboy at a laundromat one time and hid it. So I could keep looking at it for a while.
I only say that because the battle can be won. I’m not perfect in my head, and I’ve got plenty to do in my heart, but God has enabled me to sit in front of a computer hour-on-end knowing I can go anywhere I want, see anything I want–there’s no guard on my computer. And I think about my King Jesus. I think about being able to look all of you right in the eye and be a faithful shepherd. I think about wanting to have Matthew 5:8 fulfilled in my life: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Knowing if I can’t see God clearly in the Bible, I can’t minister anymore with power. And if I defile my mind and my heart with picture after picture after picture, I will not be able to see God clearly. And if I can’t see him clearly, my joy falls. If my joy falls, I am a sitting duck for every sin that comes along.
I tell you, the Bible does not say cut off your hand and gouge out your eye rather than lust for nothing. This is war. And the main place to fight the battle is not by making a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s by fighting for joy that is superior to the quick surge that comes from pornography. It is so cheap, so low, so small, and the kick-back afterwards is so weak, and so miserable.
Oh that God would do a deep work of joy that weans you off of that pleasure.
