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leading to lasting victory over sexual addiction through a growing, vibrant, powerful relationship with Christ.
Episode #3 - Time for a new beginning
As we work our way through today’s podcast, you will see that God is sufficient for ALL of your needs and desires; and that He alone will do what porn and masturbation, lust and selfishness can never do - namely, fill you with pure joy and real, lasting satisfaction.
God's love for you, and the grace He gives you is grander than anything you can possibly imagine!
Transcript
(Opening Sound Track)You will know you’re at the point of purity when you are daily choosing to invest your time, energy and resources in living every aspect of your life in a way that honors and glorifies God.
Welcome to Episode 3 of The Point of Purity Podcast. I’m your host, Steve Etner, and today we’re going to discover how giving up porn and seeking after God wholeheartedly is “eating what is good.” As you discover the true point of purity, you will find yourself “delighting in the richest of fare” - enjoying all that God has to offer in life – all of it beyond your wildest imaginations.
As we work our way through today’s podcast, you will see that God is sufficient for ALL of your needs and desires; and that He alone can fill you with joy and satisfaction. His love for you, and the grace He gives you is grander than anything you can possibly imagine! So let’s dive in to Episode 3
(01:00)
Listen to the promise God gives in Isaiah 55:1-3. “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; … Why spend … on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you.”
Think about the question he asks. Why spend (your time, your energy, your resources) on what does not satisfy (including lust, porn, and masturbation)?
What’s your answer to that question - why have you spent so much of your time, energy, and resources on looking at porn - something that's not lasting, not fulfilling, leaving you empty, hungry and thirsty for more?
(03:19) Spending vs. Investing
- What is the difference between spending and investing? When I'm spending - I am throwing my resources away, I am giving them away so I can get something that is not going to last. When I am investing, I am putting my resources into that which will bring a great return in the future.
- How is lusting, looking at porn, masturbating, sexually acting out “spending” as opposed to investing?
I know I’m at the point of purity when I am daily choosing to invest my time, energy and resources in living every aspect of my life in a way that honors and glorifies God. All of my life for Him - none of it for me. Together we’re going to learn how giving up porn and seeking after God wholeheartedly is “eating what is good.” As you discover the true point of purity, you will find yourself “delighting in the richest of fare” - enjoying all that God has to offer in life.
As we work our way through this program, you will see that God is sufficient for ALL of your needs and desires; and that He alone can fill you with joy and satisfaction. His love for you, and the grace He gives you is grander than anything you can possibly imagine!
I love the words of Zephaniah 3:17 which say, "For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Let those words settle deep into your soul. Take a moment and read them again. Let them encourage you and bring you joy. Why? Because God - the almighty, all-powerful, most holy God of the Universe - is with you! He is right here, right now. He hasn’t left you. He hasn’t forsaken you. He hasn’t given up on you. He hasn’t said “OK, you’ve given in to lust, porn and masturbation one too many times, so I’m done with you.” Nope. Not God, because that’s not who He is.
(07:06) God Give You His Power
He is God. He is mighty to save. You can count on the fact that He not only has the power to free you from this habit but has given you that same power. "His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life" (2 Peter 1:3). Now think about that. what kind of power is this?
- It's the power to speak into nothingness and have the entire universe come into being.
- It's the power to walk on water.
- It's the power to stand in front of the grave of a friend, shout out "Lazarus come forth!" and to have a dead, stinkin' body come back to life, stepping out of that tomb fully healed and fully restored.
- It's the power to say to the storm, "Peace, be still" and have the storm instantly obey your command.
That's the kind of power God has given to you! He has given you the power to be free.
So why are you still struggling? Most likely, because you haven’t learned yet how to use the tools He has given you. You haven’t learned how to submit to God, resist the Devil, and watch the enemy flee from you like a whipped pup (see James 4:7). Throughout this podcast series I am going to teach you how to do that.
In this program, you’re going to find yourself drawing closer to God. As we just saw in Zephaniah 3:17, God takes great delight in you. He longs for you to see His power displayed in the most miraculous masterpiece He has ever created - you! He wants you to understand His unfathomable love for you. That love is not based on your performance or ability to be pure. He doesn’t love you more because you resist temptation. His love for you isn’t contingent upon your “success rate” at being a man or woman of integrity, godliness and purity. He loves you just the way you are!
(10:17) God is Crazy About YOU!
The simple fact is - God is crazy about you. Don’t believe that? Look carefully at these verses:
- “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
- “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
- “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)
- “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8)
- “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (I John 4:16)
(12:29) So What’s The Plan?
Truth be told, there is no “plan” here. Although you will be taught Biblical truth and godly principles throughout every episode, this isn’t going to be a “checklist” kinda thing. It’s not about “do this and stop doing that and you’ll be pure.” We don’t want to turn any of this into a set of laws that you must keep in order to be “good” or to please God.
Oh, don’t misunderstand me - there are definitely some things we have to stop doing, and others we need to start doing - and in time we will cover all of that. However, that’s only a small piece of the whole purity pie. We don’t want to go through life dependent upon a set of rules.
"Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” (Colossians 2:20-23)
This Point of Purity Podcast is not about a particular system or set of steps to follow. If we focus all our attention upon rules, then when we break one of them, we will feel like we’re a failure. The enemy will chime right in trying to convince us we’re never going to be free. So, no - I’m not wanting you to learn a set of rules, just for the sake of following the rules. That’s not what will set you free. In fact, the rules will just put you into a different kind of bondage.
I’m talking about changing your way of life. Our ultimate goal is real, genuine change from the inside out. So, I promise you that if you prayerfully apply yourself to what I’m going to teach you, you will discover that you can be the man or woman God made you to be. You will discover the abundant life that Jesus talked about (see John 10:10) - a life that is deeply satisfying. You will experience His touch of healing.
(15:44) Let the Healing Begin
He had been a cripple since birth. Born with twisted feet, incapable of walking without help, society branded him an outcast. Unable to work, he was reduced to the daily task of begging for money just so he could feed himself. And so, every day - as far back as he could remember - he sat next to the Temple entrance, head bowed low, basket raised high above his head, begging the passing worshipers to find it in their hearts to give him something - anything.
On this particular day, a day no different than the one before, or the one before that, or the thousands before that, the beggar sat in his usual spot, crying his usual cry, expecting the usual result. However, this day his life was about to drastically change forever; change in a way he could never have anticipated.
It was nearly three in the afternoon, and Peter and John were on their way to the temple to pray. As they arrived at the entrance, the two Disciples stopped, looked down at the beggar, and did something no one had ever done before. Everyone else ignored him. Everyone else gave him a wide berth. Everyone else shook their heads and rushed past. But Peter and John stopped to talk to him.
“Look at us!” Peter instructed. Shocked, the beggar slowly raised his eyes toward the two men who dared speak to him. “Money we do not have, so money we cannot give.” Discouraged, the beggar lowered his basket and began to look away. “However,” Peter continued, “what we do have, we freely give you.”
Reaching down and grabbing the beggar’s hand, Peter spoke with a clear and authoritative tone. “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Instantly the beggar felt strength flow like a mighty river into his ankles and feet. Then he did something direct from the pages of his wildest dreams. He jumped to his feet and began to walk all on his own. Something he had never done before in his life.
Giddy with excitement and awe, he followed Peter and John into the temple, all the while jumping and shouting for joy. The commotion inside the normally quiet Temple drew a large crowd. The people recognized the beggar. News spread fast that the cripple who had been sitting at the Temple entrance for all these years was walking and jumping. Truly a miracle had just happened.
Seizing the opportunity to give God the glory, Peter spoke up. “Men of Israel!” Pointing to the beggar who was still jumping for joy he continued, “Why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we made this man walk? God did this! And He can do the same thing for you!”
Peter paused, looking into the eyes of everyone in that room. Taking a deep breath, he shouted “Repent, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord!” (taken from Acts 3:1-19)
I challenge you to stop and think about what you just read. You see, you are just like that beggar. On your own you can’t walk the path of purity. You’ve tried, but you cannot because you are crippled by lust, porn and masturbation. You’ve cried out for help but till now it feels like you’ve been ignored.
Even now, as you’re starting this program, you’re hoping against hope that this time something will be different. Well, if you will allow it - it will be. Not because this is some great podcast or powerful method; and certainly not because this author named Steve Etner is some awesome spiritual guru. No - I cannot change you. I don’t have that ability, but God does.
I can’t change you, but here’s what I can do … I can lead you to the only One who has the power to totally change your life (see 2 Peter 1:3). There IS hope - there IS help - and there IS freedom and it only comes from God!
Oh, I want to make dead-certain you understand that point. Your hope help and healing won’t come from me. It won’t come from this program. We are just tools that God will use to guide you along the way. Only God will help you have lasting victory over this.
(21:45) The Key: REPENT!
The key - the critical, vital, essential point you must not miss - the piece that puts the whole puzzle together is found in Peter’s words to the Jews in the Temple the day God healed that beggar. “Repent, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord!” (Acts 3:19)
- What does it mean to “repent”? It's far more than saying "I'm sorry." To repent involves changing direction. It requires a conscious choice to turn. It involves sacrifice.
- When you are turning “to” something, it also means you are turning away from something else. For YOU specifically - What must you turn away from?
- Why is it so critical that you turn away from that?
- According to Acts 3:19 above, what two things happen when you repent and turn away from your sinful habit(s) and turn to God?