Zac Poonen warns that indulging in pornography is a grave sin that can lead believers away from salvation and into hell, urging Christians to honor God with purity and self-control.
In this powerful sermon, Zac Poonen addresses the destructive impact of pornography on believers, emphasizing the spiritual dangers and the loss of salvation that can result from this sin. He calls Christians to live in purity, honoring God and their spouses by controlling their eyes and desires. Zac highlights the unseen spiritual battle involving angels and demons and urges believers to choose holiness out of love for Jesus rather than fear alone.
Full Transcript
You have no authority to use your eyes to look at another woman and lust after her. It must be for your wife, that's all. If you look at pornography on your phone or on the internet, you're violating this verse if you're married.
If you're unmarried, you're still violating that verse of lusting after something God has not given you. It's a pathetic thing that Christians, men, watch pornography. Even married men.
They don't realize. They say, oh, nobody's watching me. It's only me and my phone.
Or it's only me and my computer. There are people watching you. There are angels looking over your shoulder.
There are demons laughing. This guy, not only says he's a Christian, he goes to CFC. But look how he's enjoying pornography right now.
You think the demons are not laughing at that? You think nobody's watching? There are hundreds of eyes watching while you are looking at pornography. While you are lusting after the body of a woman who's not your wife. Have you ever thought, Ben, those of you who look at pornography, have you ever thought that girl who's taking off her clothes, if that was your sister, your own sister, who to earn money went to some pornographic movie and said, give me some money, I'll take off my clothes, I'll have sex with somebody, just film it and I'll give you some money.
So if that was your own sister, would you watch it? Or if that was your wife who went and did all that with some other man, would you watch it? No. But you say, who cares, that's somebody else's sister, that's somebody else's wife, I don't care. I care for my sister.
I don't care for somebody else's sister. Are you a Christian? Or are you a heathen? Ask yourself the next time you ever attempted to see that, ask yourself, am I a Christian or am I a heathen? This is serious. I believe many born-again Christians, in these past years, have finally gone to hell, because they watched pornography.
No other reason. Now, that's not the best reason to avoid pornography, the fear of hell. The best reason to avoid it is, I love Jesus.
And I don't want to offer to God a body, that's eyes are polluted, with those same eyes I'm now going to read the Bible. With which eyes are you reading the Bible? The same eyes with which you look at some filthy pornographic picture, or some filthy Malayalam serial, with all those filthy stories, and then you come to read the Bible. No wonder you don't get anything from it.
No. I really believe there are many born-again Christians, who have lost their salvation and gone to hell, because they watched pornography. You have no authority over your body.
Your wife has. You have no authority over your body. Your husband has.
Sermon Outline
-
I. The Sin of Lust and Pornography
- Using eyes to lust after others is forbidden
- Pornography violates God's command for purity
- Lust is sinful whether married or unmarried
-
II. The Spiritual Reality Behind Pornography
- Angels and demons observe our actions
- Demons mock believers who indulge in sin
- Our secret sins are not hidden from the spiritual realm
-
III. The Serious Consequences of Pornography
- Pornography can lead to loss of salvation
- It pollutes the body and mind before God
- It damages our relationship with God and others
-
IV. The Call to Holiness and Love for Jesus
- Avoid pornography out of love for Jesus
- Offer a pure body to God as a living sacrifice
- Honor your spouse and maintain self-control
Key Quotes
“You have no authority to use your eyes to look at another woman and lust after her.” —
“I really believe there are many born-again Christians, who have lost their salvation and gone to hell, because they watched pornography.” —
“The best reason to avoid it is, I love Jesus.” —
Application Points
- Guard your eyes and avoid any form of pornography to honor God and your spouse.
- Remember that your secret sins are seen by spiritual beings and have eternal consequences.
- Choose to pursue purity out of love for Jesus, not just fear of punishment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is pornography considered a sin for Christians?
Because it involves lusting after someone who is not your spouse, violating God's command for purity and defiling the body.
Can watching pornography cause a believer to lose salvation?
Zac Poonen warns that many born-again Christians have fallen away and gone to hell due to indulging in pornography.
What spiritual beings are involved when someone watches pornography?
Angels watch over believers, and demons mock and rejoice when Christians sin in secret.
What is the best motivation to avoid pornography?
The best reason is love for Jesus and a desire to honor God with a pure body, not just fear of hell.
How should Christians view their bodies in relation to their spouses?
Christians have no authority over their bodies except through their spouse, and should honor that covenant by avoiding lust.
