For years I have received and, most often, read The Atlantic magazine. It is consistently a proponent of left-wing ideologies. I also subscribe to World and First Things, which are not.
In the October 2008 issue of The Atlantic, I was intrigued to read an article entitled “Is Pornography Adultery?” written by Ross Douthat, a senior editor of The Atlantic.
Mr. Douthat caught me off guard by his evaluation of our present moment in time: “Nothing in the long history of erotica compares with the way millions of Americans experience porn today, and our moral intuitions are struggling to catch up.”
Did you catch that? “Moral intuitions.”
Now, from where in the world do we get moral intuitions? Moral intuitions are not physical. Are moral intuitions the consequence of blind evolutionary forces? Well, either they are, or they are a demonstration of the biblical claim that we are created in the image of God and He has written upon our hearts the basic precepts of His holy law.
At any rate, Mr. Douthat is convinced that our moral intuitions “are struggling to catch up” with the tidal wave of technology that threatens to overwhelm us with pornographic materials of various sorts.
Mr. Douthat then took me by surprise by writing: “The most stringent take on this matter comes, of course, from Jesus of Nazareth: ‘I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’”
Wow! A straight forward quote, without any questions raised about the historicity of Jesus, or whether He actually said what the Gospel of Matthew claims He said.
But, of course, Mr. Douthat believes the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth are subject to questioning: “Even among Christians, this teaching tends to be grouped with the Gospel injunctions about turning the other cheek and giving would-be robbers your possessions — as guidelines for saintliness, useful to Francis of Assisi and the Desert Fathers but less helpful to ordinary sinners trying to figure out what counts as a breach of marital trust.”
Of course, he’s right. Jesus’ teachings are “guidelines for saintliness.” But, he’s also wrong. For clearly he doesn’t appreciate that all who have by grace through faith embraced Jesus as Savior and Lord, are saints.
And to these saints is given the challenge and promise of Philippians 2.12-13: “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed . . . continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
As followers of Jesus Christ we live our lives knowing that the Lord will send the Holy Spirit to empower us to do what we want to do. And if we are children of God, by His mercy, we learn to want what He wants, and He enables us to carry out our deepest desires.
And what you do is not just between you and Jesus. It impact others, for good or for bad.
By God’s grace, and to the praise of His holy Name, and for the temporal and eternal good of others, may we shine brightly as stars in the heaven against the backdrop of a darkening sky, offering to others the guidance they need, so that by God’ grace, mercy and love their moral intuitions can be informed by biblical truth.
By grace through faith in Jesus Christ as their Creator, Savior and Lord, may they know that they are delivered from sin’s curse and power, and by the Holy Spirit be equipped, enabled and empowered to live as His image bearers.
Pastor Caines