In 1966, a British girl named Jackie Pullinger stepped for the first time into "The Walled City." This small Hong Kong district was a place of horrors—sewage ran through the streets, prostitution, drug use and lawlessness were rampant. But where the darkness seemed impenetrable and all-powerful, God used an unlikely woman to bring many souls into God's marvelous light. In this episode we review Jackie's autobiography, "Chasing the Dragon."

Resources

• Chasing the Dragon: One Woman's Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong's Drug Dens (Book) by Jackie Pullinger

Fresh out of prison, Greg wanted a fresh start on life. Marriage and church attendance soon took the place of drugs and crime. But Greg never let go of his porn addiction.

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His hidden life quickly began destroying his marriage to Paloma. But when divorce seemed like the only way out, God stepped in and redeemed Greg’s life, and brought healing to Paloma’s heart.

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Find out how the Lord used Pure Life Ministries to do it.

If someone has been in sexual sin for 10 years, is there any hope that they'll be able to get free? What about 20 years, 30 years or 40 years? In this Timeless Truths segment, Ken Larkin uses Scripture to show that even the worst of sinners can be redeemed.

Host: Ken we want to tackle an issue that must come up very often as you're counseling here at Pure Life Ministries. It comes in from someone who is based on their question, at a point of despair, and they're really wondering, “Can a person reach a place where complete healing and restoration regarding their sexual sin just isn't possible?” Let's help that person out.

Ken: I would say absolutely not, Peter said, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” (2 Peter 3:9-10a NKJV) And with that passage of Scripture, I see four important things regarding people and sin. First, God has given us promises. Of course, one of those promises is freedom from the power of sin. Before Jesus was born, it was spoken of Him that Jesus would come and save His people from their sins. And there are many other passages of Scripture that offer tremendous hope for freedom from the hold of sin for the believer.

Host: You just said that one of God's promises is that He would give us freedom from the power of sin. That promise used to really trip me up because I would want to do the right thing, I'd want to be free from the power of sin, and yet I felt myself being tempted by sin. Talk a little bit about the difference between the temptation of sin and the reality of sin having power over us.

Ken: Well, the temptation to sin is simply that there's something natural within our fallen humanity that's susceptible to sin. And there's that downward pull where you have something in you that wants to sin. As an unbeliever you have no other option. Eventually you're going to cave in to whatever particular issue you deal with. As a believer, you have the power of the Holy Spirit where you can be tempted to sin, but you can say no. It doesn't mean you'll never be tempted, but you don't have to cave in and give in to it.

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Host: Yeah. And that's a good differentiation because I think sometimes one of the things that drives a person dealing with sin into despair is not recognizing the difference between temptation and sin. And so, they just simply give up. And of course, the enemy is always right there telling them that they have no real power over sin because they keep getting tempted by it. But there is great hope in knowing that with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can say no to temptation.

Ken: Yes, absolutely.

Host: You said there were four things. Next, let’s talk about how God views those that are struggling with sin.

Ken: Well, God is very patient with a person struggling with sin. He understands our natural humanity. He understands that we are all tempted. And since He understands that, He comes alongside the believer and gives them a way out. Alongside that, I would like to add that it's never too late to repent.
         Some people think that they’ve passed the point of no return where they can’t repent anymore. That's just not true. If you're breathing, God is still giving you the grace and the opportunity to repent. Of course, it is true that the longer a person resists, quenches and grieves the Holy Spirit, the harder their heart will become. And then, the further you get from the Lord, the less likely you'll want to turn back to the Lord. But the opportunity is always there.

Host: Yeah. I used to kind of look at it like, the longer I wait to repent, or the longer I continue on in my rebellion, it’s almost like I'm giving ammunition to the enemy. Not only am I feeding my flesh, but I'm giving ammunition to the enemy who's always going to turn it back on me and try to convince me that it’s too late to repent or that God doesn't love me anymore. But knowing His heart and knowing that He is patient while at the same time He requires repentance from us, that can help us to avoid those pitfalls and those lies from the enemy.

Ken: Amen. The fourth thing I want to bring out is that it's not God's desire for anyone to perish. He greatly wishes for all to come into salvation through repentance. God's desire to free sinners and to save people is so great that He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins. So, there's no lack of desire on God's part for all to be saved and freed from their sin.

Host: Yeah. Again, I want to reflect back on some of the twisted thinking that we can find ourselves in. And sometimes we think, “God's just playing games with me. He's setting standards that I can't meet and He's just waiting for me to fall.” But we've got to know His heart and we've got to know His Word. And His Word says that it is not His desire that any should perish. That's His heart and we have to hold on to that truth about who He is.

Ken: Yes. Amen.

Host: Ken, as we wrap this up, we do want to make a balanced presentation. That while God is gracious, while He is patient with the sinner, while He wants us to change, we should never use that as a license to continue in our sin. What's the danger in thinking that we have a license to sin?

Ken: Well, the danger is that if you continue to resist the conviction of the Holy Spirit and refuse to repent, eventually you will have to face judgment for that. Of course, that won't happen until either the person dies, or the Lord returns to this earth.

Host: And dying could be tomorrow.

Ken: That's the thing. You don't want to be presumptuous, because you don't know when that day may come. But God is always there for the believer. Anytime you're willing to turn to the Lord, He's graciously opened His heart so that we can do that. And He will help anyone who sincerely wants to be free from sin.

There are many who profess to believe in Jesus and His resurrection power, yet their lives make it seem like He never rose from the dead. What is keeping them from living in the power of God? Nate Danser shares the answer in today’s sermon from Luke 24.

In recent years, many have claimed that brain science is giving us cutting edge insights into the nature of porn addiction—and how to help addicts.

In this episode: Is understanding how porn affects the brain really one of the secrets to getting free?

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In recent years, many have claimed that brain science is giving us cutting edge insights into the nature of porn addiction—and how to help addicts. But is understanding how porn affects the brain really one of the secrets to getting free, or just another half-truth that keeps many locked in their addiction? Plus, we'll talk with Steve Gallagher about why he determined not to use the principles of psychotherapy at Pure Life Ministries.

Resources

• 20 Truths that Helped Me in My Battle with Porn Addiction (Bible Study) by Steve Gallagher

The resurrection of Christ is more than an historical fact. To the church throughout the ages, it has been a profound revelation of God’s work among men. In today’s message, Luke Imperato examines 1 Corinthians 15, and helps us see this central component of the Good News in a greater light.

Many people say that the road to addiction begins with negative childhood experiences. They also claim that we have to "work through" our past if we want a happy future. In today's show, Steve Gallagher shows why that is just another half-truth that keeps people locked in addictive behaviors.

Resources

• The Walk of Repentance (Bible Study) by Steve Gallagher

Many people say that the road to addiction begins with negative childhood experiences. They also claim that an addict needs to "work through" their past if they want a happy future.

In this episode: We'll talk about why digging through the past is never God's solution for addiction.

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Many of us may have placed little to no value on God's kindness, and the results have been catastrophic. In this message, Luke Imperato leads us through some biblical history to discover the key to repentance.

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Luke challenges us to take a look at our own recognition of the Lord's goodness, pointing out that many of us have not come into real, heartfelt repentance. In fact, many of us stay under the control of sin because we reject His mercy and kindness; if we want any life-changing repentance, we need to understand that His will is mercy and He desires forgiveness.

Every human being was created with the capacity—no, the need—to worship. In this Timeless Truths segment, Steve Gallagher shows how the natural sex drive can easily become an idol of sexual pleasure in people's hearts.

Host: Steve, I want to first focus in on the term that you used in your book, “At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry”. Instead of sexual addiction, you used the term, “sexual idolatry”. Explain why you used that term and give us some insight into what it is about us as human beings that even opens the door for these kinds of struggles.

Steve: Well, idolatry of course, is a term we find in the Old Testament. The Jewish people were tempted by the pagan nations around them into the worship of false gods. And these idols were in the form of Baal or Asherim or many other forms of false gods and religions. The term “addict” or “addiction” is not found in Scripture. So, the concept of sexual idolatry is really the biblical way of viewing sexual addiction.

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Host: Well, what is it about humans that opens the door to that? Are we just by our nature going to end up worshiping something?

Steve: Yes, absolutely. The way the Lord created our inside world, our heart is going to be a place of worship. Something is going to be at that altar. It's just the way humans are. We have to have a purpose in life. We have to have something that is the most important thing that really makes us want to get up in the morning and go through the day. And most people have a number of things that compete for our affection and worship. Mothers for instance, hold their children in very high esteem and that of course is a normal thing, but even that can turn into idolatry. But no matter who we are, we're going to have things that become very important to us. And obviously, for some that becomes sex.

Host: What role does the enemy have in having an outside influence on people in regard to sexual idolatry?

Steve: Well, obviously the enemy hates us, he hates God, and he wants to do anything he can to lure us away from truly worshiping God and allowing the Lord the position of the throne of our hearts. So, he's going to do all that he can to get us to look in a different direction than the Lord. So, he's going to constantly tantalize us with outside interests or whatever to get our eyes off Jesus.

Host: That makes me think then that he doesn't really care what it is. If sexual addiction works, then that's fine with him. But even if it's something that may otherwise appear good, if he can use that to draw us away from our focus on God, then he's happy.

Steve: I wouldn't maybe go quite that far. It is true that he's happy to get us focused on anything else than the Lord. The only hesitancy I have to go that far though is that something like sex, food, drugs, or alcohol, can be so powerful. They can have such a powerful grip on a person that the enemy then has the further assurance that a person is probably not going to break free.

Host: Well, let's talk about the person that has been influenced either by the enemy or their experiences and they are in bondage to sexual idolatry. Talk a little bit about what this person looks like. What kind of routines or patterns might we see in someone that's in this position?

Steve: Well, first of all, it's important to know that they can come from all walks of life. All races and both genders. So, who the actual person is can be anybody in that sense. So, their routine of life is going to vary depending on what the person does for a living and what's going on in their lives. And the way that they get involved in sexual sin even will vary to some degree.
        Some people will go weeks without giving over to sexual sin and then all of a sudden, they'll throw themselves into it for a binge for a couple of weeks nonstop. More typical, I suppose is the guy, or even woman who gives over once a week and then for the rest of the week it drops off the radar. And then the momentum starts building again and then they find themselves overwhelmed with temptation and giving over again.

Host: What's going on in the inside world of these individuals? How are they looking at others around them? How are they looking at their jobs? What's going on in their own minds?

Steve: Well, they're in a prison of self, and anytime a person is in a prison of self, then the carnal mindset is going to be much stronger and more magnified in that person. If, let's say, that person is prone to being critical, they're going to be even more critical of others. If that person's prone to pride, they're going to be more prideful. The more you give over to an addictive type of sin like sex, the stronger the other types of mental struggles are going to be inside of you.

Host: Can you talk a little bit more about the general life of a sex addict? What kinds of things might one notice about someone that is in the bondage of sexual addiction?

Steve: There is such a marked difference in a person who is really walking with the Lord and someone who's bound up in sin. For a person who's really walking with the Lord, they have a softness to their countenance. They have a passion for God. They are talking about the things of the Lord a lot. You see them in the Word every day. You see them having a vibrant devotional life. There's something about them that reflects Christ. They're concerned about other people. That's what the Christian life is supposed to resemble.
        Someone on the other end of that spectrum, who's giving over to sin regularly, they're going to be the opposite of those things. They're going to be hardened against the things of God. They're going to be cynical. They're going to be more concerned and interested in the things of the world than they are the things of God. They'll go to church, but it's almost obligatory. There’s just such a complete opposite in the way that they live life.

Host: In regard to the person in bondage to sexual sin, the verse that comes to my mind is that the wicked flee when no one pursues. (Proverbs 28:1a) Do you find that there's especially a sense of paranoia in people who are given over to secret sexual sin that nobody else knows about?

Steve: Yeah, the full verse is, “The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1, NASB 1995) And it is true that especially with sin that is as shameful as sexual sin, there is the element that if you are secretly giving over to sin, you get the sense that people know what's going on inside you. It is like a paranoia or a fear that somehow those around you have figured out what's really going on in your secret life.

Host: And in that secret life, I assume that those who have been giving over to sexual sin for a period of time, it has become not only an issue in their life, but it becomes the identity that they relate to. Is that possible to overcome? Can you actually gain a new identity as you come out of this sinful lifestyle?

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Steve: Yes, absolutely. Part of Christianity is all about transferring the old identity of self, who we have always known ourselves to be, and transferring that identity to Christ and His characteristics. And when a person really is converted to Christ, that resemblance starts to show forth in their life and you can start to see that is where they want to be.

Host: So that's where the hope is.

Steve: That's where the hope is. That you have within you the Spirit of the living God who is compelling you toward a righteous lifestyle.

Our “Come Unto Me” series has been leading up to this very moment. Whether you are currently bound in sexual sin or have been living in victory for some time, we pray that this message would give you a greater sight of Jesus at the Cross and what He has done for you.