Begin Again Institute
Cheating and adultery are sins, but what if you’re not physically taking action, just simply watching it? Watching porn is taboo for public discussion, but it’s essential to understand that it’s OK to ask and seek help whether you’ve done it once or frequently because, yes, watching porn is a sin.
Why You May Ask if Watching Porn is a Sin for Christians
You may feel guilty after watching porn and wonder why. You may even ask yourself if what you are doing is bad and ask God for guidance.
Ways to notice that something might be a sin:
- You aren’t sure if what you’re doing is wrong.
- You have feelings of guilt and shame.
- You find an excuse to continue even though you don’t feel right about it.
- You hurt yourself and those you love.
- You think you have an addiction because you want to stop, but you can’t.
Why Watching Porn is a Sin
Along your healing journey, it is essential to understand why watching porn is a sin. By doing so, you learn God’s true plan and how important it is to stay on the correct path.
Matt Wenger, Clinical Director at Boulder Recovery, said watching porn is a sin for many reasons, including what it does to the viewer, their partner, and society.
“It dehumanizes those depicted in it and makes it much more likely that its users will objectify others,” he said.
In addition, Matt explained that pornography “perpetuates a worldwide culture of human sexualization, in which it is acceptable to view humans as objects of sexual desire and not people.” He said this view results in things like human trafficking.
“Using porn is not a ‘victimless crime,’” he said. “Using pornography perpetuates harm against the innocent and is out of line with God’s character.”
Matt warns that watching porn can hurt your partners and damage your marriage or relationship.
“The user of porn can become emotionally unavailable to their partner (as they are numbed out in addiction), sexually disconnected, and cause deep emotional and psychological damage through the repeated betrayals of discovering the use of porn. Not to mention lying and gaslighting to cover it up,” he said.
Not only is it harmful to your partner, but Matt goes on to say that pornography use is harmful and damaging to the individual viewing it.
How watching porn can harm you:
- Increased isolation from others
- Leads to addiction
- Inaccurate portrayal of relationships and sex
- Gives you negative feelings about yourself
- Degrades women or yourself
- Breaking relationship agreements
Pornography and the Biblical Connection to Lust
Pornography itself isn’t mentioned anywhere in the Bible. So, Matt said, it’s most often connected to the sin of lust.
Jesus says in Matthew 5:27:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Matt said Jesus is responding to a culture that is more concerned with the letter of the law than their hearts. Jesus is communicating that your heart matters to God, he said.
“The mistake that is often made is that Christians take Jesus’ comment on the letter of the law to make a NEW letter of the law that lust = adultery. Which, of course, it is not,” Matt explained. “Lust and adultery are serious sins, and they are not the same. But this does not let lust off the hook.”
Lust is the desire to have something that doesn’t belong to you, Matt explained. It’s a sin of the heart and a lack of trust in God.
“It’s an indication that we do not trust that God has our best in mind or knows what is best for us,” he said. “Lust is a violation of trust in God. It says, ‘not only is that thing desirable, but I want it for myself, regardless of consequence.’”
While lust and adultery aren’t the same, they’re still both sinful, Matt said.
“God wants our hearts, not just our obedience,” he said. “So we can say that pornography is a sin because it violates the character of God as someone who gives us what we need.”
On a deeper level, porn is a sin because it violates a person’s belief in God and doctrine.
“As image bearers of God (Gen 1:26), we were designed to live in relationship with God and others in this way also. Porn develops and forms (literally in the brain) a new way of relating to others that imitates intimacy without any of its true vibrance,” Matt explained. “This formation moves us further from true intimacy with ourselves and others.”
Seeking Help for Pornography Addiction
If you watch porn and feel shame or it’s affecting your life and relationships, seeking help can positively impact your life. There are ways to heal from pornography addictions, and by working with God, you can get your life back. Remember these steps when approaching your healing journey.
Recognize the Problem
Becoming self-aware of your actions and how viewing porn affects you and those around you can help you recognize that you have a problem and need to consider seeking help from a licensed professional.
Commit to Recovery
To succeed, you must give 100% to your recovery process. Put your heart and soul into giving up your bad habits and creating the life you desire. When you feel weak, pray and talk with someone, like a friend or church member.
Get Professional Help
Finding the right treatment plan and therapist is crucial to your success in healing from pornography addiction. You need someone who can understand and respect your beliefs and help you live accordingly.
Renew Your Faith
Make a plan with God to renew your faith and start living the life you’ve imagined. Reinvigorating your faith can help you overcome obstacles that may arise, and having God as a support line can help.
How Boulder Recovery Can Help
Boulder Recovery offers a 14-day Christian Men’s Intensive that focuses on helping men overcome their sex or pornography addiction and heal intimacy wounds while following their Christian faith. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you.
