Christianity has a lust problem. We preach about avoiding slipping up into sexual immorality on a weekly basis, yet we have let this manifest in our lives to the point of it poisoning our hearts and minds. I would go as far as to say that lust is a systemic issue across all of Christianity that we as a culture of Christ believers must address and work to solve worldwide.
Now, many of you who read this will instantly think of pornography and how it affects the minds of believers, particularly our youth. It’s reported that 68 percent of men who regularly attend church view porn on a regular basis. On top of this, 76 percent of 18-24 year old Christians actively search for porn, as well as 50 percent of pastors.
I’m not going to rant about the negative effects of pornography that research journals, organizations, and thousands of Christians have already reported. I will, however, go into why pornography isn’t the main culprit of this problem.
Pornography is simply a branch of the problem of lust. Lust, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is usually intense or unbridled sexual desire or an intense longing. Lust is mentioned throughout scripture as a sin that can easily corrupt the heart and mind. It causes people to make decisions that they wouldn’t normally make. It can very easily put a blockade in one’s relationship with God if not dealt with.
What makes lust a systemic issue are two things: it’s incredibly prominent amongst Christians, as proven by the aforementioned statistics, and it’s hidden incredibly well by those who struggle with it.
Case in point are the sexual misconduct and abuse scandals of Ravi Zacharias and Robert Morris. These are two of the more famous ministers in recent memory, and they’ve been in ministry since the 1960s. Zacharias founded Ravi Zacharias Ministries and came up with the four criteria for a coherent worldview, and Morris founded Gateway Church, one of the largest churches in the country. These sexual misconduct scandals both started in the 1980s, but they never came to light until 2020 and 2024, respectively.
The shame and weight that stuff like this carries create an overwhelming sense of pain and betrayal for Christians, particularly those who once looked up to them as mentors. For Zacharias, it meant his own ministry removing content connected to him after his death. For Morris, it meant relinquishing his pastoral duties and facing up to 20 years in prison. These are deserved punishments, but nothing but the love of Christ will cover the wounds, heal the damage, and restore the hearts of those affected by the scandals in which lust played a massive role. Now, a vast majority of Christians who struggle with lust don’t engage in acts that put others’ safety at risk, but the pain of dealing with the struggle remains strong even in battles limited to electronic screens.
The best way to eradicate sin from your life is to bring it to the light. It’s written in Ephesians 5:11-14, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light” (NIV).
What bringing these things to light can do for Christians is help create a sense of accountability amongst each other. We can help encourage each other and lead one another in Christ to gain a powerful edge in working past these issues, for just “[a]s iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17).
If you are someone who struggles with lust, don’t be afraid to talk about it with a trusted friend, pastor, or spiritual mentor. Here at Eastern, we have a team of student chaplains who are excellent for helping you walk through these kinds of problems without judgment or condemnation, but with the love that Christ showed us.
Sources: Men’s Group, National Library of Medicine