Guilt Management Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Guilt Management Keywords: “conscience” “guilt” “relief” Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Matthew 12:38-45* 38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." 39. But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40. for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41. "The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42. "The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 43. "Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44. "Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45. "Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation." Questions 1. Do you consider porn a manageable habit?   2. When you feel guilt-stricken by the habit, what do you do?   Practical help "Guilt Management" — how does it work for you? Sometimes we porn strugglers aren't really out for help at all. It may look like we are because we ask the right questions, but all we're after is temporary guilt relief. If you're in early stage porn addiction, this may be you. It may not seem to be affecting relationships, work or school (at least, not yet), but the guilt is starting to gnaw. The conscience is a funny thing. In some ways it's the last bastion of innocence, replete with naiveté. (That's a fancy way of saying at times it's easy to fool.) And sometimes we can fool it (that is, fool ourselves) by claiming to still be searching for the best deal on "Guilt Management" — as long as we're searching, the conscience is cool. Verses 38-42 of today's passage are a wake-up call for the conscience fooler. Stop looking for the sake of looking and see what's already been seen. The sign of of Jonah — Jesus' sacrificial death and victorious resurrection — is the only real deal (see John 3:16 and click here for info on the deal)! Guilt, like a porn addiction, can't be managed. You must be freed from it. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2004 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission." ---