The Gospel — Applied to Pornography? Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: The Gospel — Applied to Pornography?------------------------------------- Date: 4/3/2002 Keywords: "Gospel" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. For the third day, we continue the series in the New Testament book of Galatians, the "Magna Carta of Christianity." Paul’s goal for the Christians who reads this letter is that they find freedom in Christ. May God use these studies to bring you freedom from the grip of porn and freedom to love and serve, all to the glory of God! Passage: Galatians 2:11-14a* 11. But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12. For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. 13. And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14a. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel…. Question 1. The apostle Paul refers to a conflict he had with the apostle Peter. Based on verse 12, what was the basis of that conflict?   2. In verse 13, Paul names that sin of which Peter was guilty. What was the name of the sin?   3. What was the source of the problem (see verse 14a)?   Practical help Here is the background: Peter and Barnabas enjoyed eating meals with the Gentile converts to Christianity in the city of Antioch. However, when legalistic Jews from Jerusalem came to "check things out," Peter and Barnabas stopped eating with the Gentiles, and associated only with fellow Jews. Paul says that this hypocritical action was due to Peter not being straightforward about the truth of the Gospel. Sin — sins of all kinds — have their genesis in a misunderstanding or a misapplication of the Gospel. If Peter had applied the Gospel to his situation in Antioch, he would have realized that since Jesus’ death on the cross saved Jews and Gentiles equally, he should not have made a distinction between them, and should have continued to eat with the Gentiles. How might the Gospel, properly understood and applied, relate to a Christian today who is struggling against Internet porn? Perhaps there are several relevant points where the Gospel could be applied to this temptation. But here is one: The Christian will realize that it was sin that made it necessary for Jesus to die on the cross — his sin, her sin! Recognizing that fact, the Christian will eagerly seek to avoid the very thing — lust — which necessitated Jesus’ death on the cross! The Christian will realize that to sin is to insult the One who gave His life and rose from the dead. Want to avoid porn? Apply the Gospel! eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2001 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." ---