Are you willing? Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Are you willing?-------------------------- Date: 8/15/2001 Keyword: "cleansed" "desperate" "willing" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Luke 5:12-13* 12. And it came about that while He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 13. And He stretched out His hand, and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him. Questions 1. Has a struggle with porn brought you to the point of feeling unclean?   2. What are you willing to do about it?   Practical help In Jesus' day having leprosy meant having a tough life. The fact that you were unclean was apparent to everyone. You were shunned, exiled, alienated, and forbidden to have close associations with the clean folk. In short a pretty lonely and desperate existence. Yet lepers had an important advantage over the clean ones; They knew their condition, and they knew what they needed — something all too many of us "clean ones" find out way too late in life. In today's passage we see a leper who knew what he needed. He was living a life of desperation, but he was also willing to be hopeful. He understood it would take someone like Jesus to make him clean, so he was always watching, always willing to fall down and implore God for an act of merciful compassion. He didn't expect it, but he was certain God could do it. In some respects a porn habit is like leprosy. It dulls your sensitivities to the purer purposes of your sexuality and eventually gives you the feeling of being nasty or unclean. If you have come to the point with your habit of feeling unclean, then cry out to God "Unclean!" You can know that God is able to clean you. He's willing. Are you? 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."