It has been just over one year since the #MeToo movement rose to international prominence. Last October, film producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual abuse. Since then, a flood of other men have also been accused. The Christian community has not been immune to accusations against some very prominent leaders.
It is heartbreaking to read the stories of women whose lives have been deeply damaged by the actions of men. Family members, friends, co-workers, and society are left asking a question – Why? Why do these men act this way? How do they think it is fine to treat a woman in this manner? As a Christian, the question is – why do men commit sexual sin? How do we get to this place? Is there any hope?
Here are five biblical reasons why men commit sexual sin:
1. We believe we are above wisdom
Proverbs 5:1-2 is a call for men to pay close attention to wisdom. In this Proverb, we are warned what will happen if we become entangled in sexual sin. The Bible tells us when we fall into sexual sin, we are giving up our life to someone else’s control. It warns of strangers draining our resources – think about how much time and money men spend on sex. We are told we will live with great regret and could face complete public ruin – #MeToo movement ring a bell? Yet, for some reason, we think we are above this wisdom and choose to ignore it. (Proverbs 5:9-14)
2. We lose sight of reality
Most men I know love for someone to compliment them. They love the thrill of being wanted or desired – especially by a woman. In Proverbs 5:3-4, we are told the forbidden woman offers us something which stirs up a part of our soul. Her lips are dripping honey and her words are smoother than oil. We see her, we talk with her, and we wonder to ourselves – what could the harm be? Men fall for the mirage instead of the reality. Her advances towards you will create great harm and bitterness in your life.
3. We walk too close to the edge
Because men think they are above wisdom, they convince themselves they can get close to the edge without falling over the cliff. It’s the little moments of flirting or the hidden moments of looking online and then deleting your history. Proverbs 5:8 has a different perspective – don’t flirt with disaster! Proverbs 6:27-28 gives us another picture – when you play with fire you will get burned. God’s wisdom is trying to teach us to stay as far away as possible in order to protect our lives.
4. We stop pursuing our wife
Life gets busy and relationships are work. The longer you are married, the easier it is to fall into routines or frustrations in your marriage. In Proverbs 5:15-19 men are taught to be lost in the love of their wife forever. When a man’s energy is no longer focused on pursuing his wife it will often become focused on pursuing someone else. One of the best ways to battle sexual temptation is to pour your energy into pursuing your wife.
5. We refuse discipline in our life
Let’s be honest, it takes discipline to fight against sexual temptations. They are everywhere! It takes discipline to listen to wisdom, to avoid walking too close to the edge, and to pursue our wife. Proverbs 5:22-23 warns us we can die and be lost because we have no discipline. A lack of discipline will result in becoming trapped and entangled. Some of the most influential leaders have been able to create discipline in their organization, but have failed to create discipline in their own personal life.
Is There Any Hope?
I believe there is hope for healing and restoration from sexual sin. We will explore how to find this in our next post.
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