Eddie Snipes - Tempted No More: Breaking Free of Pornography By Walking in Grace

If you are defeated by a pornographyaddiction, you are part of a special group that is dear to Gods heart andmuch closer to Gods purpose than you realize. The temptation that you think isdestroying you is actually driving you to discover the special place in Godsheart for those who struggle. Jesus revealed Gods heart toward those who aredowncast including those with moral failures, and it wasnt the same responseas that of religious leaders.

One day a prostitute came into a housewhere Jesus was dining with a religious ruler of Israel. Her bad reputation waswell known in the city, and the men near Jesus were repulsed at this womansentrance. She took an alabaster box of fragrant oil. It was an heirloom thatrepresented her family inheritance, and was very costly. It was likely her mostvaluable possession.

She fell at Jesus feet, and her tearspoured out the pain of her heart and soul. She was as unclean as they come. Asthe tears washed over Jesus feet, she wiped them with her hair.

The men in the room began whisperingto one another. If this Jesus were truly a prophet, he would know what mannerof woman is touching him. She is a sinner. And by sinner, they meant that shewas part of the gutters of society. In that culture, a religious leader wouldnever allow a common sinner to touch him, much less this unclean townprostitute.

The woman with the tortured soul beganto kiss Jesus feet. Then she took the alabaster box, which was the equivalentof two years worth of wages, and she broke it open and poured the perfumed oilon Jesus feet.

It was her way of declaring, I am completelybroken, and I have nothing of value in my life. Im laying my shattered lifeand all I have at your feet. You are my only hope.

Out of all the great men in her city,those esteemed with status, religious leadership, and unquestioned reputation,why did she come to Jesus? Religion and religious people condemn, but Jesusnever condemned. Jesus had a unique reputation. Though His character wasunmatched by any, Jesus had no problem sitting at dinner with prostitutes,drunkards, and the dregs of society. Not one time does Jesus call thoseentrapped in sin a sinner. Not one time did Jesus ever condemn the sinner.

Sinners were drawn to this man, eventhough His life made theirs look shameful. His words never put them to shame,but every sinner recognized their condition when they encountered Jesus. Thedishonest and thieving tax collector proves this. He was a man whose love ofmoney had persuaded him to forfeit his reputation to pad his pockets. He hadbecome extremely wealthy by inflating tax bills so he could pocket the extra. Zacchaeuswas hated by his neighbors, and was pushed out of society.

When Jesus came to town, everyoneshoved Zacchaeus to the back of the crowd. He had to climb a tree near the roadwhere Jesus was walking, just to get a glimpse of this new kind of rabbi.

When Jesus passed, He stopped andsaid, Zacchaeus, come down. I will dine with you today.

Oh the horror of such a socialatrocity for anyone claiming to be a moral teacher! To dine with a sinner wasan abomination. In that culture, to dine with someone was a declaration ofacceptance and friendship. Though Jesus never condemned Zacchaeus, this formerthief was touched by God and said, I will pay back four times what I stolefrom any man by dishonesty, and then Ill give half of whats left to thepoor.

He had captured a glimpse of thetreasure of Gods grace, and when he did, everything else seemed worthless. Withoutcondemnation, he was drawn to repentance through the love of God.

When the foul-mouthed Peter caught aglimpse of the man of Grace, without any words of condemnation, he said,Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.

Instead of departing, Jesus welcomedPeter into His inner circle, and created an apostle out of a sinner.

This has always been Gods plan. Evenin the Old Testament, a sinful man named Isaiah encountered the Lord. When hesaw the glory of the Lord, he said, Woe to me, for I am undone. I am a man ofunclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.

God touched Isaiah and said, I havepurged your sins and taken away your iniquity. Then God gave His call forministry in the hearing of Isaiah, and the man who had been focused on his sinsmoments before was now begging God to send him. Then God made a prophet out ofthe sinner.

No doubt the woman at Jesus feet hadbeen touched by grace. In the presence of such grace, her lifestyle of sinbecame worthless. She suddenly understood that Jesus held a treasure that shedid not possess, and could never possess in her current state. The most prizedpossession she had was merely a reflection of her broken life. Just as hershattered life couldnt hold anything of true value, she broke her alabasterbox and released the aroma of her life to the Lord. It is just as the Biblesays in Psalm34:18

The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, Andsaves such as have a contrite spirit.

TheBible reiterates this in Psalm 51:17

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A brokenand a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise.

Religion looked at the sinner andsaid, She made her bed. Let her lie in it. This woman is not fit for theLord.

But God looks at the sinner and says,A broken spirit and crushed heart will never be despised. And this iswhat the word contrite means. We are taught that we must focus on our sinsand have contrition, but the word here is dakah in the Hebrew, which means tobe crushed, contrite, or to be shattered.

When the woman was pouring out herbroken heart, Jesus asked her critics a question. Who loves more, the one whois forgiven of fifty days wages, or the one forgiven of five-hundred dayswages? The man hosting the dinner correctly answered that the one forgiven ofmore will love more. Jesus then pointed out that the host had not done anythingthat expressed love toward Christ, but the sinful woman expressed a heartfilled with loving gratitude. He then concluded with Luke 7:47-48

47"Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for sheloved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."
48 Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

Do not take this as earningforgiveness. Jesus didnt say those who werent showing love werent forgiven. Hesaid their sins were smaller so they would love less. The reason is becausethey couldnt recognize the value of the forgiveness being given to them. Also,the statement, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much, isnot saying that her love merited her forgiveness.

The entire point of Jesus explanationis that she loved more BECAUSE she understood she had been forgiven of manysins. The phrase for she loved much, can literally be translated as so thatshe loved much. The Greek word translated here is the word hoti, which meansbecause, so that, or that. She was forgiven of much, and that is why she lovesmuch. Because of this she loves much.