Root Causes

I just returned from an all day conference for men called, Iron Sharpens Iron. The organization, ISI has a national scope and sponsors conferences all over the nation on topics of interest to men. ( http://www.ironsharpensiron.net/ ) Today's conference was sponsored by The National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families. http://www.nationalcoalition.org/

Owen Clutterbuck, MSW, Ph. D., from Life Way Counseling Centers, http://www.lifewaycenters.com/ and I presented a "Tag-Team" approach to dealing with the problems many men have with compulsive behavior, especially pornography and sex. There was a great deal of interest in what we had to say and I think our presentation was helpful to all 50 or so of the men who attended our segment.

The key foci for me in the presentation were the principles taught by Jesus in Mark 7 about the origin of evil. The Pharisees were convinced that evil in the hearts of men and women came from outside of them. The result of this belief was an attempt on their part to restrict all kinds of behavior hoping that a good Jew would be able to avoid temptation. Their purpose was noble and their intentions good. However, as a strategy for stopping sin it was a miserable failure.

Mark 7:1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)

5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"

14 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' "

20 He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' 21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22g reed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "

Well, this is a lot to exegete but think for a moment about how we conservative Christians still treat "evil things". We tend to get awfully anxious about the "outside of the cup" rather than taking care of the inside. Throughout the scripture God's leaders urge us to get the heart and soul right and everything else will follow. Despite this consistent and chronic drumbeat much of our preaching and teaching is focused on "Don't touch, don't taste don't look."

These comments by Jesus the great teacher, must have absolutely stunned the listeners. They certainly overwhelmed the 12 who knew Him best. They were so dumbfounded that they took Jesus aside and asked in bewilderment, "What in the world are you talking about? We're confused."

17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 "Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? 19 For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")

20 He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' 21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "

If we ever want to get to the place where we are able to live nicer and holier lives we need to figure out how to clean up the heart and soul. For when we spew forth sewage from an unclean heart we are just sliming the people around us with our inner junk. The New KJV translates the word "envy" as "an evil eye" indicating that the ways we look at the world is soiled in our mind.

Trying to control the heart by managing the outer world will not work for we simply sink down into a series of secret sins and secrecy further drives us into slime and evil doing. The only way to put evil behind us is to cleanse it from within.

I have sometimes traveled overseas by myself. It would be easy to be involved in all kinds of evil enterprises but I never do. Not because there are not opportunities for anonymous sex, hotel porn, alcohol, drugs and other things of the flesh. No, in fact the opportunity for sexual trespasses and sins aggressively present themselves almost daily. However, I do not give in to temptation because my soul has been healed from the childhood and adolescent traumas. These painful memories at one time had me in their grip and led me into sick lust and bad habits.

Over the past thirty years or so God managed to force me to take care of my soul business and get my slime healed and cleansed. I was compulsively attracted to sex and my desire for affirmation from females almost drove me mad. But the Holy Spirit brought me into contact with people who knew how to bring grace and mercy to my soul so I was substantially healed.

What can we do?

Do you have a safe place to receive healing?
Does anyone in the safe place know how to pray for inner healing?
Are you able to receive God's love grace and mercy or are you still beating yourself for mistakes?
Don't give up. There is Hope for Humpty Dumpty!

I am not where I want to be but praise God I am certainly not where I was.