A married man wrote to world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, telling him that he does not see anything wrong with viewing sexy magazines. However, he admits that he has been keeping the sexy magazines away from his wife's knowledge.
Graham believes that the man is keeping his guilty pleasure a secret for a reason. "The reason is obvious: You know she'd be offended and deeply hurt if she knew about it," the evangelist writes in his advice column for The Kansas City Star.
"After all, when you were married you made a solemn vow — not just to each other or the people at your wedding, but to God," he continues. "In that vow you promised to be faithful to each other and to love each other exclusively, as long as you both are alive."
Graham says the man is breaking that vow by allowing lust to overtake him, even if it's just for "an airbrushed image in a tawdry magazine."
The Bible is clear about its instructions against lust. Ephesians 5:3 says, "Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity."
Graham urges the man to be honest about his situation, then find the strength to turn from it "decisively and forcefully." If the man continues looking at sexy images, Graham is afraid his lust will take control of him and the issue will escalate.
"Don't dabble with it; don't go near places where you'll be tempted to obtain it; avoid anything on the Internet that even hints of it," he says.
"The most important thing you need to do, however, is to turn to Jesus Christ, confessing your sins to Him and asking Him to come into your heart and life. You need His forgiveness, and you also need His strength to resist temptation. Then — with God's help — recommit yourself to your marriage and put into practice the vows you once made."
