A Savior Or Master?

My name is Matthew Wear and I am currently a student from Lancaster Bible College studying for a degree in Pastoral Ministry. Following graduation, I am hoping to attend seminary and become an ordained minister so that I may pastor in a local church, Lord willing. I consider myself a very biblical man, in that I prefer to view things in day to day life and culture through biblical lenses; that is to measure what I see around me by what Scripture has already declared. The goal of my blog is to compare what is currently going on in our culture, particularly in regards to sex and money, with what God’s Word has already promised about them.
Currently in Christian Perspectives, a course that I am taking, we are reading Paul David Tripp’s ‘Sex & Money’ and so I will be quoting this book and comparing it with the Holy Scriptures and current events. It is my desire to persuade my readers that God’s way has been and always will be the better way of approaching sex and money. Today I will focus on sex.
Quoting Tripp: “… And if you look outside of the Savior for something to be your savior, that thing will end up not being your savior but your master.” (Tripp 22). Paul stated this in the very first chapter, titled ‘Sorry, but We’ve Gone Crazy’ where he does not waste any time in diving into the reality that our culture is obsessed with pleasure, and illustrates many of the tragic consequences of this, this one being addiction. It is a tragic thing when something like sex or money can end up becoming ones master.
The Bible teaches us that God should be our ultimate desire and the source of all of our needs. (Deuteronomy 5:6–10, Psalm 16:5–11, Matthew 6:33). When we put our trust in God, through Christ Jesus, He gives us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). Jesus tells us to come to Him so that we may find peace (Matthew 11:28). When we have relationship with God, He sees to it that not only do we receive the things we need, but also the desires of our heart (if our heart is set on God).
The Bible teaches us to desire the Creator so that we may enjoy the creation, in this case sex. Our culture however, does not desire the Creator but instead to fill up on the creation. Because of this, we can often find ourselves loving things instead of God. If this goes on for long without check, then addictions can easily be birthed.
Although our society has publicly acknowledged that spending money can become an addiction, thank you credit cards, we (often individually) are still struggling to admit that there is definitely something wrong with pursuing sex as a “savior” or a source of ultimate comfort. However, this is beginning to change.
Article — https://nypost.com/2018/08/24/sex-addicted-mom-spent-seven-unfulfilling-hours-a-the-day-in-the-sack/
In the article above, I read a very disturbing account of a woman who was so addicted to sex that she was having it up to seven “unfulfilling” hours a day. The woman states, “ Every minute I was awake, I had obsessive thoughts about sex. When I gave in to temptation, I briefly felt better about myself, less stressed and anxious, but there was no longer-term satisfaction — as soon as it was over, all I could think about was doing it again.” A quick read through the article should alarm anyone of the fact that allowing something like sex to become you “savior” is indeed inviting it to become your “master” instead. It is rather clear that this woman had no control over her desires, which would destroy many relationships with her partners, and would chase her all over the globe.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is not how we were designed to live. I understand that the article may seem like it is only presenting a rare case of an abnormal addiction, but with the clear and ever present pornography addiction crisis that is devastating lives both within the church and outside of the church, I implore you to consider that if you are making sex your ultimate release from life’s pressures, or your “savior” that it will actually become your “master” instead. Nothing good comes from worshiping a creation instead of the Creator. Sex is a gift from God for marriage, not a toy. Enjoy it in reverence to God, cherishing it with the one that you love (Ecclesiastes 9:9).
Below I have attached a few more articles for you to read for your benefit regarding sex addiction.
Article — https://health.usnews.com/wellness/mind/articles/2018-08-21/could-you-have-a-sex-addiction
Article — https://www.rd.com/health/conditions/sex-addiction/