The Problems with a Sex Shop

Passionate opinions have collided on the editorial pages and within the conversations of our county lately about the approval given for the opening of a new sex shop. Lots of passion, however, doesn’t always mean a good argument. It is important to sort through the issues with an open Bible to keep the main things the mains things.

In a sense the real problem with adult stores are not the stores themselves, but the hearts of the people that go to the stores. Sex is great. God made sex, and he wants his creatures to enjoy his gift to the fullest. God gives this gift, however, only to a man and a woman who are legally committed to one another for life in marriage. All sex outside of marriage is a sin against God.

The Bible could not be clearer about this. “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:3-5).

When God-given desires for sex turn into lustful cravings to be with someone you are not married to, that is also a serious sin. Jesus warned that, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27, 28).

The heart of the problem of a sex-soaked society is the heart. Jesus zeroed in on the issue when he contrasted external rituals with internal attitudes. He said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:20-23).

Because people’s hearts are filled with sexual dynamite, having a sex shop nearby is like playing near a flame thrower lighting off people’s fuses. So even though the adult store is not the main problem per se, it is a problem.

Ninety-five percent of men struggle to stay sexual pure in their hearts. Someone followed that statistic up with one that said the other five percent struggle with lying! Temptations to lust are all around us in places like billboards, magazine ads, TV commercials, and of course the internet.

Giving in to a little lust leads to more lust until many men and women are in chains of addiction to sexual sin. Lust is a fiery dragon, feeding it makes it stronger and more deadly.

Sadly, having to pass a sex shop day by day will become a challenging hurdle for many men. The issue is ultimately their hearts, but the very existence of such a convenient place to fuel the fires of their lusts is yet another front in their war for purity.

The bigger problem will be for those that lose the fight, and actually enter the adult store. The dragon of sexual sin will go stronger as they fill their eyes with pictures and objects, and fill their hearts with fresh ideas. A little sin always craves more sin. The great desires for sex that God gave them will grow out of control and flood beyond the boundaries that God established.

Millions of men and women can tell stories of “innocent” curiosity turning into sexual addictions that can never truly satisfy their real hearts’ desires. Whether it is pornography, having a sexual relationship with someone you are not married to, or visiting adult stores, sexual sin is deadly serious.

The solution to the problem of the sex shop needs to begin where the real problem begins: the hearts of the people who are tempted to pay it a visit.

Even before such a store opens, you may already be shoulder deep in sexual sin. Is there hope for your heart? The Bible says Yes!

It is true that all lust and sex outside of marriage is a sin that will be severely judged by God himself. The TV shows, movies, or your boyfriend that say differently are lying. Reread those sentences quoted from the Bible earlier in this article.

The great news is that Jesus died for perverts. Jesus died for unmarried people having sex. Jesus died for those who have looked at internet porn. These are big sins, but as God in human flesh, Jesus’ death accomplished big forgiveness.

After Paul declares to the Corinthian church that no one who is sexually immoral will inherit the kingdom of God, he offers these sweet words of hope, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

You can exchange your filthy rags of sexual sin for Jesus’ robe of righteousness. After God crushed him in the place of sinners, God raised him from the dead, and offers this great exchange! Repent of you sins and take Jesus at his word that you can be declared right with God. Call upon him and you will be saved.

What about the people who are truly Christians that feel like they are still regularly losing their fight with sexual sin? First of all, tell God about it right now. Tell him you want it to be done and gone.

Second, tell the godliest person you know about your sin. You need help, and God often helps us through spiritual leaders at our churches (you are a member of a church aren’t you?). If you don’t have a good church, seek one out, or seek a biblical counselor in a good church. They will give you clear directions to follow from the Bible, and they will hold you accountable in your fight for purity.

Third, believe the promises of the Bible. Promises like, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13) give us tremendous hope in the resources of God.

As the people of our community honor the Lord in our hearts places like sex shops will go out of business quickly. While some customers may get trapped up in quick pleasures of sin, they will only find themselves ultimately empty. True satisfaction only comes from having Jesus as your treasure.