Hermenuetics

Comments

I'm sorry, I agree with almost everything here - but parts of it sound like an apologist's view of men. That many of them are "powerless in (their) enslavement to the desires (they've) fed through pornography and other means."

That's a load of garbage. I've been down that road; it's an easy trap to fall into the belief that one can't be better than that, so they might as well not try. And it's a trap, just as much as the crime is. Human beings have control over themselves.

We get tempted by evil and dark pleasures. Key word there is "tempted". We make the call, not Satan (or, conversely, God). We have free will - the "Knowledge of Good an Evil", as it is commonly called. All it takes for them to be free is for them to realize what is wrong with their lives, figure out how to fix it, and actually follow through. Their failure to do so is not a sign that they are enslaved, but rather a failure of their own conscience and will.

Note: I'm talking about in general; there are also sociopaths and others that may have a biochemical or medical reason for going "off the rails"; people that are sick in such a way are, in fact, enslaved.

Posted By: Newly Karen | November 11, 2011 1:54 PM

Newly Karen, your "if they just buckle down and have will power they can overcome anything" attitude is in no way biblical. If it was, we wouldn't need Jesus. I think Daniel was trying to say that we can't overcome sin on our own. We need him and the Holy Spirit's power and guidance to do that. He was not excusing someone staying in their sin. The bible itself says that as humans we are slaves to sin and we need Christ to help us overcome.

All of us have a failure of conscience and will. If not, we would never sin. Who can claim such? Not me. Not you. No one I know. Self-control is GIFT of the spirit.

Posted By: Mark E. | November 11, 2011 3:37 PM

This is inspiring.

We should be teaching our young people that they’re bearers of the most wild, dangerous, untamed force for good in the world, and that they are the ones who are dangerous. In fact, the world needs to fear them.

Amen to that. I'd say we need a healthy respect both for the insidiousness of evil, and the sheer power of the Holy Spirit. But we have nothing to be afraid of, do we?

The tables turned when suddenly I saw this prostitute not as a threat to my purity or professionalism, but as a child of God whom he greatly loved.

It's so hard to do that, sometimes. We've fallen for the lie of fear and cowardice, painting people as enemies. It's sin that's the enemy. It's the wrong things people believe that's the enemy. Every human on "the other side" is a prisoner and a potential ally.

Posted By: Andrea | November 11, 2011 4:34 PM

@Mark E.

I didn't phrase it as well as I probably could have. Yes, absolutely, there are things we fail at - and we need Christ's love and forgiveness to overcome such things. What I'm taking exception at is this idea - so common in many places - that men (or women) are complete slaves to their flesh; that without knowing Christ they cannot live relatively moral lives. But even the most atheistic, free-love person I know would find the idea of doing what these people are doing horrific. Saying they do it because "they are powerless" is absurd to the point of being apologist.

You can say they do it because they want to, or because they are weak in spirit, or because their sinful natures have made them stray from the right path, or any of a thousand other things - but not because they are powerless. Unless someone was standing there with a gun in their hand forcing them to pay for and have sex with one of their victims, that simply is not the case.

Posted By: Newly Karen | November 11, 2011 4:58 PM

Christ, in His own words said,
“The Son can do nothing by Himself.” John 5:19; 6:28
“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.” 6:63
“Apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Jesus also told his disciples to pray, "THY will be done."
Jesus prayed in the garden, "Not MY will, but THY will be done."

We can choose to bring "Every thought captive to the obedience of Christ," (2 Cor. 10:5). This is where we are not powerless, where we have a choice.

What we cannot do is change in our own strength...Paul said "we do NOT use worldly power, we use divine power" (2 Cor. 10:3-4).

I believe it is more humbly to admit I cannot change myself any more than the leopard can change his spots, than to try harder to do what I am already unable to do.

I have a discipleship ministry, (www.straight2theheart.com), where we combine "prayer AND
ministry of the WORD," (Acts 6:4), offering:
1. Forgiveness for their sins (first they have to realize
that what they are doing is sinning against the girls,
themselves and God)...
2. Freedom from the "lies from the father of lies,"
(John 8:44), again trusting in Jesus, who has shown
us the source of all our sins... the lies we believe
that lead us to try and reward ourselves, comfort
ourselves, provide for ourselves in our own strength,
outside of God's will.

Jesus died for our sins so we can receive forgiveness, including all the sins related to child rape/prostitution etc. Jesus "who knew NO sin, BECAME sin," (2 Cor. 5:21), including all these terrible sins.

Jesus died for our suffering as well, (Luke 9:22; Hebrews 2:10; 14-18 etc...)....

Jesus was stripped naked, physically violated, shamed and humiliated, verbally and mentally abused, AFTER He was sold for the price of a slave, by Judas, so HE could identify with these girls, so HE could connect His story of suffering with theirs... removing their pain and shame, bringing healing and wholeness and purity to their hearts.

When I work with sexually abused women, this is a powerful picture that opens the door to healing for their hearts.

when I work with men addicted to porn, prostitutes, affairs etc. I ask a simple question, based on the truth that we need Jesus life, Jesus victory living inside us and through us, (Colossians 1:27): Which is stronger:
A. your sincerity (trying harder to do what you are already
unable to do...), OR
B. Jesus PURITY, Jesus VICTORY He has ALREADY GAINED over
all the ways we are tempted and we sin.....

This Jesus, who "suffered being tempted," (Heb.2:17-18), was "tempted in EVERY way, just like we are, without sin,"
(Hebrews 4:15), is a rubber-meets-the-road-Savior who can forgive us, who can free us, who can heal us...

Posted By: Paul Coneff | November 11, 2011 5:44 PM

As we teach our young people about a wild Jesus, who broke all the legalistic rules, all the culturally conditioned attitudes so often that He was accused of hanging out with sinners like prostitutes, tax collectors and alcoholics etc. and we share with them how Jesus connected His story with their story....they can become dangerous in the world, against the world, for Christ's kingdom of grace and truth.

I just finished a week of prayer at a Christian high school... kids were struggling with alcohol, marijuana, sex, porn, cutting, anorexia... all the things in the world... and they are in every Christian high school and elementary school, whether we realize it or not. But these kids connected with Jesus, the SUFFERING MESSIAH, who embraced all their humanity, (Hebrews 2:14)... who felt all their struggles, taking all their sin and condemnation on Himself.

And they started experiencing freedom in Christ in real, tangible ways....even better, they answered the invitation and challenge to become disciples of Christ, being trained and mentored...which they accepted.... This is going to make them dangerous is a really good way, with Jesus living in them and through them.

Posted By: Paul Coneff | November 11, 2011 5:51 PM

I'm in agreement with Mark E. If we as Christians can hold the alcoholic responsible for the CHOICE he or she makes to take that first drink then surely we owe no less accountability to the men "enslaved" by sex. All things are indeed possible through Jesus Christ our Lord but not if there are those among us willing to make victims of the who put self before Him.

Posted By: Peggy | November 11, 2011 5:57 PM

I think as Christians who struggle with sin, we can all recognize that people both CHOOSE and are ENSLAVED to sin. Paul illustrates this wrestling with sin in Romans 7:14-20.

Posted By: zy | November 11, 2011 7:38 PM

Did you guys not read the man's words? That his whole job was to hold men accountable and that the only way to freedom from their enslavement of sin was to accept responsibility for their actions and weather their punishment. I don't see anywhere he was suggesting men aren't accountable.

Posted By: Kiki | November 13, 2011 8:38 AM

Thank you Daniel Walker for the work you did in creating this book, where you went, how you put your life in danger, standing up for Maria and giving people a new tool to combat this evil in our world. There's too much to do to quibble about words. All the people involved in human trafficking need saving. Lord, help us do what you call us to do!

Posted By: Jane Hinrichs | November 14, 2011 11:18 AM

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Posted By: nokky | November 14, 2011 12:48 PM

Both the emperor Justinian and the empress Theodora were combating the sex trade back in the 6th century and Theodora herself might have been a courtesan.

Posted By: cynthia curran | November 21, 2011 9:05 AM