How can a Christian be trapped in sexual sin?

Believing in Christ and having a relationship with Him do not remove our tendency to sin. All Christians still sin (1 John 1:8), though hopefully we are getting better over time as God makes us more and more like Jesus (Phil. 1:6). Under the right conditions there is nothing to prevent Christian men and women from becoming ensnared in sexual sin. (Consider that the Apostle Paul’s warnings about sexual sin in such passages as 1 Corinthians 7:9  and 1 Corinthians 6:18 are directed at Christians.) Becoming involved in habitual sexual sin is often the result of a long and complex process in a person’s life (see Understanding the Sex Addict’s Struggle by David Jones on this website; also see Mark R. Laaser, Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction (Zondervan, 2004), Part II: The Roots of Sexual Addiction, 73-108). But the good news is that sexual sin is no worse in God’s eyes than any other kind of sin: God forgives it, and Christ died to set us free from it! Both Jesus (Matthew 15:18-20) and the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) mentioned sexual sin in the same breath with other “less serious” sins such as slander and lying, with no apparent distinction in type, theologically speaking. Thus the Bible does not teach a hierarchy of sins, and the popular conception that some sins are worse in God’s eyes than others is biblically groundless. The ground is, indeed, level at the foot of the cross! Christ’s recorded reactions to various sins often do not coincide with the false hierarchies of sin we have created. To those involved in sexual and relational sin He was compassionate, calm, and measured in his response (John 7:53-8:11, John 4:1-30, Luke 7:36-50), while he saved his righteous anger for religious hypocrites like the Pharisees (Matthew 23). Although sexual sin is no worse in God’s eyes, this is not to say it may not bring heavier consequences than other sins. The consequences of sexual sin can be severe, and may affect every aspect of the struggler’s life.¹ But freedom from the guilt and shame caused by sexual (or any) sin comes with the realization of one’s true identity in Christ and the internalization of God’s awesome grace, mercy and love.² “The only people who get better,” says Steve Brown, “are people who know that, if they never get better, God will love them anyway.”³ If you are struggling with sexual or relational sin, Love In Action can help you begin your journey of healing. We invite you to explore our program options and contact us with any questions.  

¹ Mark R. Laaser, Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction (Zondervan, 2004) 70.  
² Robert S. McGee, The Search for Significance (Zondervan, 2003) 118-119.  
³ Steve Brown, A Scandalous Freedom (Howard Publishing, 2004) 68-69.