Course Overview and Objectives
GOD IS HOLY AND WANTS US TO BE HOLY
“But like the Holy One Who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy for I am holy.’”
– 1 Peter 1:15-16
Biblical Background
Isaiah 6:3 says, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” Habakkuk 2:20 says, “But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him.” God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and all that exists in it, is unlike any created being. He alone is holy. The word holy describes the majesty of God and the purity and moral perfection of His nature. God’s holiness is perfect freedom from evil. This is hard to fathom, and yet not only is God holy, He expects His children to be holy, just as He is. 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV) says, “But just as He Who called you is Holy so be holy in all you do; for it is written ‘Be Holy, because I am Holy.’” We are not God, but because we are made in His image and likeness, He knows we can become “like” Him. We can strive by our will and choices to be holy, but any real attempt at holiness would be futile without the work of Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:22 says, “He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body; through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” We were created for Him, and our choice to be holy is out of obedience and love and our choice to be holy also impacts other people. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV) says, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” The purpose of being created male or female is to reflect Him, and when we choose holiness, we enhance the reflection, instead of marring it.
Holy is used more than 600 times in Scripture, so you know it is important! Holiness is attained by the work of God in our lives, through a process called sanctification. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 says, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” Sanctification is the process of God changing us through the power of the Holy Spirit and by His grace and this is the expected journey of every Christian. Your decision to follow Christ “set you apart” to be His child, and the proof of your sanctification is noticeable to others. If someone is living holy, you can see it. If someone has a sense of the holiness of God and a sensible, authentic fear of God because of His immense, unfathomable holiness, you know they are being sanctified. Those who imply holiness is legalistic often are looking for a license to do what they want. Here is the key: when you are being sanctified, your “want” becomes what God wants. You care about what He cares about, and begin to love what He loves. Let’s be clear: God loves you. He loves all people, made in His image. He does not want anything to mar the image of any person or objectify anyone made in His image.
Why?
Because God created man in His image intentionally, to be an image bearer. He created us male and female to reveal unique aspects of His nature, and we are the only part of the creation story with an essence linked to His image (Genesis 1:26-27). Images are powerful and impact us and our relationships in many ways. Due to our design, the more graphic the image, the more impact it has on us, our beliefs and behaviors. A simple example is how a beautiful sunset impacts us in positive ways, literally providing a visual oasis to our soul while creating brain chemicals that positively enhance our feelings of well-being. A man seeing the wife of his youth in her wholeness and beauty creates another positive process in his brain, heart and body and is part of the human interaction and sexuality that God has created as a gift to us. In marriage, the one flesh union literally strengthens the couple’s oneness physically and emotionally each and every time. The images are cemented and, as it says in Genesis 2:23, the man leaves and cleaves (is glued to his wife). Every good and perfect gift from the Father is meant to create unity and oneness. Sexual intercourse (intercourse means communication) is one of the most powerful gifts for unity that God has created. It has power for connection and for the creation of another human being, made in God’s image. It’s no surprise then that the enemy would want to damage this process all the way from beginning to end.
The enemy of our soul creates counterfeits to God’s original designs, often using the very body system or design feature in the wrong way, creating a trap and an outcome that is hurtful instead of life-giving, isolating rather than uniting. Pornography, from soft porn to the most graphic and twisted images, is a major and prevalent assault on God’s image bearers and our relationships. Pornography is one of the enemy’s most powerful attempts to replace the oneness of two whole people who became one in marriage through their unique sexual communication, and instead replace it with mere images that steal, kill and destroy actual relationships and offer only short-lived physical pleasure draped with loneliness and isolation. This course will help you see how pornography, a counterfeit to God’s holy design for relationships and sexuality, negatively impacts people. You will learn how pornography objectifies and damages those trapped by it and how it destroys people, relationships, marriages, family and society.
Course Objectives
- Define pornography and its meaning according to Scripture.
- Address myths surrounding pornography.
- Provide scriptural mandates for a journey toward holiness.
- Provide a short history of Alfred Kinsey and his impact on the sexual revolution and pornography.
- Review data on the impact of pornography on men and women.
- Engage in several opportunities for personal reflection, healing and freedom.