Jesus’s Love in the Midst of Sexual Sin

God Moves towards You

The unfailing love of Jesus is unspeakably glorious, sacred, and precious—especially right after sexual sin because our sexuality is so delicate and personal and our consciences are especially tender in this area of sin. So we are so grieved that the steep letdown after a visit to a porn site—after the short gratification—is so injuring and grievous. I believe that in that very moment of shame and sorrow after sexual sin, that is when the heart of Christ moves toward us with the most tenderness and understanding and desire to help.

The Bible is so clear. In Isaiah 11:8–9, it is the very holiness of God that moves him so powerfully to be tender toward sinful people. How many of us believe that about God? It's in the Bible. We've got to believe that. We can believe that. We have, in Christ, every right to dare to believe that.

The Death of Porn

Ray Ortlund

The Death of Porn by Ray Ortlund is a series of personal letters written to men assaulted by the porn industry. Every man can experience his true royalty—not through self-help, but by believing the gospel. Pastor Ortlund paints the picture of a whole generation redefining their future with new dignity and confident purpose.

So when—not if—when you and I sin at some sexual level, Jesus himself invites us closer to his heart. For example, in John 8, when the woman is caught in the very act of adultery, of course, we all wonder, Where was the guy? How did he get let off the hook? The hypocrisy was blatant. Everything was against her and she was surrounded by accusers. Jesus flipped it and sent them on their way and drew her into himself and gave her her life back right then and there.

The unfailing love of Jesus is unspeakably glorious, sacred, and precious.

He did not say, “I don't condemn you.” He said, "Neither do I condemn you." In other words, I'm now speaking on behalf of this whole social environment around you. There is now surrounding you a non-condemning, supportive social environment defined by me, declared by me, and I hereby pronounce you non-condemned. Now, go and sin no more, get your life back, live again.

Ray Ortlund is the author of The Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility

Ray Ortlund is the president of Renewal Ministries, the pastor to pastors at Immanuel Nashville Church, and a canon theologian with the Anglican Church in North America. He is the author of several books, including Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel; The Death of Porn; and the Preaching the Word commentaries on Isaiah and Proverbs. He is also a contributor to the ESV Study Bible. Ray and his wife, Jani, have been married for fifty years.