Wiley Graf
The seventh in a series of 11 blogs answering anticipated objections to material set forth in A Way of Escape, i.e., the seventh in a series of 11 blogs answering anticipated FAQs.
OBJECTION #7 (of 11)
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16).
Two are better than one … For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up … Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12).
How much more clearly can it be stated? God has provided a way of escape, alright. And the train to Freedom City passes through Accountability Station. James 5:16 and Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 are the proof texts for accountability-based escape.
RESPONSE
LOL! I could, of course, counter with Galatians 5:16. The counter argument might go something like this:
… Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
How much more clearly can it be stated? God has provided a way of escape, alright. And the train to Freedom City is pulled by the Holy Spirit Locomotive. Galatians 5:16 is the proof text for Spirit-powered escape.
Every individual is different. An accountability-based purity program might be best for some. While a wholly Spirit-powered option might be best for others.
ACCOUNTABILITY-BASED APPROACHES (Starving the Flesh)
Some may prefer the support and camaraderie that groups provide (Galatians 6:1-2, James 5:16). Or they may wish to be a part of an accountability group for the extra layer of protection it provides against falling. For these individuals, an accountability-based approach might be the best approach.
THE WAY OF ESCAPE BATTLE PLAN (Feeding the Spirit)
For a variety of reasons, some may not be comfortable with taking part in an accountability group. For many, the Shame Factor is simply too high. Others may fear that information about participants might be leaked. Then there is the time commitment for that Wednesday night drive across town for the weekly group meeting. And finally, advocates of accountability openly acknowledge that this may be the hardest thing that you will ever do in your life.
In a survey of persons wanting to quit porn, participants were asked whether they had anyone in their life helping them to quit. For reasons stated in the preceding paragraph, is it any wonder that a whopping 83% of respondents confessed to having no one [1]? For these individuals, the Way of Escape Battle Plan might be a better approach.
DUAL APPROACHES
Dual approaches are also a possibility. The Way of Escape Spirit-anointed apps can be seamlessly incorporated into any accountability-based purity program. Apps that issue in a filling of the Spirit only improve the odds of victory over the flesh, and should be a welcome addition to every believer’s arsenal of weapons.
An accountability partner/group. The use of Spirit-anointed apps. Or some combination of the two. So long as the limbic system is accessed, and the brain is reprogrammed, healing will occur.
A GAME-CHANGING BOOK HAS ARRIVED
In A Way of Escape, readers learn how to step up the degree to which they “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). They learn how to build a library of Spirit-anointed, flesh-diffusing apps. Apps that are uniquely fitted to them, and their unique Spirit-filling triggers.
The still-struggling now have another option. The still-struggling now have fresh hope for discovering that long-sought-after way of escape from sin and temptation (I Corinthians 10:13). A way that—because it is wholly Spirit-powered—does not require enlisting the aid of an accountability partner or group. Truly, a game-changer!
A WAY OF ESCAPE
A Spirit-Powered Battle Plan for Purity
(Accountability Partner/Group NOT Required!)
REFERENCES
1. The Porn Phenomenon: The Impact of Pornography in the Digital Age, Barna Group, Ventura, CA, page 112, 2016 (83% determined as the average of 79% for Teens and Young Adults and 87% for Adults Age 25 and Older)
