Connection Defeats Porn: How Deep Connection With God and Others Defeats LustSample

This new relationship with God as our Father means that everyone who puts their faith in Christ becomes our brother or sister. Together, we form a new family—the Church, the body of Christ. God’s rescue from sin is not only about restoring our relationship with Him; it’s also about bringing us out of isolation and into connection with others who share our bond in Christ.

God’s grace—His unmerited favor in Christ—ushers us into this new relationship with Him and with one another. It frees us to step out of hiding and live with authenticity. Paul himself repeatedly prayed for God to remove a certain unnamed affliction in his life. But instead of taking it away, God gave Paul something even greater: a reminder of His grace and where true power is found.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

– 2 Corinthians 12:9a (NIV)

Because of this, Paul concluded:

“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

– 2 Corinthians 12:9b (NIV)

Because our identity in Christ is received, not achieved, we’re free to be our weak, imperfect selves. We don’t have to perform, impress, or hide. In fact, it’s often in our weaknesses that Christ’s power shines brightest. This security in Him creates a healthy security in ourselves, freeing us to embrace both our strengths and our shortcomings. As Paul reminds us, we can even “boast” in our weaknesses, because they become opportunities for His grace to be seen. That’s real freedom.

And this kind of freedom changes how we relate to others. It empowers us to move toward people with honesty instead of hiding behind masks. This is critical for confessing a porn or sexual addiction, since those trapped in sexual sin often become experts at denying, minimizing, and rationalizing their sin.

But as we grow in Christ and embrace our new identity, something shifts. The shadows lose their hold, and we begin to seek genuine connection. In authentic relationships, we can finally experience what it means to be fully loved because we are fully known.

Mark, a man in one of our small groups, described his journey this way:

“When I heard guys in my group share things that I swore I would never share with anyone, I realized they had a security and freedom that I did not. I was a believer, but I didn’t have that kind of authenticity. It was refreshing. And after a while it encouraged me to open up and share, and I started to experience a freedom and depth of relationships that I never had before.”

This is what happens when we live out our new identity in Christ: shame loses its grip, we walk in the light, and real relationships take root.

Reflection Questions:

1. How does receiving Christ fundamentally change a person's identity, and how does this new identity encourage authenticity rather than hiding?
2. In what ways can embracing your identity in Christ empower you to be more transparent and build deeper relationships, even about areas of weakness or struggle?