Usually, “bad things,” over here means pornography. If you are filled with guilt because of a porn addiction and want to seek redemption, you have come to the right place.
If your question is, ‘Will God forgive me for watching bad things?’, the short answer is yes, God will forgive you, but you need to take measures to overcome your addiction. Pornography is exactly a necessity in your life any way you look at it. It can lead to a dangerous addiction. The fact you are thinking about this question suggests that you think there is something immoral or disgraceful about your addiction.
John 8:1–11 describes the story of a woman who was caught in adultery and brought to Jesus by religious leaders. The Law of Moses said that she should be stoned to death. Jesus said that whoever has never sinned should throw the first stone. When they all walked away, he told the woman that the crowd had not denounced her and neither would he.
But in verse 11, Jesus tells her, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” This tells us that even though we are forgiven, that is not a privilege for us to continue sinning.
What is Nature of Sin and God’s Forgiveness?
The Bible uses many phrases for sin. Most of them explain sin as a failure of a standard.
In this case, sin is a failure to keep God’s law
- 1 John 3:4 – a lack of God’s righteousness
- Rom. 1:18 – an absence of reverence for God
- Rom. 1:18; Jude 15 – a refusal to know
- Eph. 4:18 – a “coming short of the glory of God”
- Rom. 3:23 – the quality of any human action that causes it to fail to glorify the Lord fully.
More specifically, the biblical definitions of sin can be further explained as a failure to worship God and a mutiny against him
- 1 John 3:4; Rom. 1:18; 3:23; Eph. 4:18 – as an offence against God and a violation of his law
- Gen. 39:9; Ps. 51:4; Rom. 8:7; 1 John 3:4 – as a willful act and a present state of human existence
- Ezek. 18:4; Matt. 7:17 – as personal and social
- Josh. 7; Isa. 1:2–4; 10:1–4; Jer. 5:12, 28–29 – as involving commission omission, and imperfection
- Matt. 22:37 – as a rouge element in creation
- Gen. 1:31 – as a failure to image the Creator to the world
- Jer. 2:11–12; Rom. 1:23; 3:23; 8:20–22; 1 Cor. 1:18–25) – as including guilt and pollution
- Mark 7:21–23; Rom. 1:18 – as including thoughts
- Gal. 5:19–21 – as deceit
- Jer. 17:9; Heb. 3:12–13 – as having a beginning in history and an end in the future
If we talk about “will god forgive me for watching porn?” from the larger perspective, using the tactics of the opponent to display the nature of God’s forgiveness.
Firstly, the Accuser has the privilege to accuse. The devil is not an irrational being of hate, but is shrewd and knows the rules of the universe well. He knows that the compensations of sin are death and that the fear of God is the start of wisdom.
The enemy knows better than anyone else that disbelief in God is the basis of sin, and that sin deserves retribution.
A direct tactic of the enemy is to blame us to God and ourselves, and he has every liberty to point out our sins. This is where God is perfectly reasonable and compassionate. It is God’s nature not to break the rule to protect us when we have sinned, but rather to fulfil it. He does not state that sin is no longer sin, but he chooses to forgive.
The Consequences of Watching “Bad Things” and Seeking Redemption
In today’s world, where adult content is easily available, many individuals find themselves questioning themselves about “will god forgive me for watching bad things” worrying that their mistakes might send them to hell.
Some of the consequences of watching pornography are –
- Causes Selfishness – Watching pornography excessively creates a self-centred attitude. You only start thinking about what you want and makes you view people as objects to use for personal pleasure at their expense. The Bible enables believers to value others above themselves and exercise selflessness.
- Turns Us Away from God – Pornography is a form of idealism, where we let the trigger of our lust defeat our commitment to God. Along with lust, 1 Peter 4:3 also denounces idolatry as a sin, and pornography is the combination of the two. Jesus conducted that we are to love God with all our hearts. Watching porn not only turns us away from our neighbours but from God as well.
- Promotes Violence – One of the problematic aspects of pornography is its relation to encouraging violence. Many people in today’s material world say pornography is a benign form of entertainment, but the demon has blinded them to pornography’s culture of objectification and violence towards others.
- Leads to Addiction – Maybe the most dangerous of pornography lies in its addictive nature, which can lead us into a dark hole away from the truth of life. When we become addicted, we surrender ourselves not to God in holiness, but to sensual desires in sin.
Seeking Redemption
Rather than asking “will god forgive me for watching bad things?”, you should be asking yourself “Does God forgive sins you continue to repeat?”
Once we’ve acknowledged that watching pornography is certainly a sin, we can think about the actions to take for redemption.
God knows your heart and he does not you to live in shame for the things you’ve done, but to accept it and move ahead to find freedom.
1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins to Him, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This verse tells us that no matter how deeply we have fallen into the web of pornography, God’s forgiveness is open to us when we humbly arrive before Him.
This doesn’t mean that just one prayer, or even many, will repair our carnal personality right away. We also need to follow God’s direction to us in seeking freedom. He may lead you to talk to a trusted person or therapist, or even to join a supportive community of sincere believers.
Overcoming the Cycle of Sin and Finding Healing
Getting out of the loop of watching “bad things” requires steps towards healing. One crucial part is seeking accountability and support. Talk about your challenges with trusted individuals, such as friends, family, or a support group, for encouragement, guidance, and accountability to overcome pornography addiction.
Some steps to overcoming the cycle of sin are –
1] Acknowledge your Heavenly Parents – If you want to overcome obsessive pornography use, you might feel like pulling away from Heavenly Father because you feel you’re not worthy of love. Because of your divine essence, you are always deserving to receive hope, inspiration and the healing power of Jesus Christ to overcome pornography.
2] Remove Guilt – Shame is a feeling of brokenness which can trap you in an addiction cycle. Feeling shame for something you have done is part of the recovery process and can help you change your behaviour.
3] Create a Recovery Plan –
- Discover your triggers – Find the environment, emotion or visual that can trigger your urge to view pornography.
- Reduce the triggers – If pornography is a coping mechanism find ways to better deal with these emotions. Build new habits and spend time with people.
- Plan the actions when you are triggered – For each trigger, write out your plan. Write down steps that work for you!
4] Lapse versus Relapse – A lapse is where you fail but quickly recover and utilise it as a learning experience and a relapse is where you give up. Lapsing is a normal part of your recovery journey. Look ahead with a positive attitude and know that you are one step closer to recovery.
5] Believe in God – God can help you in the process, and He can empower you as you strive to overcome pornography. He understands you and is waiting to take that burden from you.
6] You are not Alone – Connection with your loved ones can also give you the motivation to succeed. You should have someone who can help you keep yourself accountable and see you through your ups and downs.
God’s Mercy and Restoration
Our God made all things worldly.
Isaiah 46: 4-5. In Isaiah 54:10, God says
“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee”.
God’s mercy is more powerful than the strongest of your enemies. This mercy is all we need for our full rehabilitation, it is the shortest route to his help.
How Do You Gain The Mercy of God?
- By acknowledging that you need it – Proverbs 3:3-6.
- By trusting in it – The Psalmist in chapter 52:8 says, “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever”.
- By being merciful yourself – In Matthew 5:7, Jesus says “Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy”.
- You obtain mercy through prayer – In Hebrew 4:16, we are enjoined to, “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”.
Does God Forgive Sins you Continue to Repeat?
It can be frustrating to keep fighting the same types of sins repeatedly. It can feel as if we are not making any advancement in our journey. And it can make us doubt whether or not God will get tired of having to forgive us for the same thing. But be reminded of the spirit of your relationship. What matters more than anything is your association with Christ. Though mourned by sin, He rejoices to forgive.
“The bridge of grace will bear your weight, brother. Thousands of big sinners have gone across that bridge, yea, tens of thousands have gone over it. Some have been the chief of sinners and some have come at the very last of their days but the arch has never yielded beneath their weight. I will go with them trusting the same support. It will bear me over as it has for them.”
That bridge will handle your weight, no matter how many times you walk on it. His mercy is always greater than our sin.
What is the biggest sin that God will not forgive?
There is only one sin that is unforgivable — and that is the sin of denying Him and rejecting His offer of forgiveness and fresh life in Jesus Christ. This alone is an unforgivable sin because it means we are stating that the Holy Spirit’s witness about Jesus is a lie.
Is Masturbation a Sin and can God Forgive me if I Repeat it?
Understanding God’s forgiveness and the procedure of overcoming sin is important for those struggling with porn addiction. To learn more you can the article What Does the Bible Say About Masturbation?
While watching pornography is deemed a sin, God’s forgiveness knows no boundaries, and His grace is readily unrestricted to all who genuinely regret and seek His mercy. He can help you quit your pornography habit for good!
Through prayer, dependence on God’s strength, and reasonable steps towards healing, it is possible to get out of the loop of sin and find lasting freedom in Jesus Christ.
