Recovery Scriptures - Dan Hitz

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Dan Hitz is the director of Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in helping men and women overcome sexual brokenness, sexual abuse, and trauma. You can find more recovery articles and testimonies on the Reconciliation Ministries website at https://recmin.org/newsletter-archives.

This article presents a brief look at some Bible verses that are helpful in whatever recovery situation you may find yourself in. Of course, there are many more recovery verses that aren’t included in this newsletter. Let us know which verses are the most helpful to you in your own recovery, especially if they aren’t included in this newsletter. We might include them in a future newsletter. You can send them to us via email at info@recmin.org.

 

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” – Luke 4:18-19 NKJV

This is one my favorite recovery Scriptures. In the original language, the phrase “brokenhearted” means shards of glass like a broken mirror. Jesus knows that the trauma of life causes our hearts to break into pieces. The same part of our heart that is crying out for the Lord to deliver us from addiction and make us more like Him is not the same part of our heart sitting at our computer looking at porn. Jesus wants access to all the parts of our heart. He wants to heal the wounds that we’re trying to numb with sin. He wants to put the broken pieces back together.

 

9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people – none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. – 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT

When I first got saved, I needed to know that the Lord could deliver me from homosexuality. I wanted to see evidence that someone in the Bible engaged in homosexual acts and was delivered. This verse offers 2000-year-old evidence that the Holy Spirit can forgive the sin of homosexuality, cleanse the person’s heart, and make them holy. The sins listed in these verses cover every one of us in one way or another, especially if we apply the principle that if we’ve looked at someone lustfully we’ve committed adultery in our hearts [Matthew 5:27-28]. There is hope for everyone.

 

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. – Isaiah 1:18 NKJV

This is another one of my favorite verses. The sovereign Creator of the universe invites us to reason together with Him. Reasoning together implies disagreement. I don’t need to reason with someone whom I’m already in agreement with. The Lord wants us to share our hearts with Him as He shares His heart with us. As we do this, we begin to understand things more clearly. We become more like Him as He transforms our hearts and helps us to love what He loves and hate what He hates.

10 Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God. 11 But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: you will soon fall down in great torment. – Isaiah 50:10-11 NLT

We all walk in the darkness of intense trials at different points in our lives. The Lord showed me this verse as I was walking through an extremely painful time of grief after the death of one of my sons. In the middle of that intense darkness, I was tempted to numb the pain through sin. The Holy Spirit spoke this verse to me as a gentle but firm warning. He acknowledged the painful darkness, and warned me not to try to light my own fire – not to try to escape the painful darkness by numbing the pain through sin. He invited me to come to Him for comfort. By His grace I was able to resist the temptation and let Him carry me through that terrible darkness.

 

I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, am the God of Israel. – Isaiah 45:3 NKJV

At the same time that the Lord warned me not to light my own fire in the darkness of grief, He gave me this verse. As we go to Him in our times of darkness, He holds us in His arms and shares intimate details of His heart with us. We can only learn these deep truths as we open our hearts to Him and trust Him to carry us in the darkness. I doubt any of us would willingly sign up for times of intense trials, but as we trust Him in those trials, the deep truths the Lord speaks to our hearts bring life that we can’t get in any other way.

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. –  Romans 5:8-11 NKJV

This verse shows us how powerful God’s love for us actually is. He is far from the angry father that is just waiting to clobber us if we make a mistake. Not only did the Father sacrifice His own Son to save us from Hell, He restored our relationship with Him. We can come to Him for help in our time of need. This verse implies that the same God who sacrificed His own Son while we were His enemies, will offer us even more grace for forgiveness and transformation after we’ve been redeemed.

 

1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins – and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. – 1 John 2:1-2 NLT

Just as God the Father is for us in our struggles with sin, so is Jesus the Son. We have no hope in our own strength. We will likely fail many times in our recovery from addictive sin. All is not lost. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, and brings our needs before the Father in Heaven.

 

8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. – 1 John 1:8-9 NLT

We all sin. God’s forgiveness requires us to be honest and confess our sins. The good news is that Jesus is merciful. Not only will He forgive our sins, He will continue to work in our hearts to cleanse us from our evil desires that lead us into sin. This process is called sanctification. It isn’t quick, but as we are faithful to be open and honest with the Lord, He will be faithful to transform our hearts and make us more like Him.

 

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. – Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV

I wrote earlier that as a new Christian, I needed to know that there were people in the Bible that struggled with the same things I struggled with and got victory. I also wondered how Jesus, who lived a sinless life, could understand my struggles. These verses brought a sigh of relief. When I read that Jesus was tempted in every way we are, I realized that He understood my struggles. Jesus knew what it was like to be tempted to do the very same sinful things that held me captive. Even better, He never gave into those temptations. He knew how to be victorious. So often, shame causes us to hide during times of temptation. Jesus doesn’t shame us! He invites us to His throne in the middle of our temptations and equips us to live in victory.

 

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. – 1 Timothy 1:12-16 NIV

Paul, who calls himself “the worst of sinners”, was forgiven to demonstrate God’s mercy and grace. It may be easy to dismiss his conversion because Paul wrote that he “acted in ignorance and unbelief”. He truly believed that he was doing the right thing when he was persecuting Christians. When we engaged in our addictions, most of us knew full well that we were sinning and did what we did anyway. Maybe we even engaged in our addictions after we became Christians. In these situations, we can find comfort in the life of King David [2 Samuel 11]. Unlike Paul, David didn’t act in “ignorance and unbelief”. He knew he committed adultery with Bathsheba. When she became pregnant He willingly tried to cover up his sin by sending her husband, Uriah, home from battle to sleep with her. When that didn’t work, David had him killed. Although it’s true that David suffered many consequences for his sin, the Lord confronted him in a redemptive manner that brought him to repentance [2 Samuel 12]. In Acts 13:22, David is called a man after God’s own heart. If God was willing to forgive David for his terrible sins, He is willing to forgive us.

7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”

13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him. – John 4:7, 13-14, 28-30 NLT

One of my favorite examples of the Lord’s forgiveness and transformation is the woman at the well in John 4:1-42. This Samaritan woman had a bad reputation. She already went through five husbands and now she’s living with some other guy that she’s not even married to. According to historical tradition, she was shunned by the town and had to come to the well in the heat of the day when it would be deserted. Jesus wasn’t afraid to talk to her. Even his disciples were shocked to see Him talking to a Samaritan woman. Jesus didn’t condemn her. He confronted her sin in a way that drew her closer to the Father. She accepted His offer of Living Water and ran to evangelize her entire town. They knew what she used to be like, but somehow, her encounter with Jesus made her different. This woman’s transformed life brought many people to Jesus. We can bring others to Jesus as we share our testimony of how Jesus changed our lives.

 

10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” – John 8:10-11 NLT

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. – Romans 8:1-2 NLT

The devil loves to throw condemnation at us. Revelation 12:10 says that he accuses us before God day and night. Sometimes we feel the impact of those accusations and get hit with condemnation. It’s hard to walk confidently in our faith and tell others about Jesus when we feel like a loser. Jesus doesn’t condemn us. He sets us free to live for Him. Even though we stumble, we can confess our sin to Him and be cleansed. Just as He told the disciples to forgive seven times seventy times [Matthew 18:21-22], Jesus will forgive us.

 

6 [B]eing confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. – Philippians 1:6 NIV

Our struggles might go on much longer than we want them to, but someday we will have total victory if we keep walking with the Lord. His promise to complete the work that He started in our hearts goes far beyond our struggles with whatever addictive sin brought us into recovery. It includes learning to walk as a dearly beloved son or daughter of the Father as He transforms every area of our hearts. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy; but Jesus came to bring us abundant life [John 10:10]. Nothing in our transformation process is wasted. As we grow in our faith, the Lord invites us to comfort others with the comfort that we’ve received from Him [2 Corinthians 1:4]. Recovery is worth the hard work!

Photos used courtesy of Unsplash.com. © 2026 Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc. This article may be reproduced and distributed as long as no fee is charged and credit is given.

Lives Are Changed through the Living Waters Program

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Living Waters is a Christ-centered discipleship/ministry program for men and women seeking healing in areas of sexual and relational brokenness; including relationship challenges, problems with intimacy, codependency, shame and self-hatred, hopelessness, abuse, pornography addiction, sexual addiction, promiscuity, unwanted sexual attractions, and gender identity challenges.

Our next program is starting October 12, 2026.

Here are some powerful testimonies from participants who had their lives changed through the power of Jesus Christ in the Living Waters program. They are used with the permission of the participants.

After 33 years of life, Living Waters has finally helped me learn to address the shame of my sexual abuse, learn to share with others, and lower my unhealthy defense mechanisms.
A male participant.

 

I love how the Holy Spirit brings such truth and is so gentle in His revelation.
A female participant.

 

After 33 years of life, Living Waters has finally helped me learn to address the shame of my sexual abuse, learn to share with others, and lower my unhealthy defense mechanisms. I no longer use my brokenness to defend the abused, taunted and teased child that suffered at the hand of shame.

Shame had crippled me by silencing my voice, then caused me to become a liar. Lying derived out of the need to hide and lock away vulnerability before others. The thing that helped me trust the Living Waters group was the safe space that it provided in feeling protected. Knowing that confidentiality agreements had been signed by all parties helped me open up to trusting others with my secrets and the courtesy would be returned in exchange. It taught me how to protect someone else’s trauma wound and life. I learned how to quiet myself to hear another’s pain, empathize and judge not, but to lead with love, understanding and support.

My group leaders have taught me the essence of what true community within the body of Christ looks and feels like. Healthy forms of accountability, being receptive to guidance and the wisdom of another who has gone before you, walked through the same fire of shame, burning away every unclean spirit and acknowledging the sin that took place in order to identify, grieve and give this shame of bondage to God. Now I am free

A male participant.

Coming to Living Waters, I was seeking revelation on why I was so content to be single. Looking to see if there were inner “lies” of past hurts. I was amazed at the things that were revealed in my heart that were there for my “self-protection”. I love how the Holy Spirit brings such truth and is so gentle in His revelation. I do not feel so self-protected and feel safer to trust my future to whatever He decides for me. Knowing He is safe, is so important to me.

A female participant.

I am a baby boomer. A product of the sexual revolution. My philosophy was, “No one tells me what to do!” I was a non-practicing Christian because of many slights from my religious upbringing, and the church’s lack of dealing with sexually abusive leaders.

About one year after college, I married my high school sweetheart. She was an atheist. I heard about not being unequally yoked, but, “No one tells me what to do!” She was amoral and quickly spurned me. She stated she didn’t love me and that was it. Our marriage lasted six months.

I turned to porn for entertainment and fantasy. I related love with sex. Never having true intimacy, until I met my second wife. We have been married for 43 years and have had many struggles with my porn addiction and unforgiveness from my first wife’s infidelity. I felt frustrated. I needed God’s forgiveness and love.

After taking the Living Waters program, I became aware of many misconceptions about relationships. The program has led me to Christ, my need to repent, turn aside my own thoughts and sins, and “fly right”. Restoring my relationship through the broken body of Christ, has led me to wholeness.

A male participant.

Joshua 4:19 marks something specific and profound. “On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.”

This is the moment when the Israelites cross over. They’ve been wandering in the desert for forty years. They’ve lost an entire generation to doubt and fear. But now – finally – they’re actually doing it. They’re crossing the Jordan and entering the Promised Land. They’re leaving behind the wilderness and stepping into abundance.

What gets me about this verse is the specificity. The tenth day of the first month. They camped at Gilgal. These aren’t random details. This is saying, “Mark this moment. Remember this place. You’re on the other side now.”

And I think about my own crossing. There wasn’t a single moment when I went from broken to healed. That’s not how revival works. It’s a series of small decisions, small steps. It’s saying yes to Jesus when everything in you is screaming no. It’s speaking your truth when silence feels safer. It’s showing up in community when isolation is your default. It’s letting people love you when you’re convinced you’re unlovable. It’s asking for help when pride says you should handle it alone.

But there WAS a shift. There WAS a moment – actually many moments – when I realized I’d crossed over. I wasn’t in the same place anymore. I wasn’t looking back at the Promised Land from the wilderness. I was standing in it. I was on the other side of the trauma. On the other side of shame. On the other side of self-hatred.

And the joy of that – let me tell you – it’s not just happiness. It’s resurrection joy. It’s the kind of joy that knows what darkness feels like and chooses light anyway. It’s the kind of joy that says, “I’ve been through hell, and I’m still standing. I’m still loving. I’m still believing. That’s not optimism. That’s faith.

This is a faith that Living Waters has helped me to reconnect with. The knowledge that I am no longer in the wilderness but have crossed over the Jordan into the Promised Land. To be whole in Christ Jesus.

A female participant.

I grew up in a large family with two brothers and two sisters on a 200-acre farm in the thumb area of Michigan. My father abused me physically to discipline me. The physical abuse started at five and went through my teens. My mother covered up the abuse and it was hidden from everyone, especially the church. Because of the abuse, I became a victim. This was easily seen by predators. When I was eleven, a family friend raped me several times. Instead of getting help for me or supporting me, my parents hid this rape. So, I hid it from myself for most of my life.

The trauma continued as I grew to adulthood. I was again raped by a coworker in my early 20s and I buried it deep and moved on. I wasn’t able to have relationships with men or women. The trust issues always got in the way. Then came my marriage when I chose a man just like my father. The abuse started early in our marriage. As I had children, my husband also physically abused them. I did my best to protect them, but my paralyzing fear of my husband held me back. I was scared of having to care for my sons on my own, so I stayed in the marriage for 22 years.

I accepted Christ at the age of 50. My oldest son left for college and he was the stabilizing factor. With him gone, my husband became more abusive. My husband thought that I was having an affair and attacked me. With God’s help, this gave me the courage to call the police. My husband was arrested. After a year of courtrooms, I was finally divorced and now ready to be on my own. That was twelve years ago and I am finally healing to the point where I can have friends and take care of myself. God has been the constant presence that has healed and grown me to where I am now, and I am so thankful.

A female participant.

If you or someone you love is struggling with sexual or relational difficulties, there is hope and healing through the power of Jesus Christ. Call us and ask about attending the next Living Waters program at (586) 739-5114.

The pictures used in this article are not the actual participants. Photos acquired through www.unsplash.com. © Reconciliation Ministries 2026. This article may be reproduced and distributed as long as credit is given and no fee is charged.

Is God Calling You to More? Can You Trust Him?

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This article was written by Dan Hitz, the director of Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Michigan specializing in helping men and women overcome sexual brokenness, sexual abuse recovery, and trauma. More articles and testimonies of overcomers are available on the Reconciliation Ministries website at https://recmin.org/newsletter-archives.

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith – for he was like a foreigner, living in tents.

Hebrews 11:8-9a NLT

Can you relate to Abraham – or Abram in his old life? You may have been perfectly content living your life when God called to you something deeper. Or maybe you weren’t content. Maybe you felt trapped by self destructive habits or the effects of abuse and didn’t see any way out. Maybe you can relate to Paul’s question in Romans 7:24, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?” Is God in His mercy is calling you to leave the familiar and take a journey of trust into a deeper life in Him?

Sometimes in our journey, it’s not uncommon to wonder if God really cares. If I give up the familiarity of my gay identity and surrender my sexuality to Him, will He really come through with something better? If I give up my escape of pornography and sexual addiction, will He really help me cope with the pain that I’m avoiding? Maybe you’re afraid to leave an abusive relationship. Being humiliated and hurt everyday seems like an acceptable price to pay when you’ve been convinced that you’ll never be able to make it on your own. No one else seems to care about you. Does God?

The truth is that God does care. He won’t turn anyone away who comes to Him for help. He didn’t condemn the woman caught in adultery [John 8:1-11]. The Samaritan woman at the well was rejected by the community, but Jesus showed her love and compassion. He revealed Himself to her as the Messiah and gave her the honor of evangelizing the community [John 4:1-42]. Tax collectors were hated by the Jews, but Jesus called Matthew the tax collector to follow Him. Jesus didn’t reject sinners who came to Him for help. He showed them mercy. He was willing to endure the angst of the religious leaders who berated Him for having dinner at Matthew’s house with “his fellow tax collectors and many other notorious sinners” [Mark 2:15]. Jesus revealed His heart to “set the captive free” [Luke 4:18] when He told the angry leaders, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough.” [Mark 2:17]

The truth is, Jesus IS WILLING to help anyone who comes to Him. Yes, He does call us to leave our old life of sin, yet He also offers to give us a new life full of hope and transformation. He has so much better for us. Even if you’re struggling with habitual sin, He still loves you. Romans 5:6 acknowledges that we were “utterly helpless” to overcome our sin. Jesus didn’t die for us because we were wonderful. He died for us because we were a complete mess and had no hope of saving ourselves. Jesus was willing to die for us in our weakest, most sinful state [Romans 5:6-9]. Through His death and resurrection, He broke the power of sin over us. He made a way for us to find freedom from our own sin, and healing from the effects of the sins that others have committed against us.

Maybe you’re thinking that you’ve already tried coming to Jesus a billion times and still you’re stuck in the same sin. Come to Him the billionth and one time. Romans 5:10 encourages us that since Jesus died for us while we were His enemy, He will surely receive us who come to Him surrendered to His mercy. The same Jesus who told His disciples to forgive those who come to them seven times seventy times [Matthew 18:21-22], will surely forgive you. Overcoming is a process. It takes time. Trust Jesus to fulfill His promises to put His laws in our minds so that we can understand them, and write them on our hearts so we will obey them [Hebrews 8:10]. No matter how many times you’ve tried and failed, you can find hope in the promise that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it [Philippians 1:6].

If you’re struggling with sexual sin, the effects of abuse, or are trapped in an abusive relationship, Reconciliation Ministries is here to help. You don’t have to take this journey alone. Our trained caregivers know what it’s like to struggle, and we also know what it’s like to find healing and peace through the grace of Jesus Christ. We’ll walk with you in the struggle to let go of the familiarity of your brokenness, and into a new life of freedom and strength. We’ll walk with you to the presence of Jesus where your wounds are healed, your sins are forgiven, and your character becomes more like His. We’ll walk with you to victory.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call Reconciliation Ministries at 586.739.5114. We offer biblically based licensed counseling, mental health coaching, inner healing prayer, support groups, and so much more. We offer healing and equipping events to train ministry leaders and pastoral staff to minister to those struggling with unwanted LGBTQ attractions, sexual addiction, and abuse. Reconciliation Ministries is here for you. Reach out today.

Photos provided by www.unsplash.com. © 2026 Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc. This article may be reproduced and distributed as long as no fee is charged and credit is given.

Love Is The Answer

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This newsletter was originally written by Dan Hitz for The MST Project’s Real Men Pursuing Purity Event 40 devotional booklet, The Path to Holiness, in February 2024. The MST Project is a Christian ministry committed to helping every man realize his full potential. MST stands for "Mentoring Men, Strengthening Marriages, Teaching Truth." The MST Project was founded by Christian Lenty and is an international ministry headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. You can learn more about the MST Project at https://themstproject.com.

 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”

Luke 7:41-43 NKJV

“The assurance of His total forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Christ means we don't have to play defensive games anymore. We don't have to rationalize and excuse our sins. We can call sin exactly what it is, regardless of how ugly and shameful it may be, because we know that Jesus bore that sin in His body on the cross.”

Jerry Bridges, The Navigators

If you’re reading this devotional it’s likely that you’ve been forgiven for a lot of bad things that have caused you much shame. The good news is that even when we were living a sinful life, God showed how much He loves us by sending His son, Jesus, to take the punishment that we deserved. (Romans 5:8) When we come to Him in repentance, He takes away our sin and invites us to live our lives in relationship with Him. He offers us the joy, peace, and fulfillment that we were looking for all along. His offer of forgiveness continues as we learn to live in relationship with Him and overcome our sin day by day. (Romans 5:1-11) The more we realize how much He has forgiven us, the more our love for Him grows. (Luke 7:36-50)

Through relationship with Jesus, we realize that the sinful things that we once thought were so valuable actually have no value. Even though our sexual sins may have felt very powerful, they actually robbed us of our strength. They put us into spiritual debt. When we turn away from our sins and ask Jesus for forgiveness, He forgives our debts and teaches us to value His ways. In relationship, He asks us to surrender the worthless things that caused us shame, and gives us things of great eternal value in their place. His love for us empowers us far more than the destructive false love of sexual sin cripples us.

Focusing on the love of Jesus and the better gifts He offers us helps us resist sin. A while ago I was looking at social media as I was getting ready to fall asleep. Temptation hit. I had a choice to make. I could surrender to the offer of a lesser pleasure that would give an immediate powerful payoff, but would bring shame and guilt; or I could look to Jesus who truly loves me and offers a much better reward for surrendering to Him. Thankfully I chose to forsake the shameful offering of sin, and embrace the Lord’s offering of peace. It was my love for Jesus and the desire to live for Him that helped me forsake sin. I got off of social media, turned on some audio Bible verses, and went to sleep. I woke the next morning to a wonderfully intimate prayer time with Jesus and could sense Him sharing powerful spiritual insights. Jesus’ love for me and my love for Him helped me turn away from the lesser action of sin and turn towards His wonderful gift of sexual purity and emotional peace. His love can help you too.

It is so much easier to walk away from something if you know what you are walking toward. Ask the Lord to help you understand His love for you and His goals for your life. As your love for Him grows, your appreciation of the value of His gifts will grow too. Focus on these things during your times of temptation. God’s love and His gifts are far more powerful than the destructive pleasure of sin.

  1. Can you fully receive the love and forgiveness that Jesus offers you, or do you struggle with condemnation?

  2. What has your sexual sin cost you emotionally, relationally, and experientially?

  3. What has Jesus offered you in exchange for your sin?

Dan Hitz is the Executive Director of Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan. He is an ordained minister and licensed professional counselor specializing in helping people overcome sexual brokenness, sexual abuse, and trauma. Dan has been in the ministry for over thirty years and lives with his wife, Marianne, in Metro Detroit, Michigan, USA.

Photo of man in grey hoodie courtesy of Guillaume Issaly via www.unsplash.com.

© 2024 Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc. This article may be reproduced and distributed as long as no fee is charged and credit is given.

 

What is the MST Project?

Christian Lenty is the founder and director of The MST Project, a ministry that seeks to mentor men into a pursuit of sexual purity and greater wholeness. Christian has lived and worked in Thailand for over 22 years and resides in Bangkok with his wife. This information was taken from https://themstproject.com/about/ and reprinted with permission.

MST stands for "Mentoring Men, Strengthening Marriages, Teaching Truth." As a ministry, we seek to support men everywhere through our three initiatives, On The Street, Pathway to Purity, and Real Men Pursuing Purity. And through these three initiatives, we advocate for men pursuing purity, Biblically healthy marriages, loving and caring families, and an unwavering commitment to the truth.

The MST Project focuses on three primary initiatives: On the Street ministers to men who visit red-light districts through sidewalk conversations, 1-on-1 meetings, and online resources. Pathway to Purity provides 1-on-1 mentorship, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly accountability, and online resources. Real Men Pursuing Purity hosts quarterly events, provides weekly connect groups and online resources. Please refer to each specific ministry page for a comprehensive overview of each of our initiatives.

We believe that God's love, mercy, and grace is for all men, in all places, and at all times. We view all men as the fathers, brothers, and sons they are and whom God cares deeply about. (Genesis 2:7, 2 Peter 3:9) All people deal with issues, but not everyone has someone to help them overcome those issues. Our heart is to be that support for men wanting to make changes in their life.

When a man invites us to be a part of his life and the struggles he is encountering, we don't run away. We listen, we offer hope, we provide practical guidance, and we share the truth. Our care for men is best demonstrated by our commitment to men.

Visit https://themstproject.com/ to learn more about online resources and support.

© 2024 The MST Project. Reprinted with permission.