How to Turn from Sexual Sin? Practice Considering Christ

“Some talk much of imitating Christ and following his example. But no man will ever become ‘like him’ by trying to imitate his behavior and life if they know nothing of the transforming power of beholding his glory.” -John Owen, The Glory of Christ (21)

Looking at Christ transforms people. In part one, we see that Christ saves, exposes, and changes his children. This article considers the same theme—the transformative power of looking at Christ—but from a more practical angle. How do we turn from sexual sin? How do we grow as beholders of Christ when sins and sorrows press down? We need to practice considering Christ.

Looking at Someone We Can’t See 

Believers are made by and for beholding Christ. But—we can’t see him. Jesus is in heaven, at the Father’s hand, sustaining the universe and interceding for us. How do we gaze upon a person who isn’t with us?

While Jesus is physically located in heaven, he is also mystically and unbreakably united to his redeemed people by his Spirit. He is with you and me, yet “with” isn’t close enough. In union with Christ, our mighty Lord is in us—he is ours, and we are his (Song 2:16, 6:3).

This union is so intimate and life-giving that Jesus told his disciples it would be better for them when he physically left because then they would have the Holy Spirit (John 16:5–7). If you’re looking to Jesus in faith, then you are united with him, too. He is yours and you are his, forever. Isn’t the stain of sin so much uglier against this backdrop of union with Christ?

Faith Now, Sight Later

The expression “suffering now, glory later” is helpful for moderating believers’ expectations. Jesus tells us to expect suffering in this life, but glory is coming (2 Cor. 4:16–18). Similarly, we can say “faith now, sight later” when it comes to beholding Jesus. We can’t yet see our Savior with physical eyes, but we can behold his glory with eyes of faith right now. We can intentionally turn our thoughts Christ-ward in specific ways today and every day until our faith is made sight (1 Cor. 13:12).

The puritan John Owen teaches believers how to see Jesus with eyes of faith. In this article, I’m shamelessly pilfering gems from his book The Glory of Christ. Please, get a copy and read it¹—on your own or, even better, with a few friends.

Owen highlights three behaviors that expand our view of Jesus:

1. Reading and studying the Bible,
2. Meditating frequently on Christ’s glory and acknowledging the danger of neglecting this meditation, and
3. Having many and increasing thoughts of Christ.

Reading, Meditating, Thinking

 . . . In other words, considering. The command to “consider” Jesus in Hebrews 12:3 means “to think over, consider, ponder.”

Notice that all these behaviors—reading, meditating, and thinking—occur in corporate worship. The first practical step you can take in beholding Christ is stepping into the gathering of the saints.

Don’t let shame or doubt keep you away from worshiping with God’s people; this is where you belong.

If we want to see Christ by faith, we must go where he promises particularly to meet and enlighten us—to instruct us by his Word, surround us with his body, our brothers and sisters, and tangibly remind us of his mercy in the sacraments. Your first action step for looking at Christ? Be part of his church. Struggles with things like pornography and sexual fantasy thrive in the darkness of isolation and hiding.

Don’t let shame or doubt keep you away from worshiping with God’s people; this is where you belong. That niggling fear that you’re too stained is nothing but Satan’s lie. Kick it to the curb, where it belongs, and get yourself to church. Jesus’s blood and righteousness is your indestructible entry pass. 

To Turn from Sexual Sin, Practice Considering Christ

While our salvation is by grace alone, we daily choose to press into deeper communion with our Savior or pull away from him. Believers are empowered by the mighty Spirit of God. By his grace, we can choose to turn our minds and thoughts toward Christ. This is what it means to practice considering him. Your next action step for looking at Christ? Turn your attention to him. Think about him. Daily meditate on who he is, what he has done, and what he is doing. John Newton put it like this:

“Let us first pray that the eyes of our faith and understanding may be opened and strengthened; and then let us fix our whole regard upon him. But how are we to behold him? I answer, in the glass of his written word: there he is represented to us in a variety of views.” (47, my emphasis)

Guided by God’s Word, Newton urges us to train our thoughts upon Christ—to “fix our whole regard upon him”—by meditating on a “variety of views” of Jesus’s person and work. But how, exactly? John Owen steps in to help. The following points are taken directly from The Glory of Christ and provide a wonderful framework for your practice of considering Christ:

• Consider Christ as God’s representative.
• Consider Christ as truly God and truly man.
• Consider Christ’s humility.
• Consider Christ’s love as mediator.
• Consider Christ’s work as mediator.
• Consider Christ’s exaltation.
• Consider Christ as revealed in the Old Testament.
• Consider Christ’s union with the church.
• Consider Christ’s giving himself to believers.
• Consider Christ restoring all things.

We can never reach the bottom of Christ’s beauty and goodness. But, friend, we are made to try. This is the greatest discipline of our lives: empowered by the Holy Spirit, choosing to think long and hard about our Savior. And when our thoughts are set on Jesus, guess where they’re not? They’re not occupied by self, lust, pride, greed, coveting.

When our thoughts are set on Jesus, guess where they’re not? They’re not occupied by self, lust, pride, greed, coveting.

When we’re gathered in eternal glory before the throne, we’ll see our Savior with sinless, recreated eyes finally able to take in his glory. For now, our physical eyes remain unsatisfied, unable to look directly at the One they were created to adore. But, by the Spirit’s powerful work, we can increasingly grow to see Jesus by faith.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Pet. 1:8–9)

1. I recommend the Banner of Truth abridged version for a first read. ↩︎