Porn addiction is, without a doubt, one of Satan’s main contemporary methods to destroy the image and likeness of God that is bestowed upon humans.  

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“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26    

 

St. Basil the Great explains the meaning of this gift to humans, making a distinction between God’s image and His likeness. He says that we carry the image of God in three main attributes, namely, rational soul, free will, and authority (“let them have dominion ….”). As for the likeness of God, St. Basil explains that it pertains to humans’ sharing with God His virtues, such as sacrificial love, joy, peace, etc.  

 

People suffering from porn addiction quickly recognize that they gradually lose these attributes and virtues that make them look like God.   The staggering number of young men, young women, and adults who fall into this trap calls for a message of hope for liberty from this captivity. Thanks to our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, who offered this to us through His incarnation and portrayed it in His mission statement when He said:

 

“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;” Luke 4:18    

Lazarus By the grace of God, as a Coptic Orthodox priest and a board certified addiction psychiatrist, I see the great value of Lazarus, which portrays this very strong message of hope. It is a well-written book, authored by an ex-porn addict who was able—with the love of God the Father, the grace of His Son, our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit—to conquer the monster that is porn addiction and get freed from it. 

 I personally know the author of Lazarus, and I admire his great work, effort, and zeal to share God’s victory in him with his brothers and sisters in humanity who are under attack by porn addiction. I was blessed to revise Lazarus several times and found that it is a wonderful book that could be very helpful to any person who is suffering from this terrible condition. I pray to our Lord Jesus Christ that this book becomes a blessing to the salvation of many.  

Fr. Luke Istafanous  

M.D, A.B.P.N., A.B.A.M