Chen laughs at his pornography addiction. Sure, it's technically a sin, but whom does it hurt? Well, every sin does violence to someone. There are no victimless sins.

In this case, Chen dehumanises women, turning them into objects of sexual pleasure. He dehumanises himself. Chen is being played by pornographers who make money off him with fees and ads. He's an easy mark because he has reduced himself to a snarl of illicit desires. Chen destroys the self-esteem of his wife. She cries herself to sleep, knowing she will never measure up to his online fantasies. He corrodes the trust of his children, who sense something isn't right between mum and dad. He plays the hypocrite at church, pretending all is well at home. And the cancer spreads.

God opens His third speech by noting that sin victimises and contaminates both the sinner and those around him. The detestable worship of the priests has spread to the people, who have ″desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god″ (Malachi 2:11). The common people figure that if the priests don't take God seriously, why should they? So they go to bed with idolaters.

Israelite men didn't go looking for foreign gods. They were enticed by women whose sexual charms and social connections to local merchants and trade cartels promised to make them happy and rich. Lust led to idolatry, which stoked lust, which heightened idolatry in a self-perpetuating vicious cycle. Idolatry wasn't the goal. It was the price of lust, which the men gladly–and tragically–paid.

Their sin violates their covenant with God and also breaks faith with one another. Malachi asks, ″Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another?″ (v. 10). Idolaters not only destroy their relationship with God, they also ravage the community they belong to. They incite God's wrath upon the whole lot.

God will not share His glory with another (Isaiah 42:8). Whoever splits his devotion between God and idols will be removed ″from the tents of Jacob–even though he brings an offering to the Lord Almighty″ (Malachi 2:12). Nothing compensates for the sin of idolatry. Our only move is to smash the idols and return to God.

If you're stuck in a rut, it could be because someone has broken faith with you, and they've done so because they first broke faith with God. You can stop the cycle by not perpetuating idolatry and injustice. With God's help, you can start new, virtuous cycles of holiness and peace. Loving God and loving others are contagious.