The Temptation To Go Back: Is Egypt Still Calling Your Name?

Two women.

Two dramatic testimonies.

Two public professions of faith.

And now, two highly publicized returns to the world they once appeared to leave behind.

Former adult entertainer Crystal DiGregorio recently announced her return to producing explicit content through OnlyFans after years serving as a pastor alongside her husband. Rather than describing her decision as a moral failure, she argues that her understanding of Scripture has changed and that nudity itself is not inherently sinful. 

While Christians have long agreed that the human body is God's good creation and not sinful in itself, that isn't really the issue. The purpose of platforms like OnlyFans is not simply to display the human body but to monetize sexual desire and intentionally stimulate lust--something Scripture repeatedly warns against.

Meanwhile, former adult film icon Jenna Jameson, who publicly embraced Christianity and spoke about leaving pornography behind, has returned to hosting a male strip revue while continuing to live with same sex partners. She insists the new venture is different from her former career, describing it as entertainment rather than a return to pornography.

Many Christians will read these stories with disappointment. Others will be tempted to simply shake their heads and move on.

But perhaps these headlines should cause us to ask a far more uncomfortable question.

How often are we tempted to return to Egypt ourselves?

Looking at both stories, one pattern begins to emerge. One woman eventually returned to producing explicit content. The other publicly embraced Christianity yet continued living in ways many Christians understand to be at odds with Scripture's call to holiness. Whatever may have been in their hearts, both stories illustrate a sobering reality: following Christ is not simply about adding Him to our lives. It is about surrendering every area of our lives to His lordship.

And that raises a question every believer should ask.

Are we doing the same thing?

Following Christ has never meant simply adding Jesus to our existing life. It means placing every part of our life under His authority--even the parts we most want to keep.

Too often we negotiate with God.

"You can have my Sundays."

"You can have my language."

"You can have my finances."

"But don't ask me to give up this relationship."

"Don't ask me to surrender this habit."

"Don't ask me to let go of this identity."

We leave one room of our heart locked, hoping Jesus will be satisfied with the rest of the house.

But Jesus doesn't rent rooms in our lives.

He becomes Lord of the entire house.

That has always been humanity's struggle.

After God delivered Israel from four centuries of slavery, one might assume they would never want to return. They had witnessed the Red Sea part before their eyes. They had watched Pharaoh's army destroyed. They were being fed by manna from heaven and led by a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.

Yet when hardship came, they repeatedly cried out, "Let's go back to Egypt."

Think about how astonishing that is.

Egypt was the place of slavery.

Egypt was where their children suffered.

Egypt was where they cried out for deliverance.

Yet once they were free, they remembered Egypt not for its chains but for its comforts.

Isn't that exactly how temptation works?

Satan rarely invents new temptations.

He simply reminds us of the old ones.

He doesn't show us the shame, the brokenness, the emptiness, or the consequences. He edits our memories, leaving only the pleasure.

He reminds the alcoholic of the first drink--not the destroyed family.

He reminds the addict of the high--not the chains.

He reminds the adulterer of the excitement--not the devastation.

He reminds the porn user of the momentary pleasure--not the spiritual emptiness that follows.

He reminds us of everything we think we gained while carefully hiding everything we lost.

The serpent hasn't changed his strategy since the Garden of Eden.

"Did God really say...?"

That question still echoes today.

One of the most dangerous forms of backsliding isn't simply falling into sin.

It's redefining sin so we no longer have to repent of it.

When culture becomes our authority instead of Scripture, almost any behavior can be justified. What once required repentance becomes reframed as authenticity, freedom, or self-expression. But God's standards do not change simply because our culture does.

Notice what happened. The first step wasn't simply returning to an old lifestyle. It was first redefining what Scripture says about that lifestyle. Throughout history, behavior usually changes only after theology changes. We convince ourselves something is no longer sin, and then our conscience no longer protests what our flesh already desired.

Yet before we become too focused on Crystal DiGregorio or Jenna Jameson, perhaps we should remember that most of us have our own Egypt.

It may not be pornography.

It may be bitterness.

It may be greed.

It may be pride.

It may be alcohol.

It may be unforgiveness.

It may be the approval of other people.

It may be a relationship God has repeatedly told us to leave behind.

Whatever it is, every believer has an area where the old life whispers, "Come back."

That's why Scripture repeatedly warns us to remain watchful. Spiritual drift rarely happens overnight. It begins with small compromises. A neglected prayer life. A Bible left unopened. Isolation from Christian fellowship. A quiet decision to keep one corner of our lives outside Christ's rule.

Eventually, what was once only tolerated becomes embraced.

And what was embraced becomes defended.

Thankfully, the gospel offers something better than simply trying harder.

Christ not only forgives our past--He gives us a new identity. We are no longer slaves trying to escape Egypt. We are children of God learning to walk in freedom. That doesn't mean temptation disappears. It means we now have the power, through the Holy Spirit, to say no to the life that once enslaved us.

Most of us will never face the same public temptations as these two women. But every one of us has an Egypt.

The question isn't whether we'll hear the voice calling us back.

We will.

The question is whether we'll remember the chains instead of the comforts.

Sin always promises freedom but ultimately delivers bondage. Christ sometimes calls us down difficult roads of surrender, but His path always leads to life.

The Christian life isn't simply about leaving Egypt once.

It's about refusing to turn around every time the wilderness becomes difficult.