Media Choices and the Christian: TV and secular media
By
The Word of God, the Bible, is the
believer’s authority. What does God's
Word say about what we set our eyes upon and how we spend time?
The ways of the world
Most people assume that everyone spends some, or even most of
their spare time being
entertained by following types of secular media:
However, for those of us who have given
our life to Jesus, we do not own our time. Jesus does.
That is why we cannot just do as we please with our time like the children of the world can.
They are doing what comes naturally, following their fleshly
desires. The prince of this world is the devil. He caters worldly media to his children. He gives them what they want. But Jesus warns that AMUSEMENTS AND WORLDLY
PLEASURES choke the word of God in the
heart (Luke
8:14).
Luke 8:14 (New International
Version)
14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but
as they go on their way they are choked
by life's worries, riches and pleasures,
and they do not mature.
God’s alternative
God does not give His children what they want. He gives them what they need: a new heart and a new spirit (Psalm
51:10, Ezekiel
11:18-20, Ezekiel
18:30-32, Ezekiel
36:25-27). The new spirit inside the Christian has
opposite desires to that of the flesh (sinful nature; Gal 6:8-9) and the world. So God
can correct a person’s desires, if they let Him. What do they desire then? Christian media? Not quite:
Ezekiel 11
18 "They will return to it and remove all its vile
images and detestable
idols. 19 I will give them an undivided
heart and put a new spirit in them;
I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20
Then they will follow my decrees and be
careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and
I will be their God.
Leviticus 18
3 You must not do as they do in
Psalm 119
8 I will obey your decrees;
do not utterly forsake me.
b Beth
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
A new spirit from God compels us to study and obey His word. Psalm 119 tells us how. If we spend our time obeying God’s positive
commands (studying, serving, witnessing, etc.), we will not have time to stray
from His commands, and follow “their practices” that Lev 18 warns against. This is the opposite of leading a worldly life.
Our heart should not be divided (Ez 11:18 above). Notice in this verse that God gives an
undivided heart before he gives a new spirit.
What good would a new spirit do for a person who still wants to have one
foot in the world?
Ezekiel 20:7-8
7 And I said to them, "Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of
8 " 'But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images
they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of
God requires His people to forsake the world,
or
Christians can not live the same way. They cannot have the same idols, and follow the
practices of the world.
Romans 2:1-16 (NLT)
You may be saying, "What terrible people you have been
talking about!" But you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you
say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for
you do these very same things. And
we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. Do you think that God will judge and
condemn others for doing them and not judge you when you do them, too? Don't you realize how kind, tolerant, and
patient God is with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see how kind he has
been in giving you time to turn from your sin? But no, you won't listen. So you are storing
up terrible punishment for yourself because of your stubbornness in refusing to
turn from your sin. For there is going to come a day of judgment when God, the
just judge of all the world, will judge all people according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who
persist in doing what is good, seeking after the glory and honor and
immortality that God offers. But he
will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse
to obey the truth and practice evil deeds. There will be trouble and calamity for
everyone who keeps on sinning - for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and
peace from God for all who do good - for the Jew first and also for the
Gentile. For God does not
show favoritism. God will
punish the Gentiles when they sin, even though they never had God's written
law. And he will punish the Jews when they sin, for they do have the law. For it is not merely knowing the law
that brings God's approval. Those who obey the law will be declared right in
God's sight. Even when
Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, instinctively follow what the law
says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong. They demonstrate that God's law is written
within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are
doing what is right. The day will
surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone's secret life. This
is my message.
Holy Temple
As Christians, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians
6:19), so just as nothing unclean was allowed to enter the temple in the Old
Testament, so no unclean things should enter our hearts through the gate of our
eyes or ears:
2 Chronicles 23:19 (Holman)
He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the LORD's temple so that nothing unclean could enter for any reason.
And we are now the Lord's house! Psalm 101:1-7 can certainly be applied to TV,
movies, magazines, and other worldly media outlets:
I will give heed to the blameless way.
When will You come
to me?
I will walk within my house in the
integrity of my heart.
I will set no worthless thing before
my eyes;
I hate the work of
those who fall away;
It shall not
fasten its grip on me.
A perverse heart shall
depart from me;
I will know
no
evil.
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy;
No one who has a haughty
look and an arrogant heart will I
endure.
My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may
dwell with me;
He who walks in a
blameless way is the one who will minister to me.
He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who speaks falsehood shall not
maintain his position before me. (NASB)
The word for “worthless” in Psalm 101 is beliyaal, which also means “wicked, good for nothing, unprofitable.” The Psalmist sets NO wicked thing before his
eyes. Think of the images in so many
magazines, movies and TV shows. They
despise Godly ideas and practices, and they promote rebellious and licentious
ones.
I highlighted “He
who practices deceit” because it has a literal and figurative
meaning. Literally, Dr. Jason
Kovar exposes how Hollywood Movies and the secular entertainment industry
not only (1) distract people from knowing and obeying God, but even (2) indoctrinates them with
anti-Christ deception. Even if a
Christian reviews the website and videos by Dr. Kovar and disagrees with
premise (2), this document’s purpose is based upon premise (1).
Regardless, a Christian should not let these people “dwell within
their house” through their secular media.
The TV is the best example of having a secular, unbelieving visitor in
your house. You do not know what he is
going to do or say to your family next.
It could be a lewd commercial advertisement during an otherwise
innocuous (yet still distracting and spiritually unprofitable or worthless) program.
Matthew 5
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Psalm
141:4
Incline not my heart to any evil thing,
to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
(Whole Chapter: Psalm
141 In context: Psalm
141:3-5)
Psalm 141
4 Let not my heart be drawn
to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.
Before the Lord
Nothing we do escapes the notice of God. Often a man’s life is described in the Bible
as a “walk” that is “before the Lord,” meaning that God sees everything we do
in our daily lives.
Prov 5:21 (NLT)
For the LORD sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he
takes.
Eph 5 shows clearly how we are to live as followers of Jesus
Christ:
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live
a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a
fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a
hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because
these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity,
foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is
an idolater--has any inheritance in the
His Time
Dabbling in the world's distractions (media, 'entertainment') is a
waste of time for a Christian.
We only have a tiny bit of time
here on earth; God has given us so many wonderful commands to
carry out. In
addition, we issue an invitation to the enemy to speak to us and influence us
when we voluntarily listen to and watch wicked images or linger over print that
are worldly.
Eph 4:27
Do not give the devil a foothold.
Don't give the Devil an opportunity. (HCSB)
The real question is: what
does GOD want from the life of a disciple?
We are called to reject this world's way of looking at things:
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer
your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your
spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will
be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect
will.
We are to be a living SACRIFICE to our Lord; we were bought by Him
(1 Corinthians 6 and 7) and we don't belong to ourselves. Discipleship calls for radical separation
from the things that are of the world (and
therefore are of Satan himself). We cannot afford to be deceived.
1 Since, then, you
have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is
seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and
your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who
is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (NIV)
Swimming against the stream
We are running a race, fighting a battle for our lives. How we spend our time and the choices we make
about entertainment influence our character.
All the little behavioral choices in your life add up to present the
essence of who you are.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NLT)
Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets
the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict
self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for
an eternal prize. So I run
straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who
misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do
what it should. Otherwise, I
fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
The scripture below from Proverbs has, in my opinion, a spiritual
connotation as well as a physical one.
If we fall asleep spiritually, we'll be robbed of spiritual growth and
power, and eventually of spiritual life itself.
The enemy seeks to devour those who are not alert (1 Peter 5:8-9):
Proverbs 24:30-34
I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one
lacking sense. I saw that it was
overgrown with thorns. It was covered with
weeds, and its walls were broken down.
Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
Matthew 13
22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life
and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
Romans 6: 19
I speak this way, using the illustration of slaves and masters,
because it is easy to understand. Before, you let yourselves be slaves of
impurity and lawlessness. Now you must choose to be slaves of righteousness so
that you will become holy."
Heb
Try to live in peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean
and holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
Light and Darkness
All the scriptures below apply to a Christian’s choices regarding worldly media.
Paul says that we are not to be ignorant of the devil’s schemes (2 Cor
2:11), and we are to be armed against them (Eph 6:11). Since we have an enemy seeking to deceive us,
we must examine our thoughts, hearts, and patterns of behavior, checking them
against the Word of God.
Matthew 6:22-24 (NLT)
"Your eye is a lamp
for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges
you into darkness. If the light you think you have is really darkness, how deep
that darkness will be!
2 Corinthians 6:13-18 (NLT)
I am talking now as I would to my own children. Open your hearts
to us! Don't team up with those who
are unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light
live with darkness? What harmony can
there be between Christ and the Devil? How can a believer be a partner with an
unbeliever? And what union can there be
between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God
said: "I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and
they will be my people. Therefore,
come out from them and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don't touch their filthy things, and I
will welcome you. And I will be your
Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
I may hang out with un-believers, but we influence each
other. It is 2-way. If I chose to entertain myself with their
media, it is one-way: From them to me. I’m just sucking in worldliness, with no
opportunity to give an answer for a better hope. A cable TV subscription is partnering with an
unbeliever (see 2 Corinthians 6:13-18 above), in a way that you can have no
real positive influence on them. They
just preach whatever they want at you.
They invite you to their wild parties and immoral living, mentioned
below in Romans 13:11-14, and
you attend via your TV set.
Romans 13:11-14 (NLT)
Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is;
time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now
than when we first believed. The night is almost
gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get
rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with
the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. We should be decent and true in everything we
do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don't participate in
wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in
fighting and jealousy. But
let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to
indulge your evil desires.
Are you not worldly?
The world pollutes and corrupts you
So you should keep yourself from
it. Don’t let it in through secular
entertainment.
James 1:27
27Religion that
God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and
widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the
world.
2 Peter 2:20-21
20If they have
escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the
end than they were at the beginning. 21It would have been better for
them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then
to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.
2 Peter 1:3-4
3His divine
power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our
knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through
these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through
them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in
the world caused by evil desires.
Titus 2:11-12
11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to
all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and
worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in
this present age,
For those
Christians who obey the gospel by following Bible’s
commands and then somehow find time to entertain
themselves with secular (worldly)
media, I ask the following about the things you set before your eyes.
- Is it spiritual
profitable?
- Is it wicked?
- Is it leading you away from the
Lord and keeping your mind and heart focused on worldly
things?
- Would you invite Jesus to
participate (Prov 5:21)?
- Would you feel weird or peaceful
if He sat beside you while you watched that movie, TV show, or read that
magazine?
Worldly Christians?
How can you keep God’s laws if you do not know what they are? It amazes me how “Christians” have time to entertain themselves with secular media when they have not even read the entirety of their scriptures. Does this show that obey
ing God is their first priority? If I were in that situation, I would examine myself, and question whether I have a new spirit, or if I am really one of His people (Ezekiel 11:18).
Everyone sins unintentionally,
but this is intentional:
“I could entertain myself with this secular (worldly) media (movie) for 2 hours, or I could
follow Christ and His Word for 2 hours.
I’ll go with the worldly option.” -Jim
Jim just uncommitted his
life to Christ, for 2 hours. Jim may
have made this ungodly decision in a moment of
weakness. However, most Christians
in the
I don’t
understand how Christians obey the gospel by following Bible’s
commands and then somehow find time for secular or worldly entertainment. I do not rule out the possibility, especially
if they are innocent about
it. But I do not teach exceptions to
God’s rules: I teach God’s plain
rules—his commands.
These commands are the focus of those with an “undivided heart” and a “new spirit” (Ezekiel 11:18).
God our Father has called us out of this world
system, which is just as corrupt as everyone’s sinful nature.
Galatians 6
8The one who sows to please his sinful
nature, from that nature[1]
will reap destruction; the one who sows
to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up
I personally do not entertain myself with any of the media
enumerated above. However, I find myself
constantly barraged by it whenever I enter any building other than my home or
church.
Staying Informed
Occasionally, I get barraged with questions from Christians who
tell me that I need to be worldlier, or maybe more “informed”. I don’t see that in the Bible. If they want to stay or become “informed”, or
“in touch”, or “relevant” well that’s fine for them as long as the Lord is
leading them that way.
Let them watch the news all day long. We’ll see how far all that worldly wisdom gets them. Just don’t set your eyes upon the near-pornographic commercials and content that air during the news broadcast. Good luck!
He has yet to lead me that way, and the Bible does not command
it. But let me turn the tables then, and
look at what the Bible actually DOES command.
From there we can see where secular media either does or does not fit.
2 Timothy 2
4No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he
wants to please his commanding officer.
Why then
do Christians insist on advising me to be concerned with civilian affairs?
Colossians
You
have died with Christ and are set free from the ruling spirits of the universe.
Why, then, do you live as though you belonged to this world?
1
Corinthians
We have
not received this world's spirit; instead,
we have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has
given us.
What is
this world’s spirit?
Worldly “Christians” and unbelievers who do not bother claiming to
be Christians have both been known to occasionally accuse me of “Sticking my
head in the sand”. I’ve never accused
them of “sticking their head in the world”. Maybe I should. How could a true Christian have a problem
with me “sticking my head in the Word”? You would be amazed how many witnessing
opportunities arise from “sticking my head in the sand”. Probably 90% of my random witnessing
opportunities happen like this: Every
time someone tries to relate to me through secular media,
- I can’t.
- They wonder.
- They ask about it.
- I explain my beliefs in a way
that they can understand, and usually share the Gospel in the process.
- I relate to them through
Christ.
They may not like it, but the bottom line is that they related to
me through the world, and I related to them
through Christ. This is witnessing. This is being a witness.
Credible witnessing is based on differences
I used to wonder why so many Christians were giving me unsolicited
advice about evangelism. None of them
had ever led anyone to Christ, much less made any disciples. Then I realized they were telling me excuses
for their worldliness. Being worldly in the name of evangelism is a
contradiction.
Romans 2:23-25 (New International
Version)
23You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the
law? 24As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles
because of you."[a]
I invite the worldly Christians to witness to a devoted Muslim,
Hindu, or Buddhist who is less shallow than they are. They get to know you, and see you doing
things that they would not, out of devotion to God.
Romans 13:11-14 (NLT)
Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is;
time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now
than when we first believed. The night is almost
gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get
rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with
the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. We should
be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of
our behavior.
Before I became a Christian, I knew a few basic things about
Christians from rubbing shoulders with them.
- Watching sports on TV is what
Christians do.
- U2 is the best band, even
though they are not a Christian band.
U2
Watch this eight minute video clip on U2 from the 10+ hour version,
"They Sold Their Souls For Rock And Roll". Click to View...
- “Fags” go to Hell.
- Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists
go to Hell.
- You should repeat this prayer and
become a Christian.
Then I went to some Christian meetings and learned more. Here’s what I learned:
- We have the best religion.
- You should follow it.
- We don’t but that’s ok.
- If you don’t, you’ll end up in
Hell—unless you repeat this prayer.
- Wanna watch the game on TV?
Dear Christians, if everyone else is really going to Hell, then we
better be REALLY different than they are.
They usually do not think we are “cool” for stooping to their
level. They usually think we are
hypocrites. So they don’t believe that
they are going to hell anymore than we are.
They don’t believe you because you are not a credible
witness. They tell you the same thing
that a pastor of a thousand-plus-member church said, in response to allegations
of worldliness associated with his Wizard/Warlock costume that he used to scare
the kids at the Church Halloween Festival, “You’re just as worldly as I am!”
Led by the Spirit
As much
as “Christians” have argued with me about how right they are in entertaining
themselves with worldy media, I have never hear one of them say, “I am led by
the Spirit to do it”.
Romans 8:13-15 (New International Version)
13For
if you live according
to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will
live, 14because those who are led by
the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Galatians
5:18
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Galatians
5:17-19 (in Context) Galatians
5 (Whole Chapter)
Even
among those I have encountered that claim that the Spirit led them to do some questionable
things, I still have never heard such a bold claim as “I am led to watch
movies”. Verse 13 tells us the opposite:
Romans 8:13-15 (New International Version)
13For
if you live according
to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will
live, 14because those who are led by
the Spirit of God are sons of God.
The
spirit leads us away from the misdeeds of the body, leading us to follow Him
instead, so that we won’t die spiritually.
If you do not know what the misdeeds of the body are, then just turn on
the TV. You may likely see or hear about
every deadly sin. As you willingly watch it, you are condoning
the evil portrayed, becoming de-sensitized to it, and opening yourself up to
all of that evil.
Desensitization
I
remember when the mention of homosexuality would make me nauseous, and an
immodestly dressed woman would remind me of the seductive whore in
proverbs. But after seeing enough of
that in church buildings, and on the street, I’m sorry to say that I’ve gotten
used to it. I don’t participate, but it
seems less evil than it used to. This process is called de-sensitization. I don’t like to speed the desensitization
process by willingly exposing myself to it through worldly media.
Jesus
referred to the devil as the “prince of this world”.
- John
12:31
Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
John 12:30-32 (in Context) John 12 (Whole Chapter) - John
14:30
I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me,
John 14:29-31 (in Context) John 14 (Whole Chapter) - John
16:11
and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
John 16:10-12 (in Context) John 16 (Whole Chapter)
Furthermore,
Jesus did not dispute Satan’s rightful claim to the world.
Matthew
4:8-10 (New International Version)
8Again,
the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of
the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said,
"if you will bow down and worship me."
10Jesus said to him, "Away from me,
Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him
only.'[a]"
After not
seeing TV for around 10 years, I was shocked by what I saw in the gym. The prince of this world had been slowly
turning up the sin levels on TV each year while I was not watching. He would not want to bring the sin level up
10 years-worth in one year. Then people
might reject it. However, by slowly
desensitizing them, they gradually accept sin as “normal”.
True
Christians will always be a minority.
Matthew 7:12-14 (New International Version)
13"Enter
through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads
to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow
the road that leads to life, and only a
few find it.
Secular
media will never “become Christian”.
There is no profit motive for the world.
Even “Christian” programming such as TBN mixes worldly themes such as greed, and borderline sorcery in with some sound
biblical teachings. Thusly, it broadens
the appeal, but broadens the road in the process. However, the true road that leads to eternal life
remains narrow, and only a few find it.
The flesh
Everyone
has a flesh, and makers of secular media know what people like. Even Christians have a flesh, which is
corrupted by the sinful nature. When they consume worldly media, they relate to
it via their old man. They are supposed
to be putting him to death, not feed him evil thoughts that fuel the sinful
fire in all of our hearts.
Psalm
141:4
Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that
work iniquity: and let me not
eat of their dainties.
(Whole Chapter: Psalm
141 In context: Psalm
141:3-5)
Psalm 141
4 Let not my heart be drawn to what is
evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.