Friday, August 3, 2012

Caution about Contemporary Movies: Avoiding Every Form of Impurity


Watching movies is one of the most entertaining mediums of our day. It has become a necessary recreation for many, not to mention, an addiction. Now I don’t believe it is completely wrong to watch movies. There are movies that are quite refreshing, inspiring, challenging and even life-changing.

Nevertheless, most of the movies that are made in our time are found awful, entertaining people with disgusting content. Although there is something to get excited over the way movies are made with stunning technology, it is regretful to see how the current visual media is given over to sexual depravity, losing moral senses and shame. And what amazes me is how the people of the Living God have become desensitized to immoral scenes presented in most of the contemporary movies. 

Avoiding Every Form of Impurity

One of the devil’s tricks we learn from the modern media is this—if you want to popularize evil and make it acceptable, just present it in the form of entertainment.

For instance, think about French kiss, foreplay and immodest exposure of one’s body in the movies. I hear many Christians justifying themselves by watching such things, “It is just a drama.”

Well, do we feel comfortable with our wife performing such scenes with other men in a play or drama? I can understand action scenes being faked but how are French kiss, foreplay and immodesty faked? Although it is a play, the actors are really involved in performing the act, sensually exposing their bodies and sexually touching one another’s bodies. Consequently, they are having a detrimental influence on the emotions of the viewers, particularly upon children and youth.

Some say, “I watch them but I don’t feel any reaction to them” or “It is just a movie” or “It's common” or “I am not practicing but just casually watching.”

Listen, my dear people—The Holy Bible instructs us that there should not be even a hint of sexual immorality (Eph. 5:3). Note these words: Not even a hint of sexual immorality. Again, it is written in 1Thess. 5:22, “Abstain from every form of evil.” Make these words: Every form of evil.

What should we comment about most of the movies in our day? We not only find a hint of impurity but manifestly perform immorality without shame. So, as God’s chosen people, are we not exhorted to despise and abstain from everything that gives even the appearance or hint of evil? Are we obeying the Scriptural exhortations when we watch sensual performances in the movies?

I was reading in my personal devotion today, “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Rom. 12:9). Do we hate the evil projected in the movies or do we get entertained by them? How can I take delight in that which God forbids? How can I just watch sensual things, though with a neutral attitude, when God’s word exhorts to hate such sinful acts? 

God's Call to Sexual Purity

Sex is God’s exhilarating gift to mankind with a mandate to enjoy it within marital bond and that too in privacy. But, what shall we say about the actors who participate in sensual acts? They not only perform sensual things publicly, but in real life they are also not married to each other. Much worse, what they propagate in the movies is fornication, i.e. having sex before or without marriage, even live-in relationships.

We are aware of how Dan Brown subtly tried to debunk the historic truths of Christianity in the form of a novel “Da Vinci Code.” Likewise, I see most of the contemporary movies debunking biblical moral standards in the form of entertainment, thereby infiltrating the minds of viewers to make immoral things acceptable in the society.

Don’t you suppose, we, God's chosen people, are fooled by the modern entertainment?

Think about obscene outfits, deep French kiss and lustful scenes found, even in the movies made for kids and that which claim of presenting an inspirational message! Is it biblically okay to entertain people or to get entertained by such things? How many Christians are entertained by sexually immoral acts performed in the movies when in fact they should be filled with righteous indignation for despising God’s moral standards!

Dear friends, if we have engaged ourselves in the sensual entertainment of our day, losing passion for God’s holiness and moral standards, don’t you think it is time for us to repent and take our stand against the corrupt system of our age?

In this age of sensuality and sexual immorality, God is calling us to sexual purity. It is written for us, “It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God” (1Thess. 4:3-5).

If we did not make a commitment like the Psalmist, “I will set before my eyes no vile thing” (Ps. 101:3), then let us pray, “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word” (Ps. 119:37).

Finally, the words of Peter written about two millenniums ago are no less relevant today or perhaps even more relevant—“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation” (Acts 2:40).
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