Category: Heterosexual Immoraltiy

50 Shades of Grey - An Old Fashioned Response

2/12/2015

It is only a few days until the movie “50 Shades of Grey” is going to be unleashed on the public through local theaters. I find it sad that this movie is infecting audiences on Valentine’s weekend. I’ve not seen the movie, nor have I read the book. All I needed was to read reviews about the basic content of the book and movie to know that I wanted nothing to do with them. The book and the movie are part of an ongoing effort to recast love as something overtly selfish and self-centered. They are attempts by a fallen culture to denigrate women and deceive men into thinking that women want relationships and sexual intimacy to involve selfish demands, violence, and denigration. Nothing could be further from the truth. But, just as the Bible warns us, this movie comes to us dressed as an angel of light. The truth is that its message is demonic – even though it parades around dressed in characters like a wealthy mogul and a beautiful woman. Scripture would refer to the man as a whoremonger and violent abuser – and the woman as a ring of gold in a pig’s snout. (Sorry – but every once in a while biblical language is needed to shock us back toward reality – and away from the Hollywood glitz and glamor.)

            Our culture has been imploding for years. The sexual revolution that began in the 1960’s promised us a less burdened, more wonderful, loving world. One sees something far more sinister in the decades old wake of this movement. It began with a turning from God in the matters of love and sexual intimacy. By removing the so-called Victorian era restraints from our lives we were promised freedom. What has come instead is an ever more perverse denigration of our lives and relationships. God intended sex to be embraced in marriage (between a man and a woman). 50 Shades of Grey is not about sexual freedom – it is only just another step into the perversion and slavery of sexual immorality.

            Love is selfless – does not demand its own way – and is kind and gentle. This is what the Scriptures tell us. Love lays down its life for the beloved – and would rather die than see harm come to the one that is loved. A godly husband is one who protects his wife and family by giving himself over to a godly sexuality – even before he is married. He embraces full manhood – looking forward to the day that he can win a wife by showing her he will be like Christ in his love for his bride. He reveals, by his behavior and his character, that he does not see love as 50 shades of grey where the black and white of sexual morality is blurred by a selfish drive for whatever his flesh demands. He sees things in plain black and white, where his understanding of sexuality embraces the wisdom and blessing of God’s Word.

            There is another film coming to theaters this weekend. It is one you will probably not see advertised all over television and print adds. This movie is entitled, “Old Fashioned.” It is worth seeing simply from the audacity of its content and shocking scenes of sexual morality in it. It is rated PG-13 not due to sexual immorality – but due to the dangerous things it says about purity, chivalry, and real manhood. I watched the trailer for this movie and was astounded by its audacity to speak of things like chivalry, respect for women, commitment to godly principles, and promises made to one’s future spouse (before we are married). The only reason I used the word audacity is because such things are usually mocked in our culture. There is a line in the trailer where the main male character says, “When did treating women with respect become the joke?” Unfortunately that is what is happening to our culture as it continues to run madly toward sexual immorality. Purity, godliness, sexual morality, virginity have all become things we mock and make fun of instead of things that we strive for and honor. Yet it is these things that God holds up for us to honor, embrace, and strive for as we live for Him. These things become even more important when we’ve had pasts before we came to Christ that have been lived for the world’s definition of love. This is a false definition that promised freedom and happiness, but instead only delivered bondage and broken lives in need of God’s healing. Thankfully His grace can and does bring forgiveness and a promise of something far different.

            Another scene that shocked me was when the main male character was asked why he lived by the principles he did. His answer was this, “I don’t believe dating trains us to be good husbands and wives. It trains us to be skilled in the superficial.”   When the woman asking him this answered, “Who talks like that?” His answer was only, “I do.” Who does talk like this? Theater reviewers may find that number to be many more than they think.

            It was little surprise to me that when I looked for reviews on this movie – the majority of secular reviews blasted it saying that it was heavy handed and preachy. They hated the premise – and hated the things it lifted up for us to consider even more. To embrace a life that views sex as something other than a hedonistic plunge into whatever our desires demand is foreign to our current sex-crazed world. Yet, I believe that there will be a large group of people who will see this movie and feel relieved. They will be relieved that there are still people out there who embrace “Old Fashioned” values.   They will rejoice over something that sees chivalry, respect for women, respect for God’s order, and romance that does not mean immediate demands for sex as good things. They will be excited over a movie that doesn’t attempt to drag us down to the lowest levels of immorality, but rather attempts to help us have something that is moral, good, and yes – godly (gasp). They will be grateful for a portrayal of purity that makes us want to strive for something higher and better.

            What is truly amazing to me is that God’s way is not in hues of grey. Love, according to what He wants for us, is bursting with color and joy. Having been saved out of a sexually immoral lifestyle, I can attest that the world’s way is the one that is grey and lifeless. It doesn’t bring joy, and it constantly doesn’t live up to its billing. Each new relationship is begun with hope that it will be better than the last – but only winds up being fodder for additional country songs about broken hearts and broken lives. Every woman should know the joy of a man who pursues her because he truly loves God and loves her in a selfless and self-sacrificing way. Every man should know the manly call from God to pursue a woman by showing her his character and willingness to lay down his life for her. This is God’s way – not 50 shades of grey – but 10,000 bright and brilliant colors of true love.

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What's Going on in Christian Music Lately?

10/7/2014

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What is happening in the realm of Christian music lately? There is a growing number of those who have been in the Christian music circles who are coming out as being gay. There is also a growing trend among others to come out in support of gay marriage. But possibly the most disturbing of these trends is that more and more of these individuals are not only commenting on these decisions, but are making some very bold “theological” statements about God – and how God views this sexual choice. So what is happening here? Why has it become more and more acceptable to the Christian music industry for these people not just to come out about their sexual choices – but also to begin airing their thoughts and views as acceptable?

  It is almost becoming a common event for someone in the Christian music industry to affirm homosexuality openly. Vicky Beeching, the author of the song “Glory to God,” is the most recent to admit to this choice in her life. One slight difference with Beeching is that she has studied theology at Oxford. Beeching, who left the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) scene to become a television commentator, made the following comment about how she views God and the homosexual lifestyle. “I feel certain God loves me just the way I am, and I have a huge sense of calling to communicate that to young people.” This is the most disturbing aspect of this move within the industry. There is a growing acceptance of homosexuality and homosexual marriage – not in the world – but within what should be an industry that embraces evangelical biblical doctrine.

As an example of this kind of thinking you only have to turn to comments made by the former editor of Contemporary Christian Music magazine, Matthew Paul Turner, who said the following about his support of gay marriage when asked why he voted against Tennessee’s marriage amendment. He made it clear that he did not believe that homosexual behavior was sinful. He said he might be wrong but in his own words said, “I'd much rather be wrong and pursue grace and open acceptance than right and be arrogant and cruel.”

   First of all please understand that I do not hate homosexuals. My heart goes out to them and desires for them to be saved and drawn out of this sinful lifestyle. Also understand when I say this, I say it knowing that God called me out of heterosexual immorality when I was saved. It is not that I consider myself or my views superior to theirs. I needed to be rescued from my sin, just as I am stating they need to be rescued from theirs. So I do not come from an angle that says, “Your wrong and I’m right.” I come from saying, “My behavior was wrong and God rescued me – your choice is wrong too and God wants to rescue you too! The reason I, or anyone for that matter, can say this is because the Scriptures teach that homosexuality and heterosexual immorality is sin. And here is where I have my core concern for the Christian Music industry.

My core concern is that too often, the Christian music industry is far more interested about “music” than it is about “Christianity.” It is far too much about our experience than it is about the Word of God. This has been the case for several decades now. The unfortunate reality that we are seeing today is simply the fruit of an activity done more and more out from under the Lordship of Christ and the authority of Scripture. Early in the rise of Christian music this was not the case. The early years of Christian music was dominated by people who wanted to sing about God, about His Word (often singing His Word), and about how God had saved them. It was all about music that spoke often of God – openly of God – and radically about loving and serving Him. Now much of our Christian music could be about God – or – it could be about your girlfriend. Too often we find little focus on God and far too much focus on us – or honestly, on how God makes much of us.

            You might be wondering how all this fits into the current trends in the Christian Music Industry today? Here is where the problem lies – in the lack of a strong theological background in those making and producing it. Go back a few hundred years and look at those writing much of what we sang in the hymns. You will find among them people with very strong theological backgrounds. You will also find among them people who wrote songs to be sung in times of corporate worship than in a performance or concert. They also made much less money for what they did – therefore for many of them – theirs was a labor of love. Today, there is big money in the Christian Music industry. Their percentage in the music market is rising substantially. Thus entities like Word Music and others have far more “music industry people” than they do “church-loving, theology-driven song writers.” The difference you see is pretty amazing when it comes to God-centered, God-focused lyrics. It truly matters when people are passionate about their relationship with Jesus Christ. It truly matters when people are taught the Scriptures and taught so that they grasp sound doctrine.

            Where is the Christian music industry? I would submit to you that even though they can effect “some” change through their music, the real issue has much more to do with where the church is today. When the church is no longer living in radical obedience to God and His Word, this will eventually be reflected in its music. When the church is no longer standing fast in sound theology, it will be reflected in its theology in music, or the lack thereof). When the church is no longer standing for clear biblical morality, it will be reflected in those who minister (or in too many cases perform) through music. What we have here is not a problem primarily with the Christian music industry but with how the church’s heart is reflected in it. The Christian Music industry is simply reflecting where the church is in our day.

The reason we are seeing the CMI (Christian Music Industry) struggle with moral issues is because the church itself is struggling as well. The church is struggling with these issues because it no longer lives with the Lordship of Jesus Christ as its rudder. This leads to a church that does not submit itself to Scripture as the absolute authority in faith and practice (which includes moral stances upon the Scriptures, rather than on the prevailing culture). There is a problem – but that problem in not in the CMI at its core. The problem is where the church is in our day – in desperate need of a revival of biblical Christianity. If you have read of the ongoing downgrade of biblical Christianity in the CMI – then step back and take a breath before calling down fire upon them for what is happening. There is a root to all this, and I honestly believe that it is the lack of biblical Christianity in the church. This root system will point us to a loss of our first love for Christ. It will point us to an abandonment of the Scriptures as authoritative and instructive to every aspect of our lives and culture. It will point us to the general malaise of apathy and hard-heartedness toward God’s Word, and indeed, toward God Himself. Saints, I realize that I sound like a broken record on this, but what we need is true revival where we address our own hearts first. If there were true revival where our hearts turned back to God – these issues would eventually be addressed because of the change happening in our lives as a result. May God do this work in us – so that what affects the church most is not music icons in search of fame and fortune – but men and women who love God with all their hearts, live according to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives, and submit to the moral, theological, and practical rule of Scripture in all that they do.

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50 Shades of Grey - An Old Fashioned Response

What's Going on in Christian Music Lately?

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50 Shades of Grey - An Old Fashioned Response﻿

What's Going on in Christian Music Lately?

Biblical Articles

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50 Shades of Grey - An Old Fashioned Response