Marc wrote:
There is no drama or comedy (yes, I know that comedy is a form of drama, but I differentiate the two like the TV networks do) on TV that I know of that does not include some sort of sexual content, be it sexual innuendo, sexual talk, or sexual behavior. Some are worse than others, of course, but they all have it that I know of. Christians should STAY AWAY from all such filth.
Chris: I think of the following passages:
“I will set no wicked thing before my eyes; I have hated the work of those who turn aside; it shall not fasten upon me” (Psalms 101:3).
Chris: The sexual content found in these types of shows spits on and thus defiles and desecrates the marriage bed (Hebrews 13:4). Christians are NOT to set this wicked thing (which is a thing that contradicts such passages as Proverbs 5:15-20) before their eyes. It is through the medium of television that these shows sinfully scatter the overflowing springs outside, like rivers of waters in the streets (Proverbs 5:16).
Married Christian men drink water from their own blessed cistern; they do not drink from a putrid well. They rejoice with their own wife; not with a strange woman who is without discretion. Although single Christians may have no admonition to rejoice with and to drink from a cistern of their own, they nevertheless ARE admonished to NOT drink from a cistern NOT their own. They will not drink this wickedness in any way, shape, or form (they will not do it by means of television. They will not set this wickedness before their eyes). They hate this work that turns multitudes aside. This sinister serpent shall not fasten upon them.
“And if your eye offends you, pluck it out and throw it from you; for it is good for you to enter into life one-eyed, than having two eyes to be thrown into the Hell of fire” (Matthew 18:9).
Chris: In this verse above, Jesus employs a figure of speech in which the eye is put for that which is doing the offending. Thus, disgustingly evil TV shows is the eye which must be plucked out. We are being exhorted by Jesus Christ, our Sovereign Redeemer, to pursue godliness in our conduct with a holy violence. This “eye-plucking” pursuit of holiness is our striving “to obey Him out of love, thankfulness, and a desire to glorify Him (CCF, V. A. 3.). We do battle with indwelling sin as Chris Flaherty had said. And since we have been purified by the atoning blood and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ alone, we are to be zealous for good works (Titus 2:14). The eye-plucking of Matthew 18:9 is a good work.
“For your obedience reached to all; therefore, I rejoice over you. But I desire you to be truly wise as to good, but simple toward evil (Romans 16:19).
Chris: We are to be wise and discerning between what is good and what is evil. We are to be “simple” toward evil, which means that we are NOT to become supposedly “more wise” and “more discerning” about or toward evil by setting evil before our eyes through the medium of television. This would be to think as John Piper’s stupid buddy Mark Driscoll thinks. And that is that you have to be savvy toward evil in order to be “hip,”cool,” and “relevant.” Diabolical dimwits like Driscoll would watch all sorts of filth in order to “connect with” or “relate to” this sin-savvy culture. It does appear that Driscoll is similar to one who holds to the doctrine of Balaam. This wicked TV show/movie watching is a stumbling block that causes those who watch it to commit sexual immorality (cf. Revelation 2:14). Apparently Driscoll thinks that in addition to studying the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17) one should also study the wickedness on the “silver screen” in order to demonstrate one’s movie mastery — that way you don’t appear like a prudish weirdo to this wicked generation by refusing to set a wicked thing before your eyes (Psalm 101:3; 1 Peter 4:1-5). Here I am refering to “Advance 09” and Piper’s comments pertaining to Driscoll in his post entitled “Why I don’t have a television and rarely go to movies.” Here’s Piper:
“So let me see if I can do better now. I can’t give an answer for what Mark [Driscoll–CD] means by “buy extra DVRs,” but I can tell you why my advice sounds different. I suspect that Mark and I would not agree on the degree to which the average pastor needs to be movie-savvy in order to be relevant, and the degree to which we should expose ourselves to the world’s entertainment.”
Chris: Piper implies that Driscoll thinks the average pastor needs to be “movie-savvy.” Piper also acknowledged his high tolerance for foul language and violence in movies. Thus Piper acknowledges that he has a high tolerance for setting wicked things before his eyes.
“Brothers, do not be children in your minds, but in malice be like infants, and in your minds be mature” (1 Corinthians 14:20).
Chris: Buffoons like Driscoll might say we are to watch filthy comedy and violence with “holy intentions” and in a “holy manner” in order that we may show our seasoned, savvy, maturity. But God through the apostle Paul contradicts such sininsterly asinine reasoning. For Driscoll, the “M” in mature stands for malice. For the apostle Paul, the “M” in mature stands firm for a maturity that manifests itself in an unwavering hatred of malice. To utterly refuse to set a wicked thing before your eyes is to be like an infant in regards to malice.
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
Chris: We are sheep sent out in the midst of wolves, some of which are Driscollian. These Driscollian wolves would have us to set a wicked thing before our eyes in order to make us relevant and wise. That part about making one wise sounds familiar (see Genesis 3:6). True wisdom is shown in discerning the devilish reasoning. Harmlessness is the result of such wisdom. We desire to be as harmless, as innocent, as guileless as a dove in regards to this setting of wickedness before our eyes.
“Test all things, hold fast the good. Keep back from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).
Chris: We do NOT “test” the wicked movie or TV show by setting it before our eyes. For to do that would be to plunge into a form of evil. We test the wicked movie or TV show as wicked without setting it before our eyes. It is because we have tested it as evil that we do NOT set it before our eyes. And it is by NOT setting it before our eyes that we keep back from (NOT plunge into) every form of evil.
“For it is shameful even to speak of the things being done by them in secret” (Ephesians 5:12).
Chris: These kinds of wicked shows are shameful. For they again defile and desecrate the marriage bed (and cast shame and reproach on Christ and the Church of whom marriage is a picture) by speaking of things that are done in secret. The marriage bed of a Christian couple is indeed honorable, but if one were to put it on display in front of millions of TV viewers by speaking shamefully of it, then that would be to defile it (Hebrews 13:4).
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that which is in the world: the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16).
Chris: The irreligious and unconcerned world loves to watch this filth. And much (if not most) of the professing Christian world loves to watch this filth also. The aforementioned groups love the world because the love of the Father is not in them. The love of the Father is in us, therefore we, in our conduct hate and war against the world. We are not sinless in this as we are ever aware of the truth of our experience set forth in Romans 7:14-25. Chris Flaherty had mentioned the glorified body that is to be free from indwelling sin:
“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle is taken down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in Heaven. For also in this we groan, greatly desiring to be clothed with our dwelling place out of Heaven, if indeed in being clothed, we shall not be found naked. For indeed, being in the tabernacle, we groan, having been weighted down, inasmuch as we do not wish to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that the mortal may be swallowed up by the life. And the One having worked in us for this same thing is God, who also is giving us the earnest of the Spirit.Then always being fully assured, and knowing that being at home in the body we are away from home from the Lord(for we walk by faith, not by sight), even we are fully assured, and think it good rather to go away from home out of the body, and to come home to the Lord. Because of this, we also are striving to be pleasing to Him, whether being at home, or being away from home” (2 Corinthians 5:1-9).
Agrammatos 