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The Bible on Entertainment - PART 4 The Darkness Filter

We are continuing to look at what the bible has to say about entertainment. Because entertainment is so much a part of our everyday lives, I am compelled to shine the light of truth on what has become an untouchable “right” in our society, even in the lives of Christians. The “right" to be entertained as much as we want with whatever we want. This “right” is not really a right, but some would rather have their fingernails pulled out, than give up their “right” to be entertained. Entertainment has become a means of personal identity. So, for example, asking someone to give up their favorite band would be akin to asking them to change their name. The movie-going experience has become the shared human experience that drives most conversations. To miss out is to be left out.

Christians must stop and ask themselves a couple of questions:

Is my right to be entertained so important to me that I am unwilling to hear the truth of God’s Word on this subject and then make changes? Am I willing to be left out of conversations about movies that I chose not to see? Is acceptance by my peers, more important than obeying God? Is what I want more important than obeying God’s commands?


Let’s look at the next filter: THE DARKNESS FILTER

Ephesians 5: 10 …find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless (worthless) deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

Darkness in the bible is used to symbolize sin or the evil spiritual forces influenced by Satan and the demons. Sin flourishes in the darkness where it can operate without being exposed. When the light of truth is shined on to sin, it cannot continue because light by definition, dispels darkness. The two cannot co-exist in the same place.

What are the works (or deeds) of darkness?

Gal 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

Romans 13:12b let us put aside the deeds of darkness… 13Let us behave decently,… and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 … what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? What fellowship can light have with darkness?

Pretty straightforward. Most of us won’t be going around participating in witchcraft, drunkenness, and orgies, but we must consider that if we entertain ourselves with movies, TV, and video games that glorify this sort of thing, then we are “having something to do with them,” which violates the scriptural command given in Ephesians 5:11.

We should ask ourselves these questions as we choose our entertainment…
Does this entertainment choice resemble darkness or promote darkness?
Does this thing entertain with darkness or deeds of the sinful nature?

Next- The Conscience Filter
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To view this entire essay in all it's parts click the link below:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dd39qkdv_128g6hwg3dr

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