A Covenant Worth Keeping
And so it begins. The previews are now showing for “50 Shades of Grey.” Honestly, it makes me sick. Go to the movie theatre and you will be reminded that there are many movies that don’t need to be seen. Do we even screen what is on the big screen? I know many people who consider themselves Christians who have absolutely no problem letting Satan have control of their lives for two hours while they are entertained. And they have done it so many times that their hearts are calloused. They believe it is their God given right to watch activities that if they participated in them themselves would seal their doom in eternal hell.
The saddest thing about writing this article is that I know that the majority of people are going to think that I am close-minded when it comes to entertainment. They would love to begin an argument about degrees of sin. But if what that really means is that I am open to what God wants for me and closed to what the world wants – then I am alright with that. I want to be like Job, who said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look with lust upon a young woman?” (Job 31:1). I understand what Jesus was saying in Matthew 5:27-28 – “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
I know that sin begins in the mind and heart; therefore I want to make a covenant with my eyes, to avoid putting my heart and mind in jeopardy. Does this mean that I can be perfect and never lust? Does this mean it is possible for me to completely avoid temptation? Does this mean that I have made a decision that I will never sin again, and that in making such a decision that I will never break my promise to God? My desire to make a covenant with my eyes cannot mean any of those things because I am human. But such a covenant needs to be made so that I will intentionally not put myself in situations where failure is a very good and certainly real possibility.
I believe humans, though weak because of their carnal side, are also intelligent enough to discern between good and evil. It is in our initial discernment that wise decisions and moral decisions can be made. True Christianity is not just a ceremonial washing of sins. It also involves a game-plan from God. This is what the New Testament can provide. I need to live for God on purpose in every waking moment of my life. That means making moral decisions to fight against what my flesh may be suggesting. It involves making covenants, not just with some parts of my body, but with my entire body, soul and spirit.
As a Christian, there are some things I will not do. There I some places I will not go. There are some things I will not watch or listen to. There are some people I will not follow. Since I have decided to follow Jesus, the only other people I can follow must also be following Him. This is a black and white issue. There is no “grey” area.
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” – Romans 8:7
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