Living a Double Life

It happened again. I’m so disappointed, and my heart is hurting. This is not going to be a happy, light, uplifting post. I cannot just ignore this because it keeps happening. I know I will probably make some people mad, but that really doesn’t matter to me anymore, because this could be a matter of spiritual life or death.

I opened up my Facebook account again the other day, and there it was. Another person (a sister in Christ) had posted about going to see the movie, “Fifty Shades Freed.” I know very little about that movie, but I saw an advertisement on television that caused me to blush (OK, go ahead, think what you want to about my age and blushing at something like that ad). It was pornographic and right there on TV for anyone, including your small children to see. I was appalled at what I saw.

Sadly, she was not the only Christian sister I had seen post about going to see that movie. 

I began to wonder what reasoning a person who claims to be a Christian could have for attending a movie like that. Could it be that it is not as bad as they made it appear on the advertisement? Could it be that if you are attending it with your husband it becomes OK because you are sharing in the intimate details? Could it be that, if you are attending with a bunch of girlfriends, that makes it OK, because no men are in your group and you’re just having a girls’ night out? Could it be that it is just a sign of our times that this kind of entertainment is common and no longer considered pornographic?

I looked up the reason for the R rating of the movie and this is what I found: “This movie is rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, and language.” That raises some questions in my mind for the Christian.

• What chance would you have of converting any of those non-Christian friends to Christ based upon this behavior?
• Would you want your children or grandchildren to know what you have seen (or attend this movie if they meet the age requirement)?
• Would you want Jesus to come to take the faithful home while you were sitting in that theater?
• Is this kind of entertainment making your spiritual life better?
• Would you want one or more of your elders to see you coming out of that theater?
• Would that kind of movie make God pleased or displeased with you?
• Could you say with the Apostle Paul that the movie helped you think about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise? (Phil. 4:8)
• Are you aware that “…no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account”? (Hebrews 4:13)
• Are you aware of the discouragement inflicted upon those who saw this post?

I could go on with more questions, but let me explain what I mean by the title of this post – “living a double life.”

After seeing the posts about going to this movie, these same people also posted religious material on their Facebook pages. One posted a Bible verse and the other talked about checking in at church. Do these two things seem to go together – an R-rated movie and a passage of scripture?

And before you say it, I know that there are other things on the Facebook pages of Christians that would be equally offensive to those trying to live a life for Christ. Things like foul language, pictures of your beach vacation wearing your bikini, and dirty jokes are all examples of things I’ve seen posted by Christians. 

I also know we all sin and do things that are displeasing to God, but isn’t it James who says these words: “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:10). Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matt. 6:24).

True Christians cannot live a double life. We either serve God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, or we serve Satan. These are the only two choices. There are no grey areas – not even shades of grey.

My prayer is that this post will be taken in the spirit with which I intended it to be taken – one of warning to all of us to be careful about what we say and do. It really doesn’t matter that I saw your post on Facebook. It does matter that God not only knows about the post, but also about the double life it appears you are trying to live.

God is not pleased when we do these things.

Satan celebrates.

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AUTHOR: Donna Faughn

Photo credit: Joshua Rodriguez on Unsplash