Remain Unspotted
The following are some comments I made on a blog in response to a post about watching TV and our "sanctification." Praying our Lord may use it to quicken His children to true religion "feed the widows and the orphans and to remain unspotted by the world."
My husband and I haven't had T.V. for about 10 years now. We do have a monitor to watch DVD's, which we are very selective about. It's not particularly the watching it that is the central problem, although that can become one too. It is the content of most of the shows; it is the effect it has on one's growth in the Lord.
Aren't we wanting to not fuel our fleshly desires and lusts? Isn't that what God wants for us? The word says: "Put no unclean thing before your eyes." That is really plain to me. Could it be that a person's flesh just really wants to be indulged, and so they justify their watching unclean things, and then label people who aren't watching as "legalists"? Could it be that if they can get others who are abstaining to watch, that they will feel better about their own watching, which they know, deep inside by the spirit, is not profitable to them, in an attempt to assuage their guilty conscience?
Taking those images, words, and actions into our minds is choosing to engage one's soul (mind, will, and emotions) and involve itself in unclean things, which the Lord calls sin. So, why the light treatment of this? It also becomes a part of you on a level that can't even be detected. All of this is really spiritually discerned, and if you've been engaged in watching these shows and movies for a long period of time (viewing magazines, etc. not to mention what one might listen to) then your spiritual senses have probably been dulled, and you probably can't even hear or believe this. But, the Spirit of truth leads us into all truth, and He will validate and quicken this in your spirit if you will listen and acknowledge Him.
One of the worse things about taking these images into someone, who calls himself the Lord's, is that they are bringing DISHONOR to Him. Another thing is the message it sends to the world on what it means to follow Him. The message is: It's not really any different, except you get to be forgiven and go to heaven, but you can really indulge your flesh like everyone else. Have we really received the grace of God if that is our belief?
Lots to pray about in all of this; not a subject to be treated lightly. How about praying to our Lord, who we've surrendered our lives to saying: Lord, what do you say about watching these shows? What is your Will concerning this? And then , truly listen, wait, and respond likewise.We might want to pray also that He would not let our fleshly desires get in the way, as we listen so that the answers would not be filtered through them, thinking we've heard from God. If we tap into the Spirit within us, if we are born-again, we know the answers for He has shown us.
We are to help one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, to not indulge the desires of the flesh , and draw closer to God. We can't do this if we try and make the hard truth palatable. In fact, the fleshly nature abhors the truth, but by the power of the Spirit of God within us, we can overcome and walk in that Spirit.
My husband and I haven't had T.V. for about 10 years now. We do have a monitor to watch DVD's, which we are very selective about. It's not particularly the watching it that is the central problem, although that can become one too. It is the content of most of the shows; it is the effect it has on one's growth in the Lord.
Aren't we wanting to not fuel our fleshly desires and lusts? Isn't that what God wants for us? The word says: "Put no unclean thing before your eyes." That is really plain to me. Could it be that a person's flesh just really wants to be indulged, and so they justify their watching unclean things, and then label people who aren't watching as "legalists"? Could it be that if they can get others who are abstaining to watch, that they will feel better about their own watching, which they know, deep inside by the spirit, is not profitable to them, in an attempt to assuage their guilty conscience?
Taking those images, words, and actions into our minds is choosing to engage one's soul (mind, will, and emotions) and involve itself in unclean things, which the Lord calls sin. So, why the light treatment of this? It also becomes a part of you on a level that can't even be detected. All of this is really spiritually discerned, and if you've been engaged in watching these shows and movies for a long period of time (viewing magazines, etc. not to mention what one might listen to) then your spiritual senses have probably been dulled, and you probably can't even hear or believe this. But, the Spirit of truth leads us into all truth, and He will validate and quicken this in your spirit if you will listen and acknowledge Him.
One of the worse things about taking these images into someone, who calls himself the Lord's, is that they are bringing DISHONOR to Him. Another thing is the message it sends to the world on what it means to follow Him. The message is: It's not really any different, except you get to be forgiven and go to heaven, but you can really indulge your flesh like everyone else. Have we really received the grace of God if that is our belief?
Lots to pray about in all of this; not a subject to be treated lightly. How about praying to our Lord, who we've surrendered our lives to saying: Lord, what do you say about watching these shows? What is your Will concerning this? And then , truly listen, wait, and respond likewise.We might want to pray also that He would not let our fleshly desires get in the way, as we listen so that the answers would not be filtered through them, thinking we've heard from God. If we tap into the Spirit within us, if we are born-again, we know the answers for He has shown us.
We are to help one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, to not indulge the desires of the flesh , and draw closer to God. We can't do this if we try and make the hard truth palatable. In fact, the fleshly nature abhors the truth, but by the power of the Spirit of God within us, we can overcome and walk in that Spirit.
posted by Patti Blount @ 8:19 AM
2 Comments:
At 8/17/2008 10:50 AM ,
Anonymous said...
"My grace is sufficient for thee" was the reply unto Paul after he asked the Lord to remove his thorn which plague him daily. There was also a young man at the age of 16 went into a monastery and remain a monk for the rest of his life, yet still was not able to remain pure unto the Lord. For he felt that if he put himself in a place that he could not pollute himself with the things of the world, fleshly desires and lust would not be within himself. Yet they still remained. He too soon spoke what Paul saith within the scriptures "I have the desire to do good but evil is always present." That evil was not brought on by Satan, but that which remains within our own hearts that is kept deep with it, which only we hide from one another and try to hide it also from God. But we fail to understand that when they come into our heart and make their abode there, they begin to clean our heart and repair our building into the likeness of themselves, especially the Spirit of God. That is why it is written in the scriptures by Paul that we should become new creatures in Christ and turning from our sinful nature, yet while we are in the flesh it will be an ongoing cross bearing issue for us until we leave the earth. We may ask for a new heart and a right spirit as David did, yet the reply will be the same, "My Grace (Christ) is sufficient for thee". The Word himself (Christ) John 1:1 is the only one who conquered both the flesh and the mind through the Spirit of God. We can only Remain Unspotted in Christ which reside within us. Our blemishes is our shame that we feel as we stand before the Lord our God. Until we are able to walk as Christ does, then we must continue to remain in his Grace and mercy. Through the eyes the flesh lust after, but when it comes into the heart there it remains and destroys that man or woman relationship which was not ashamed before the Lord our God. Yet now we have a way to remain unspotted. Through him I can do all things and I am more than a conquer. For it is he and not me who doeth these things.
At 12/28/2012 11:37 AM ,
Patti Blount said...
I think I hear what you are saying William, and I think I am saying the same thing with different language. Yes, it is only in Christ, or Christ in us that we are unspotted as God looks at us. But, there is also of that righteousness of Him in us, and letting Him have His way as we make decisions on what we (He) allows in us. I mean we can't just claim the righteousness of Christ, and then indulge our flesh knowingly, can we? As Paul said also, do we go on sinning, so that grace will abound the more? Then he answers his own question by saying, "God forbid!"
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