50 Shades of Gross

Let's face it friends, the moral fabric of our society has been quickly unraveling. What was sacred years ago is now common. When I was in grade school, if I had the urge to see pornography, I would need to find my way to the magazine section of a bookstore or sneak into an rated R movie. Unfortunately, today, filthy images are easily accessible through any device that provides the internet.

God is clear on sexual immorality throughout Scripture. Matthew 5:8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." If we want to experience God's manifest presence in our life, we have got to fight for purity. Ephesians 5:3 says, "There should not be a hint of sexual immorality among you." That is pretty clear. God gave us these guardrails, not to make life difficult or impossible, but to keep us on His path of righteous living. Any failure in this area will potentially leave scars that last a lifetime, starting with our relationship with God.

There has been a lot of conversation about this movie, 50 Shades of Grey. I have not seen the movie, read the book or watched the previews. However, I have read enough to know what it's about. The media is going to the wall to promote it. It is hard to avoid. God has created sex to be holy and enjoyed in the context of marriage. This movie presents a message that is far from God's design. It promotes violent sex that might as well be classified as abuse. The vulgarity presented in this movie is downright disgusting.

Our culture is saturated with messages of promiscuity and perversion. This is a great opportunity for the church to be what we are called to be, an extension of Jesus to our community. We are not here to bring condemnation, but to simply warn people of the truth and simply point people to Jesus.

May God give us the courage to win the battle of purity. 

If any of you are struggling in this area, God will meet you there, with His grace, and bring healing and victory. 

Let's take a stand for Jesus and encourage our friends to not see this movie. 

May we be those who, as the Psalmist said, "Ascend the hill of the Lord," because we have clean hands and a pure heart.