Evangelist Or Used Car Dealer Parody
Television! Should It Have A Place In The Christian’s Home?
by Paul Wilson
We feel constrained to examine the subject of television in the home, especially as it affects the Christian. With this latest giant of the entertainment world growing rapidly, and with the appeals to Christians to open their homes to this masterpiece of human invention increasing, it seems that the question should be faced squarely.
A question once put to King Hezekiah by the prophet Isaiah may be appropriate in this connection—”What have they seen in thine house?” 2 Kings 20:15. This modern medium of communication will bring an assortment of sights into the home for the mental fare of its occupants and its guests. Will it be to God’s glory? Will it further occupation with heavenly things? Will it be a means to help us grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? or will it be one more thing to distract us from the only One who is worthy of being our chief occupation?
Perhaps the greatest challenge video makes concerns the welfare of children. In areas where it is already available, the children in the world have become thorough devotees of this form of amusement. It has a special appeal to the young, and their plastic minds are very easily influenced by it. And what are they seeing with such evident delight?— folly, madness, crime, and moral corruption, among other things. The same things that have poisoned the youth of the country in the picture shows, and brought about much of the juvenile delinquency and lawlessness are now being served hour upon hour, day in and day out, in many homes. This influence will accelerate the coming of the moral conditions in the world similar to those in the days of Noah, and of Lot, as foretold by our Lord (Luke 17:26-30).
A survey in Los Angeles counted “127 murders, 101 ‘justifiable killings,’ 357 attempted murders, 93 kidnappings, 11 jail-breaks,” and many other crimes in just one week in the programs seen in that city. A Chicago survey in December, 1952 counted in four days, “77 murders, 7 kidnappings, 53 shootings, and a total of 216 crimes of violence” on so-called children’s programs. Children saw almost every conceivable method of killing demonstrated. The results of such crimes being enacted constantly before the youth of the land will produce either a frightened, unhealthy state, or a cold, calloused indifference—a cheapening of the value of human life, and a reckless disregard for all virtue. Wil1 anyone dare to say that Satan is not behind all this? He is leading the so-called Christian nations down the road once trodden by the depraved Roman Empire.
A liberal, visual education in sin and lawlessness is being broadcast day and night. The seeds of crime are being sown now in abundance; the reaping time will bring a harvest that men will not know how to handle. Everything is being readied for the final scenes of man’s lawlessness. The red horse of Revelation 6 will bring in a time of bloodshed—peace will be taken from the earth, and men will kill one another.
Christian parents, beware of television for your dear children. You would not think of taking your precious charges from the Lord into the dance halls, theaters, arenas, alleys, and dens of the earth. Shall you bring such sights into your living room? Perhaps it will be said that as they grow up they will meet these things, and that you cannot always shield them. That has a certain amount of truth in it, but have you not a definite responsibility to Him who gave them to you? Their youth is the only time that is yours to help mold them, and to instruct them in the ways of the Lord. Shall these fleeting days he lost? while instead of truth they become acquainted with fiction and fable, crime and horror? You shield their precious bodies from chemical poisons; shall you do less for their impressionable minds?
Stop then, dear Christian, and consider seriously before making such things available to those in your home. You have a more difficult task today than ever before in bringing up your children in “the right ways of the Lord.” Special grace and wisdom will be needed from above. God’s instructions are, “Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,” but how can this be done if television is allowed in the home? How can parents teach the ways of the Lord to children while they are being taught all sorts of crime and moral corruption, and the principals of the world.
Let us suppose a case in a home where television is allowed: the children have been drinking in all the hair-raising, breath-taking excitement of a telecast, when the father says, “Turn off the television, and let us read the Word of God.” Now, we ask, are those children capable of sitting quietly and listening to the calm reading of the Word of God? To say that they are would be to display a complete lack of understanding of human nature. They may have to turn off the switch of the instrument, but be assured, that current of thought will not be turned off in their minds.
To bring television into your home is like planting the most noxious and poisonous weed among the choicest flowers and hoping the weeds will not grow. Some of our readers may reply that their children will see these things elsewhere; perhaps this danger can be eliminated or greatly reduced if they are properly instructed in what is pleasing to the Lord. In any event, they can learn that you do not approve of television, and will not allow it in your home. If your neighbor keeps rattlesnakes in his yard, it is no reason for you to do so. It would be folly to keep the venomous reptiles so that the children would learn how to handle them.
If the lawless deeds and foul sayings of the Sodomites vexed Lot’s righteous soul from day to day, what did they do for his children? The demoralizing effect on them was great—some were lost in Sodom, and those who were not became a shame and a disgrace. It is an old story of the parents allowing something that grieves them, while the children go wrong.
The contrast to this baneful influence was found in the plains of Mamre. There Abraham, the friend of God, lived in separation from Sodom, and there he enjoyed communion with God. Would not he have been defiled if the words and ways of the sinners of Sodom had been televised in his tent? Would he then have been in a fit condition to receive the Lord as his guest? And would not his family have suffered also?
Lot got into Sodom by degrees; declension is always gradual. He first lusted after it with his eye, then pitched his tent near it, later got into it—out of his tent and into a house—and finally became a municipal judge, and all to his sorrow and ruin. And will not the television scenes of borderline immodesty (if not worse), with all the defiling conversation, dull the Christian’s senses until at length he comes to not be vexed by the things that would shock anyone of spiritual sensibilities? Let us ask ourselves whether we want to be Abrahams or Lots. If it is the former, then let us not bring into our homes a direct connection with Sodom.
There will not be lacking those who will contend that what we have written is one sided and that there are also good things in video. Recently we had occasion to review a book which ostensibly sought to evaluate the good and bad of television; it was written by Edward John Carnell, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California. He found plenty of bad in video, but the good things were the very elements of the world which lies in the wicked one. (How can Christians forget the character of this world?) Concerts, orchestras, religious fiction, and such like are things found on the clean side of the broad road. That road is broad enough to accommodate everything—it has its clean and its filthy side. (And may we add here that we feel religious fiction to be one of the worst of all fictions, for it invariably distorts the Word and gives, in effect, a lie. It is particularly deceptive.)
We presume that Sodom had some good things also—perhaps some things that Lot pointed to with civic pride, but it was all under the sentence of judgment, and was only deluding its populace. By the same token, Cain’s world (Gen. 4) had some good things. This murderer invested it with commerce and industry, and the arts and sciences; but could the children of his murdered brother (if there were such) relish anything of Cain and his world? And this world has murdered the Son of God—your Saviour and mine, fellow Christian. Shall we then relish its so-called harmless attractions? Shall we rearrange our homes to make room for it to move in? Let us not forget that it is stained with the precious blood of our Redeemer, that Satan is its god and prince, and that by these very things he is deceiving men and leading them on to destruction. The “desires of the mind” and the “lust of the eyes”—the better things of the world—are ranked in the Word of God with the grosser things of the “lusts of the flesh” (Eph. 2:3; 1 John 2:15, 16).
After the children of Israel were redeemed by the blood of the lamb, they began a journey to the land of Canaan; and every poor sinner who comes under the shelter of the precious blood of Christ has started on his way to the Father’s house. The Israelites’ journey made them pilgrims in the wilderness, and strangers to all in the land of Egypt. They could no longer enjoy Egypt’s refinements (and it had many) any more than they could serve in its brick-making; they were strangers to the one as well as to the other. And every Christian occupies a similar place here—he is a stranger and a pilgrim, and is on his way to a better land. (May the sight of its glories, and of Him who is its glory, draw our hearts thither-ward.)
Christians still have an old nature that if allowed unjudged will readily indulge in things that are unworthy of Him who has called us. And just as the Israelites lusted after the leeks, onions, melons, and garlic of Egypt when they lost their relish for the manna, so can we enjoy the things of the world when our hearts grow cold toward Him who is the true Manna—”the bread which came down from heaven.” May we sing from the heart these words:
“Jesus Thou are enough
The mind and heart to fill;
The patient life — to calm the soul;
Thy love — its fear dispel.”
The Lord taught His disciples to pray, “Lead us not into temptation”; and the disciples in the garden were told, “Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” Bold and self-confident, or sadly indifferent, must be the Christian who can place such temptation in his home, neither considering himself, his children, or his guests. It is bringing temptation right in, and deliberately courting its consequences.
Some people think they can control TV in the home. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” We do not believe it can be controlled, but suppose you can control deadly poison, are you willing to take a chance and have it laying around the house, perhaps on the food shelf? Furthermore, your having television may be a snare to others to whom you set an example. Let no man set an occasion to fall in his brother’s way (Rom. 14:13).
We have heard a few loose remarks to the effect that television is like all inventions—radio, automobiles, etc—and that though Christians at first hesitated to accept them, they were finally accepted by all. This is specious reasoning. The world has many inventions that the Christian should not use; for instance, the theater and the picture show have come of age, and are generally accepted by professing Christians, but are they suitable for a child of God? The mere passing of time does not change that which is unsuitable, even though more Christians succumb to the temptation, and forget what manner of persons they are. May God graciously forbid that television should ever be accepted generally among the saints of God!
“Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” Jer. 2:12,13.
There remains one more point to be considered; namely, the use of television for religious dissemination. Some contend that it will be a powerful instrument for the spreading of the gospel, but with this we take exception. Will the Spirit of God endorse video as “communicating spiritual things by spiritual means” (1 Cor. 2:l3; J.N.D. Trans.)?
Will not man he preeminently before the video audience? Will it not rather exalt man than honor God? It may gain a large audience, but let us remember that it is not the number of people who listen, nor the cleverness of presentation, but the Word of God in the power of the Spirit of God that alone will accomplish results.
The book we reviewed admitted that the prime purpose of television is to entertain, and it warned those who would use it for religious purposes that they will have to make their presentation attractive or people will switch to something else. It is well know and the author of the book concurs, that religious programs will have to compete with the best of Hollywood and Broadway . What a challenge! But verily true! Did God intend that His solemn Word should be used to entertain people? Far be the thought. Is that the way He had His message presented to wicked Nineveh? Jonah was to preach the “preaching that I bid thee,” and nothing else. Did he have the accompaniment of an orchestra, or the presence of certain celebrities to make it effective? We all know the answer.
Did the Lord Jesus ever use showmanship in His preaching? NEVER, NO, NEVER! And yet, Prof. Carnell suggests that He did. To us the thought is revolting, and Christ dishonoring. When His brethren wanted Him to show Himself to the world, did He accede? No. The Jews could not understand Him because they sought honor from men, and He never did. Think how many times He dealt with souls all alone, and of the times when He cautioned them to tell no man what He had done. If on one occasion He cried publicly in the temple on a certain feast day, it was not showmanship, but doing what He had a word from God to do.
Again, did Paul make the gospel attractive? He said that as he knew the terror of the Lord he persuaded men; did he get a band to help him? He even reproved the public display made by a woman in Philippi, and would have none of it (Acts 16). Did he ever mingle fleshly attractions with the warning to flee impending doom? When he went to Corinth (where they gloried in human erudition), he hid his profound learning. He said he was determined not to know anything among them but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:l-4)—a stumbling-block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks. The gospel itself was the power of God, and Paul knew it.
Perhaps some will say, But times have changed. That is admitted, but God’s ways and powers have not changed, nor have His divine principles. He never intended His gospel to be adorned with modern inventions to make it palatable. And yet some Christians are willing to add the world’s attractions to the precious glad tidings. We are bold to say, It is not of God. Christians who use devious methods to get an audience are not striving lawfully according to 2 Timothy 2:5. They might as well condone adding the condemned attractions of a condemned Nineveh to Jonah’s message.
We will, however, add one word about God’s sovereignty. He may, if He chooses, use something that a man hears to that man’s salvation, even though it be mixed up with things He cannot approve; but that in no way invalidates the principles set forth above. He is sovereign and can do as He pleases, but we are servants who are to follow the rules. We have heard of people being saved through words spoken by unbelievers—yes, even by infidels—but that does not prove that we should enlist the help of such. Let us remember that God is not dependent on any man, or any group of men, or any invention or innovation to save a soul. We rejoice whenever we hear of a soul that gets saved, whatever the means that were used, but we as instructed in the mind of God must refuse the assistance of carnal means in our gospel work. May God give us to have the balances of the sanctuary with which to properly appraise the things that meet us in the last days. Not everything is edifying, not everything is lawful. We need the anointed eye to discern the things that are excellent, and grace to shun all else. Is not television Satan’s great masterpiece of deception? Does it not combine his stock in trade—”the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”—by which he deceives men? The Israelites had “light in their dwellings” while the Egyptians had nothing but darkness; you, dear Christian, are a child of light and your home should be marked by the light of God being there. If you bring in television, you will bring with it the “unfruitful works of darkness.” Beware of the devil’s bait. Resolve with the Lord’s help to keep out that which you know cannot enter your home “to the glory of God.”
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Cor. 10:31.
Television and the Christian Home
by J. Kerr Duff (1899-1983)
There are many perils which threaten the spiritual well-being of the believer in these last closing days. Some of these dangers are apparent and can be easily discerned, while others are like sunken rocks which cannot be readily seen, but are for that very cause all the more dangerous. Such a menace to the Christian is to be found in television (TV) which Satan exploits for the accomplishment of his own sinister ends. No one will deny that it is a most wonderful invention and some items in the programs are educational and instructive, but for the child of God, the detrimental effects on the soul will far outweigh the seeming advantages. There is no desire to encroach on the personal liberty of any brother or sister, but rather to lovingly warn any who may be tempted to follow the trend of the world, and be caught in the snare. The writer believes that viewing TV programs is harmful to spiritual prosperity, and that television will prove a curse if brought into the home. The Lord said unto Ezekiel, “I have set thee a watchman … therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth and warn them from Me” (Eze. 33:7).
There are five simple yet weighty reasons why we who are believers in Christ should avoid acquiring a TV set.
1 FOR OUR OWN SAKES
Beloved brethren and sisters, we have been born again by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever (1 Peter 1:23). It is God’s desire that we should grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. This spiritual growth results from feeding on God’s word (1 Peter 2:2), and communing with the Lord in prayer. Now, if we waste our time watching TV, there is nothing more certain than that we shall lose our appetite for the Scriptures and our desire to pray. Then we will imperceptibly become weak and impoverished in soul; moreover, the conscience, will become defiled and we shall lose the joy of God’s salvation.
Remember one has said “Mine eye affecteth my heart,” therefore let us be very careful what we see as well as what we hear.
Much better to go in for the blessed experience of 2 Cor. 3:18-
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2. FOR OUR CHILDREN’S SAKE
God is very concerned for the welfare of His people’s children as can be seen in both Old and New Testaments. (See Ex. 10:9, Deut. 6:7, Eph. 6:4, Col. 3:21).
If God has blessed us with a family, He commands us to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. He wants us to put their salvation before education, recreation, or worldly advancement. Christian parents who live with eternity’s values in view will seek to do this by living Christ before them, by reading God’s Word with them, and by praying continuously for them. Also, by bringing them under the sound of the Gospel as frequently as possible, since it has pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe (1 Cor. 1:21). The influence of loving parents, who honour God, is powerful, and cannot be overestimated.
Now, when TV is introduced into the home, the godly atmosphere is changed, and the children who are naturally keen to watch programs are mentally transported to the cinema. We probably would be greatly shocked to see our children in a cinema lineup yet when we bring in TV, do we not virtually bring the theater in to them? Experience shows that when children become obsessed with TV, it is almost impossible to get them to attend gospel meetings.
>Some may say:- “But I would not allow my child to see everything that appears on TV.” That may be true, you may be selective and switch off when undesirable items are coming over, but will your family be so discriminating? Will they not rather be curious to see everything that is to be seen when you are not there, or when they feel old enough to assert their own wills in the house. Surely all parents, who realize the dreadful possibility of rearing children who may lose their souls, will agree that we should refrain from bringing into our homes anything that may cause them to miss salvation.
3. FOR OUR BRETHREN’S SAKE
“Am I my brothers keeper?” were the words of Cain after he had slain his brother Abel. God’s question infers that it was His intention that he should have been. In 1 Cor. 12, the local assembly is viewed as a body with the several members all functioning for the good of the whole. God would teach us that we are all closely linked together, each affected by the other, for if “one member suffer all the members suffer with it.” If this aspect of truth is appreciated, it will readily be seen that TV installed in the home of a believer may have serious repercussions in the assembly. Some perhaps, will not care, but many beloved brethren and sisters who have a conscience about this thing will be sorely grieved while other weak Christians may be emboldened by the example and stumble. Furthermore, if an elder in the assembly has TV in the home, will the saints not regard him as a worldly Christian and thus lose confidence in his leadership? Certainly, if he is one who is apt to teach his ministry will have less weight in the meeting.
4. FOR OUR NEIGHBOUR’S SAKE
One of the greatest arguments in favour of the Gospel is the fact that the believer has a peace and a joy independent of circumstances. He derives his joy not from the world’s cisterns, but from “the wells of salvation.” The Lord Jesus said to the woman of Samaria – “He that drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” We can sing:-
Now none but Christ can satisfy,
None other Name for me,
There’s love and life and lasting joy,
Lord Jesus found in Thee.
The impact of Christians who are full of this joy of the Lord upon the unsaved, is tremendous. They see that we have happiness and peace, without going in for the pleasures and sports of the world. But will our testimony in this respect not be altogether nullified if our unsaved neighbours observe that we have to resort to the ways and means through which they derive their enjoyment? If we fail to keep our souls in spiritual health through fellowship with God, we shall become backsliders in heart, if not in life, and like Lot, we shall seem like one that mocked, unto those whom we would warn and seek to win for Christ.
5. FOR THE LORD’S SAKE
The Lord has redeemed us with His precious blood, therefore we are not our own, we have been bought with a price. We have been redeemed to be his own special possession. He will have us in glory with Him by and by , but he wants to have fellowship with us NOW. He is jealous of our affections and cannot bear the world to steal away our hearts.
When we consider the case of the cleansed leper in Lev. 14, we observe that the blood of the sacrifice was put on the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand and the great toe of the right foot. Then upon the blood-marked ear, thumb, and toe, was put the oil. This finds its antitype in the blood of Christ by which we have been cleansed from sin and the Holy Spirit by whom we have been sealed. It teaches us that God claims all our faculties, our actions and our will. What we think, say, hear and see, what we do and where we go, should manifest our subjection to the Lordship of Christ.
Brethren, the coming of our Lord draweth nigh, now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Let us keep our hearts true to Christ, and our homes free from the world. Then we shall be able to sing truthfully to the glory of God –
I have seen the Cross of Jesus,
Gazed upon the Crucified,
And my heart is won forever,
I am saved and satisfied.
Earth’s joys no longer charm me,
And the world has lost its hold,
But my heart will sing with gladness,
When the pearly gates unfold.
The Stranger Who Moved In With Us
A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.
As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mum taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger… he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.
If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn’t seem to mind.
Sometimes, Mum would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet. (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)
Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home – not from us, our friends or any visitors Our long time visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush. My Dad didn’t permit the liberal use of alcohol but the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.
I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked… And NEVER asked to leave.
More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into my parents’ den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.
His name? … We just call him ‘TV’.
Should Christians Watch TV?
“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes” [Psalm 101:3]
In order to properly answer the question “Should Christians Watch TV?” we need to find out what the Bible says about what God expects of us. If you are of the opinion that we dare not be judgmental by speaking out about specific activities, remember that Jesus said “judge with righteous judgment” [John 7:24], lest we come under the condemnation of God’s Word and find ourselves among those spoken of here: “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness” [Prov 30:12].
This study touches on a subject that affects many people today. It is of concern to both Christians and non-Christians. We are concerned with the Christian perspective since God’s people need to be concerned about things that concern God. When we study the Bible diligently we can see how God has an opinion on everything already, since the Bible addresses all aspects of our lives by its descriptions of what is holy and pleasing to God and what is offensive and displeasing to God. God has provided the Bible to warn us about things that can harm us and things that can hurt our relationship to Him. Many different things that have the potential for harming our relationship to God and others, can be substituted for TV in the discussion below such as reading worldly books and magazines, watching sporting events, surfing the Internet, playing video games, etc. And many new forms of worldly entertainment have crept into our lives since the advent of the Internet in the 1990s. There are some very ungodly movies, songs, videos, games and other activities on the Internet that are not only preventing Christians from “redeeming the time”, but are also a major source of mental pollution and moral corruption.
Hopefully you will be confronted with many challenging, thought-provoking questions to encourage you to examine your own situation and come away with a better understanding of the holiness of God and His will for His people. “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” [I Cor 9:24]
Is there anything I could get exposed to by watching TV, commercials included, that would pollute my mind?
2 Cor 7:1 – “dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Does God really care if I accidentally see something sinful or ungodly on TV?
Deu 7:26 – “Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.”
James 4:4 – “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
Does God want me to be unnecessarily exposed to people who mock Him and His commandments and that desensitize me to the sin in me and around me?
Psa 1:1 – “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”
Jude 1:17-18 – “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.”
Can I honestly say to God that I am being his obedient servant when I sit down in front of a TV set? Is that the calling he calls me to?
Rom 12:1 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Would I tell another Christian that if they want to renew their mind and avoid being conformed to this world, they should watch TV?
Rom 12:2 – “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Is even the most Godly of TV shows more important than reading the Bible, spending time in prayer or ministering to a person in need?
Do I already spend too much time in the word and in prayer? We need to be honest with ourselves and with God about how we spend our time. Is what I am watching drawing me nearer to God? Psalm 119:105 says:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” It does NOT say: TV is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Proverbs 3:13-15 says: “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.”
Does watching TV expose my eyes (and mind) to ungodly and unholy things?
Mat 6:22-23 “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”
Does TV help me to redeem the time?
Eph 5:15-16 “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
Could things on TV negatively affect others in my home?
Mat 18:6-9 – “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”
Is TV viewing the most profitable use of my time?
Titus 3:8 – “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”
The Bible exhorts us to do things that are good and profitable. What do I teach family members about my priorities by watching TV instead of having family devotions? What am I telling God when I watch TV and rarely if ever spend quality time in prayer with Him? Should I even watch the news when I have yet to make time in the day to pray for family, friends, church leadership, the congregation, missionaries, our nation’s youth, leaders, judges, teachers, police, prisoners, the elderly, the sick, the handicapped, the homeless, the jobless and people in bondage to all sorts of sins?
What is the spiritual value of watching TV?
1 Cor 3:12-15 – “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
Where does TV watching fit in to God’s plan for me? Is it comparable to gold, silver, costly stones?
Whose time am I wasting if I watch TV?
1 Cor 6:19-20 – “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Does TV help me to glorify God more than praying for and witnessing to the lost or more than ministering to the body of Christ?
Do I want to be counted among the unprofitable and slothful servants?
Prov 24:30-32 “I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.”
Think of all the productive things you could be doing for the Lord with time you may currently be spending vegetating in front of the tube.
Does TV fit into my role as an ambassador for Christ?
Eph 6:19-20 – “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
Am I ignoring admonitions in God’s word to avoid putting wicked things before my eyes?
Psa 101:3 – “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes”
Does TV fit into my role as a soldier in God’s army?
2 Tim 2:3-4 “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
Do soldiers get paid and trained to watch TV or to do battle? Is TV preparing me to do battle with the enemy or is it giving me new enemies to worry about?
Does TV viewing prepare me to have the heart and mind of Christ?
1 Cor 2:16-3:1 – “who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.”
Can you picture the King of Kings and Lord of Lords telling his disciples that he needed to watch TV to unwind from ministering to the masses of lost sheep who followed him everywhere? He sought and found his rest in the quiet time he spent in prayer alone with his Father. We are supposed to be in the world but not of the world and we are supposed to enjoy living for the Lord and according to his teachings. When we start to enjoy things that the world is in love with, we are dangerously out of touch with the Spirit of God.
Just how serious are the consequences of not caring much about the potential for TV’s harmful affects?
Prov 1:29-33 – “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.”
Is TV helping me to be like Christ?
1 John 2:15-16 – “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
2 Tim 2:16 – “But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”
What is the best place to seek out profane and vain babblings if not on television where the vain wares and the ungodly wisdom of the world are peddled 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Does TV help me to hear God’s voice?
Isa 6:8 – “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
Has TV become an idol or unclean thing in my life?
2 Cor 6:16-17 – “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you”
Am I seeking rest from the wrong source?
Many people feel that watching TV helps them unwind from a weary day. After all the scriptures we’ve looked at, can we say that TV is an appropriate place to turn for rest for our weary soul? Isn’t it the Lord we should be going to in prayer and in the Word?…
Exod 33:14 – “And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”
Also, shouldn’t we at times turn to other believers?…
2 Cor 1:4 – “Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
Gal 6:2 – “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
If we are finding peace, rest and comfort in front of a TV set, perhaps we should be examining ourselves to see if we are in the faith. It is one thing to need physical rest and quite another thing entirely to willingly and repeatedly expose oneself to things that grieve a thrice-holy God.
Once I’ve admitted to God what I should be doing with HIS time, what is the next step?
Luke 17:7-10 – “But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”
If you’ve gotten this far in this study, Praise the Lord! I know that this is a very sensitive subject with many Christians today. If it is sensitive for you, ask yourself why? Why do I have a problem with a particular point mentioned above? Ask yourself: Would the Church of Jesus Christ in America be better off today without TV? Would I personally be better off without TV? Would my relationship to Christ suffer if I put my TV on the curb the next time the sanitation crew stopped by to pick up the garbage? Seriously! Is there really any way in which my relationship to Christ would suffer if TV (or whatever else may be consuming my ‘spare’ time) was removed from my life? If the honest answer is ‘no’, and I believe it is ‘no’, then we must ask ourselves: What is it doing in my life?
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD,
choose you this day whom ye will serve”
[Joshua 24:15]