Set Apart

A really good friend and I were talking tonight about the phenomenon that is Magic Mike and 50 Shades of Gray. We are both apalled that anyone who calls themselves Christ-followers would seek out these as entertainments, and laughingly said that if you were going to do it, you surely shouldn't advertise on Facebook that you are doing it! :-)
The thing is, it's true that this movie and those books are extremely popular right now. But as Christ-followers, we have to remember that we are NOT to follow the crowd! The Bible tells us in Leviticus 20:26, "You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own."
He has SET US APART...we aren't like the world...we are set apart from ALL other people. Furthermore, in Matthew 5: 27-30, we see that  “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." 
Do you really think that because it is generally women who will be looking at, and lusting after, men that God's commandment is any less applicable? Do you really believe that a man lusting after a woman is adultery but a woman lusting after a man is OK? Of course it isn't!
Continuing this idea, we see in Matthew 18:16-20:  "Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”
Can you imagine the frustration Jesus must have felt at His disciples? 'Come on, people! Don't you get it yet?? It isn't about the washing of the hands, guys! It's about the principle behind the washing of the hands!'
There's a pithy saying: GIGO - Garbage In, Garbage Out. It's true folks! You can't serve God and your own fleshly desires! If you put in the garbage that is contained in the movie and those books, I guarantee you that garbage is what will be coming out - in your thoughts, in your expectations, and maybe even in your words and deeds. 
We can not let our minds get any more polluted with the world. When something is a raging phenomenon in the world, especially, especially, especially when that raging phenomenon is the "hottest thing since..." we as Christ-followers should closely examine it against the standards Paul gave us in his letter to the Philippians: 
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Phil 4:8)
I hope I don't have to further point out that letting your 12 or 13 year old daughter watch Magic Mike is akin to taking your 12 or 13 year old son to a strip joint. If you wouldn't do the latter, why in the world would you do the former???


Thanks for letting me rant a little, as I take just a few more steps toward Home...


Cassie


all Scripture is from the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible, (c) 2007 by Tyndale House, and retrieved from Bible.cc
any emphasis in the Scripture text is mine, and is not meant to change the original intent of the Word of God, but just to point out my point. :-)