Legalism?...What You Watch

I like to pass by the $5.00 movies when I go to WalMart. Every once in a while, I'll see something that I would like to have. One of those occasions it was the movie On Golden Pond. I hadn't seen it in years but remembered that I liked it, so I bought it. I put it in and began to watch it on a Saturday night. I live alone so there was nobody there but me and Jesus. In this movie, Catherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda are an old married couple. Her term of endearment to him is "Old Poop". Their daughter in the movie, Jane Fonda, even calls her dad by that name. That's not the problem. The problem is that both women put a curse word in front of it, and put the name of God before the curse word. As soon as it got to that part in the movie, and I heard the taking of God's name in vain, my heart was instantly grieved. In fact, it was so grieved that I took the movie out and threw it in the garbage with no regrets. I ask you, was that legalism?

On Golden Pond wasn't the only movie of mine that has gone in the garbage. It also happened to Rambo, Ghost, The Break Up, and several more. Many more, actually. And some of them were movies that I really enjoyed at one time. Some, like The Break Up, were movies that I had never seen and didn't even finish watching. But many were my old video tape movies that I used to catch on sale when Joshua was growing up. He and I used to love sitting on the couch and just watching movies. So I have, or HAD, a large collection. But now when I pull out a movie that I haven't seen in a long time, I just can't enjoy it like I used to. What's the difference? And could that difference be qualified as legalism?

I'll tell you what my personal opinion is. I think we use the excuse of legalism to justify our lack of holiness unto the Lord! Period! Is there such a thing as legalism? YES! I have been guilty of it, especially when I was a babe in Christ and learning the word of God. I would see how far short we fall in living God's word here in America. I have those in my life who struggle with legalism, and I pray for God's grace to break through. But God has grown me in understanding that it's not about a bunch of do and don'ts, it's about living my life abandoned to His will and His desire for making me more and more like my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you're a child of God, isn't that your greatest desire, to be more like Jesus? Yes. And don't you long for your life to glorify Jehovah God? Yes. Doesn't it just break your heart when you know you are grieving the Holy Spirit inside you? Yes. Our ultimate goal in life is not just wanting to be holy for bragging rights. It's not a contest to see who can be the most pure in your family, so you can puff out your chest and feel better-than-thou. But instead we desire for the things that God desires. We long to put away the things in our lives that God cannot possibly smile upon.

Our body, if we are true Christians, is the temple of the Holy Spirit of GOD! (1Cor. 6:19-20) I want you to remember that when I put in a movie, there is nobody else in the whole world there to see what I watch. Nobody would ever know if I watched the vilest of filth ever recorded. And when I sit down with my cup of tea or my bowl of popcorn and my blanket, I'm not thinking about anything but a couple of hours of enjoyment and entertainment in the form of a movie. It's the chance to just zone out from the struggles of life. And then comes a part in the movie where the person takes the Lord's name in vain. Whether they are happy, sad, furious, scared, no matter what their emotion, someone thought it would be a fitting place in that movie for God's holy name to be trampled upon. Instantly, and I do mean instantly, my heart just sinks! It is an instant reaction, not even anticipated by me. GRIEF! Pure grief for my precious Lord. How can I possibly enjoy something that hurts Him so bad? How?? He loves me so much! He is so very good to me! He DIED for me!! How could I hurt Him by enjoying anything in this life that tramples His very name?

You say that a movie is just innocent fun? The actor of that movie sinned against a holy God by using that word. The person who wrote the script sinned. The producer and director...on and on. Jesus had to pay the price for that sin by being tortured and killed on the cross! And now, how do you think Jesus would feel about me taking that lightly? How would He feel about me getting pleasure in hearing His name misused like that? Would I want my heart to be so calloused that I COULD watch a movie where God's name is taken in vain and it not grieve me? Never! If my heart is tender towards His honor and glory, it is only because Jesus Himself has touched me there. Do I want to make hard where the Lord of Glory has softened? Never! If the Holy Spirit of God is instantly grieved in my spirit when such language is used, would I want to tune it out, turn a deaf ear to Jehovah God? No way! Beloved, it's not me who has any self holiness. It is the holiness of God inside me that is grieved at what I allow to enter my ears, eyes, heart and mind.

Next time you put in a movie, think of Jesus sitting on the couch with you. Just you and the Lord, spending time together watching a movie. When that word is used, how do you think your Savior would react? Would He turn to you and wink, pat you on the shoulder and say, "No worries, no big deal."? No, He would be hurt. How would you feel inside to see the grief in His eyes when you can enjoy the movie and be apathetic to His heartache? Even that cost Him so much! Think about it. Remember what it cost Jesus. Is that movie really worth it? Don't you know that every single time you shrug your shoulders and continue to watch something where the Lord's name is taken in vain, you risk the day coming when you loose your ability all-together to care about keeping your body a pure temple for the Holy Spirit? You don't grow softer by shrugging your shoulders, you grow harder. You can't continue to time and time again tune out the Holy Spirit inside you, and grow in the Lord. It is in obeying the Spirit that we DO grow in the Lord, and grow more like Him. What movie, what two hours of enjoyment is worth grieving the King of kings and Lord of lords? Is it really legalism to keep your heart pure for your heavenly Husband? Is it legalism to love the Lord Jesus so much that you would be willing to forgo ever seeing a movie again that's above a PG rating, if watching R means that you will probably hear His name taken in vain? Wow, that's quite a sacrifice in life, huh? How could any God who claimed to love you want you to go without R rated movies? How could life be fulfilling without the entertainment of Hollywood?

Don't believe the lie that God's dealings with you on holiness is all about legalism. You will be listening to Satan for the rest of your life if you don't ever believe that God wants to make you and keep you pure for your Husband. God wants to soften your heart, make you ever tender for your Master and King. He wants you to be so very in love with Jesus. He wants your desire to be for nothing but what He desires for you. He wants your heart to be tender, whether you are a woman or a rough and tough manly man, he wants you tender on the inside. He wants you to love Jesus so very much that it tears you up inside to have to hear His name taken in vain. What would that cost you? Not watching those movies? So what? Look at what all those sins cost our precious Savior! Holiness unto the Lord. You, a pure, spotless bride. You don't have to wait until you are in heaven to seek to be pure for Jesus! Take a stand in your household. Determine to remain pure for your King. See if God doesn't honor and bless that vow to keep His dishonor from entering through your doors. See if He doesn't fill that space of movie time with more joy than you could ever imagine. You won't be missing a thing! You will gain peace and joy unspeakable. You will bless the heart of Jehovah God. What could be better than that?