Life In My Father's World: Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades and the popcorn effect. Why I am NOT watching.

Fifty Shades of Grey is a popular book which has been made into a movie. I haven’t read the book and don’t intend to. Same with the movie.

From the title, I would suppose that the premise deals with wrongs in shades of wrong/grey, with the excuse that it is only a little wrong, or that it is OK because…..Sounds like situational ethics, and that doesn’t appeal to me. If it is wrong, then it is wrong regardless the circumstance.

From the discussions I have read and heard, it (the book/movie) apparently deals with lust and sex. “What’s the big deal?” “If we are adults, why not?” “I’m not really doing anything, only watching - it is just entertainment” are some of the comments I have heard. The idea that merely watching but not participating is thought of as okay, bothers me. Here are some of my reasons.

1) Matthew 15:18-20a “The things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man.” (notice that even evil thoughts are included alongside the murders that defile man.)

2) James 1:14, 15 “…Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” (notice that the start of sin is our lust)

3) Romans 1:18-32 (paraphrased) the wrath of God will come against everyone who is unrighteous. We have no excuse for not knowing about God because evidence is all around us in His creation. Those denying Him and His truth are foolish, and 24“God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity”. 26 "God gave them over to degrading passions”, 28“God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil…32 those who practice such things are worthy of death, they (who know the ordinance of God) not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”

Personally, I don’t see the grey there. It seems to be pretty well explained. So, I don’t want to put into my mind things that defile both my mind and my heart. When I put lust in my mind, that gives birth to sin. Filling my heart and mind with lustful things even causes me to give approval to others who do them. God warns us to do away with evil in our lives, but will allow those who continue to practice these things to continue in them - with the result being impurity, degrading passions, depraved minds, all of which are worthy of the wrath of God, and death.

Consider walking into a room where fresh hot popcorn has just been popped and buttered, and salted, and you inhale that aroma. Doesn't that make you want to taste some? It works the same way with sin.

I have made my decision, and also encourage you to “not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead (saved) and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” Romans 6:12, 13 As you have seen, the consequences are dire.

Father in heaven,
we see Your presence all around us in Your marvelous creation. Help us to see clearly Your desire to protect us from the danger of being enticed by the things in the world. Help us to discern Your truth and not be misled by those things that encourage us to go against that truth.

Thank You for giving us Your word, and equipping us to live in the world without being like the rest of the world.

In Jesus' name,
Amen

If the movie is about paint chips, I apologize. As always, I invite your comments.