We recently touched on a very important matter in our look at 1 Corinthians 6 and Paul’s command to “Flee immorality” (porneia). Our culture is completely inundated by the deceitful spirit of porniea. It pulses through our popular music, dominates television, pervades the movies, and taunts us from billboards. It is very easy to access on the Internet and now can be downloaded onto our phones. Satan has perfected a system to set porneia’s hooks into God’s people, especially children and youth. He has the cooperation of large industries with vast resources and direct access to young minds.
It was only a few weeks ago that prominent British music producer Mike Stock said, “99% of the charts is R&B, and 99% of that is soft pornography.” He is a top music producer, and he is not a Christian, but he has recently become a Dad. Now his world has changed.
It is imperative that children of the godly be taught not to swim in the polluted waters of sensuality, covetous and shameless speech. Porneia’s strength lies in deception (1 Cor 6:9-10, Eph 5: 3-6). Children are by nature fools (Prov 22:15). The foolish are by nature subject to being deceived. Satan uses this, so the godly parent must be vigilant. There are parents who would do anything to keep their child from swimming in a toxic lake, which can only damage their bodies. Those same parents may be quite lazy about things which twist the soul. Is it a lack of faith that makes us live by sight and ignore the far greater spiritual realities in the world?
Dads and Moms, know your children. Know what they watch and hear for fun. Never assume a child is wise. Listen to their iPods and phone downloads. Read the lyrics of their music. Watch their favorite TV programs. They often list them on Facebook. Admonish them about the importance of a pure heart, and respect for God, for the opposite sex, for their own bodies and souls. If 99% of popular music is softcore pornography, shouldn’t you be there protecting them, warning them, teaching them?
The Christian is to be an alien and stranger in this world. We are to be “unstained by the world” (James 1:27). Feeding on filth makes being unstained impossible…not unlikely…impossible. The follower of Christ is to be “wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil” (Rom 16:19). Evil is not a proper subject of the believer’s study. We are to be innocent of the world’s ways, unmixed, unstained, pure. If we give ourselves to good, then we will recognize evil when it comes, and Jesus promised it will come. Preparation for temptation is to have heart and mind immersed in what is good.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Phil 4:8
Porneia, hard or soft, isn’t it. Fight it. Be informed. Teach. Clean the leaven of sin out of your homes, and that may mean limiting or blocking many TV channels. Your home should be a refuge from the world’s garbage, not an access point for it. The world already has deeply penetrated the hearts of many of our children. Don’t give them up without a fight.
Yours in Christ
Originally printed in The AFBC Pony Express. Vol. IV, No. 2, February 2011.