By: Scott Adkins, Sling ‘n Stone Ministry
Carter County Times
God requires we “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,” (Ephesians 5:11), and warns that “without holiness, no man shall see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14). Psalms 101:3 declares: “No wicked thing will I set before mine eyes.” Despite these divine admonitions – and hundreds more – Americans’ online streaming minutes in 2021 exceeded 15 million years! How do God’s admonitions toward holiness and purity touch online streaming?
We need consider but one relatively benign, and very popular, streaming series, “Reacher.” “Reacher’s” first season showed murders; vengeance; violence; and fornication. God condemns those things. (Romans 1:29-31). God also condemns those who “have pleasure in them that do (those things).” (Romans 1:32). Romans 1:32’s “have pleasure in” means “to approve of.” If we watch such things to entertain ourselves, how do we tell Jesus we don’t approve of those things?
Other streaming series, like “Queer Eye,” are far worse, promoting cross-dressing, sodomy, and homosexual marriage. Those sins, God says, bring His “vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 7). Right about now, folks are thinking, “Well, I don’t watch that.” Prayerfully, that’s true. But that might not matter. Why? Because although we might not watch the worst of the worst, we take the money God gives us and pay subscriber fees to networks that defile men’s souls with this streaming flood of filth.
Proverbs 3:9 commands we “honor the Lord with our substance,” i.e., our money. But how do we tell Jesus we’re doing that when we pay subscriber fees to some filth-streaming network? Jesus commands we keep our garments, i.e., our lives, “unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27); (Revelation 3:4). How do we tell Jesus we’re doing that when we entertain ourselves by watching what He calls filth? (Lamentations 1:8-9); (Job 15:16); (I Peter 3:21) (“the filth of the flesh”).
Jesus also commands us: “be ye holy in all manner of conduct; because it is written, be ye holy for I am holy.” (I Peter 1:15-16). He gives no wiggle room. Suppose we’re in heaven. Think we’ll find Jesus there munching popcorn and streaming some video that exalts what He died to save us from? No! We’ll find Jesus there always interceding for us. (Romans 8:34). So, “be ye holy” and stop streaming sin. Why?
To say we follow Him, we must “walk as He walked,” (I John 2:6), and He – the Lord Jesus Christ – “knew no sin.” (II Corinthians 5:21). To walk as He walked, we must “keep [ourselves] pure” from sin. (I Timothy 5:22). We cannot say we follow Jesus yet pollute ourselves with the very filth He died to cleanse us from. Friends, the Lord Jesus Christ means business: “[W]ithout holiness, [we] shall not see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14). So, let’s stop streaming sin and follow Jesus on His “highway of holiness,” (Isaiah 35:8), worshipping Him in the “beauty of holiness.” (Psalms 96:9). Why? Because “He that is Holy, He that is True,” (Revelation 3:7), accepts nothing less.
