(Genesis 39:7-12; Proverbs 1:10; Romans 6:13; Ephesians 6:13)
The newest of the television programs designed to bring in high ratings regardless of the content is FOX’s Temptation Island. These are the same people who brought us Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire, and other programs void of any morality. This newest program though has got to set some sort of record for sending every immoral message possible. The entertainment world, movies, t.v., radio, music is often an easy target because of the incredible garbage they pollute our society with. It is part of the world we live in, part of our life, and from time to time I feel led by the Lord to comment on it since we are all exposed to it. Temptation Island is a “reality” program where 4 couples in “committed relationships”–.that means they are not married but living together–go to this tropical island for 2 weeks, are separated, and then placed in close proximity to a dozen or so very attractive people of the opposite sex during this two week separation. The goal, I guess, is to see if they will fall into temptation. Having been involved in broadcast media for years, I understand that the goal of the networks is simple. It is all about money and ratings equal money. For those who have no, or very little moral base to their lives, this type of program is very appealing and I have no doubt will be very successful in achieving the networks goal of attracting viewers.
Let me just take a second to point out a couple very obvious points. First off, living together is a sin. I don’t care what kind of rationalization you want to use, it is a sin. If sex is involved, it is cut and dried since fornication is simply sex between two people who are not married as man and wife. Even if sex is not involved, the Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, “Avoid every kind of evil.” Not only does living together have the appearance of evil, but it puts you in the position of being able to fall into sin very easily. Then you have this whole premise of testing themselves for two weeks by being apart, and being with beautiful people of the opposite sex to see if they will be unfaithful. My friends, this is why the Bible tells us to flee form temptation, to avoid temptation, so that we will NOT fall. I get emails daily from men and women asking how far they should go with their boyfriend or girlfriend. Listen carefully, it is not a game to see how “far” we can go without sinning. If you are at that point YOU HAVE ALREADY SINNED!!! Jesus said, “If you lust in your heart, you have already committed the act of adultery.” The physical act is simply the manifestation of the sin you have already committed in your heart!
For those who have read my Devotionals for a while know, I am NOT a person that believes in condemning people. I am not telling you that if you watch this program you are going to hell. But I am saying, pray daily about what you expose yourself to. Pray about the things you see and the things you hear. The Bible talks of renewing our mind. That in essence means we push out the garbage, those things of no eternal importance, and replace it with the living Word of God. As you mature spiritually, you start to lose interest in many things of the world since you come under conviction and realize they just aren’t important. I am NOT saying we shouldn’t have fun and enjoy life. I urge you to do that often. But I am saying we need to guard about the things we expose ourselves to. This is not a new problem either. From the early church on, Paul and others in leadership recognized that in their society there were many things that believers did not need to be involved with but were always going to be there. Many prior to being a Christian many have been involved in all kinds of ungodly things. We realize as we are saved that they have no place in our lives anymore. We change our focus from the things of this world to the things of God.
I love you and care about you so much. I pray today that you will deal with temptation the way Joseph dealt with temptation. He ran from it!!! There is no shame in running from sin. As a matter of fact, God tells us to run from it! I pray each day as temptations come your way, you will follow the example of Joseph and run from sin. God loves you, and has promised to always give you a path of escape form sin. ALWAYS. The question, today, is when faced with temptation do you run from it??? . . . or to it???
