Television and the Christian Home
There are many perils
which threaten the spiritual well-being of the believer in these last closing
days. Some of these dangers are apparent and can be easily discerned,
while others are like sunken rocks which cannot be readily seen,
but are for that very cause all the more dangerous.
Such a menace to the Christian is to be found
in television (TV) which Satan exploits for the
accomplishment of his own sinister ends. No one will deny that it
is a most wonderful invention and some items in the programs are
educational and instructive, but for the child of God, the
detrimental effects on the soul will far outweigh the seeming
advantages.
There is no desire to encroach on the personal
liberty of any brother or sister, but rather to lovingly warn any
who may be tempted to follow the trend of the world, and be
caught in the snare. The writer believes that viewing TV programs is harmful to spiritual prosperity, and that television will prove a curse if brought into the home.
The Lord said unto Ezekiel, "I have set
thee a watchman ... therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth and warn
them from Me" (Eze. 33:7).
There are five simple yet weighty reasons why
we who are believers in Christ should avoid acquiring a TV set.
1. For Our Own Sakes
Beloved brethren and sisters, we have been born
again "by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (1 Peter
1:23). It is God's desire that we should grow in grace and
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. This spiritual growth
results from feeding on God's word (1 Peter 2:2), and
communing with the Lord in prayer. Now, if we waste our time
watching TV, there is nothing more certain than
that we shall lose our appetite for the Scriptures and our desire
to pray. Then we will imperceptibly become weak and impoverished
in soul; moreover, the conscience, will become defiled and we
shall lose the joy of God's salvation.
Remember one has said "Mine eye affecteth
my heart," therefore let us be very careful what we see as
well as what we hear.
Much better to go in for the blessed experience
of 2 Cor. 3:18—"But we all, with open face beholding as in
a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
2. For Our Children's Sake
God is very concerned for the welfare of His
people's children as can be seen in both Old and New
Testaments. (See Ex. 10:9, Deut. 6:7, Eph. 6:4, Col. 3:21).
If God has blessed us with a family, He
commands us to bring up our children in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord. He wants us to put their salvation before
education, recreation, or worldly advancement. Christian parents
who live with eternity's values in view will seek to do this
by living Christ before them, by reading God's Word with
them, and by praying continuously for them. Also, by bringing
them under the sound of the Gospel as frequently as possible,
since it has pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe (1 Cor. 1:21). The influence of loving parents,
who honour God, is powerful, and cannot be overestimated.
Now, when TV is introduced into the home, the
godly atmosphere is changed, and the children who are naturally
keen to watch programs are mentally transported to the cinema. We
probably would be greatly shocked to see our children in a cinema
lineup yet when we bring in TV, do we not virtually bring the
theater in to them? Experience shows that when children become
obsessed with TV, it is almost impossible to get them to attend
gospel meetings.
Some may say:—"But I would not allow my
child to see everything that appears on TV." That may be
true, you may be selective and switch off when undesirable items
are coming over, but will your family be so discriminating? Will
they not rather be curious to see everything that is to be seen
when you are not there, or when they feel old enough to assert
their own wills in the house. Surely all parents, who realize the
dreadful possibility of rearing children who may lose their
souls, will agree that we should refrain from bringing into our
homes anything that may cause them to miss salvation.
3. For Our Brethren's Sake
"Am I my brothers keeper?" were the
words of Cain after he had slain his brother Abel. God's
question infers that it was His intention that he should have
been. In 1 Cor. 12, the local assembly is viewed as a body with
the several members all functioning for the good of the whole.
God would teach us that we are all closely linked together, each
affected by the other, for if "one member suffer all the
members suffer with it." If this aspect of truth is
appreciated, it will readily be seen that TV
installed in the home of a believer may have serious
repercussions in the assembly. Some perhaps, will not care, but
many beloved brethren and sisters who have a conscience about
this thing will be sorely grieved while other weak Christians may
be emboldened by the example and stumble. Furthermore, if an
elder in the assembly has TV in the home, will the
saints not regard him as a worldly Christian and thus lose
confidence in his leadership? Certainly, if he is one who is apt
to teach his ministry will have less weight in the meeting.
4. For Our Neighbour's Sake
One of the greatest arguments in favour of the
Gospel is the fact that the believer has a peace and a joy
independent of circumstances. He derives his joy not from the
world's cisterns, but from "the wells of
salvation." The Lord Jesus said to the woman of Samaria -
"He that drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall
never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him
a well of water springing up into everlasting life." We can
sing:—
Now none but Christ can satisfy,
None other Name for me,
There's love and life and lasting joy,
Lord Jesus found in Thee.
The impact of Christians who are full of this
joy of the Lord upon the unsaved, is tremendous. They see that we
have happiness and peace, without going in for the pleasures and
sports of the world. But will our testimony in this respect not
be altogether nullified if our unsaved neighbours observe that we
have to resort to the ways and means through which they derive
their enjoyment? If we fail to keep our souls in spiritual health
through fellowship with God, we shall become backsliders in
heart, if not in life, and like Lot, we shall seem like one that
mocked, unto those whom we would warn and seek to win for Christ.
5. For the Lord's Sake
The Lord has redeemed us with His precious
blood, therefore we are not our own, we have been bought with a
price. We have been redeemed to be his own special possession. He
will have us in glory with Him by and by , but he wants to have
fellowship with us NOW. He is jealous of our affections and
cannot bear the world to steal away our hearts.
When we consider the case of the cleansed leper
in Lev. 14, we observe that the blood of the sacrifice was put on
the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand and the
great toe of the right foot. Then upon the blood-marked ear,
thumb, and toe, was put the oil. This finds its antitype in the
blood of Christ by which we have been cleansed from sin and the
Holy Spirit by whom we have been sealed. It teaches us that God
claims all our faculties, our actions and our will. What we
think, say, hear and see, what we do and where we go, should
manifest our subjection to the Lordship of Christ.
Brethren, the coming of our Lord draweth nigh,
now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Let us keep
our hearts true to Christ, and our homes free from the world.
Then we shall be able to sing truthfully to the glory of God—
I have seen the Cross of Jesus,
Gazed upon the Crucified,
And my heart is won forever,
I am saved and satisfied.
Earth's joys no longer charm me,
And the world has lost its hold,
But my heart will sing with gladness,
When the pearly gates unfold.
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