1 Peter 2: 18-19 “For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.”

I opened up the newspaper and saw the advertisements inside. Everything from couches and furniture to houses, jobs, meals, and entertainment were being sold in full pages of bright color. Almost without exception every single ad contained something to create a desire or need for that product.

I turned on the television, on the TV guide channel to see what was on. There were advertisements there as well, obvious, blatant, sensual commercials pandering to the deep cravings of our flesh - Alcohol, women, ‘fun’, acceptance, need, “it will make life better!” I flip the channel and arrive at my chosen television show. The screen I arrive at is two teenagers “making out” in a car. The guardian of one of them catches them and is upset, not because the child was necking with someone, but rather because the child lied to the guardian. CLICK. I change the channel and arrive at “Scrubs,” a comedy parody of ER and General Hospital. Filth is everywhere. CLICK, “Friends” shows that its alright as long as you have the best intentions at heart; CLICK, “Blade” is killing vampires; CLICK, Buddy Jesus icons, fallen angels, Apostle, and Jay and Silent Bob spewing profanities to save the earth; click, click, click. The television was hopeless.

I know a person who was raised in a very conservative, Christian environment. She arrived at school and was very devout, but she started listening to the music that “everyone is listening to” and watching the television that “everyone is watching” and she started to speak and act like “everyone else” from TV and the music. She did not even realize that she was changing. Was it the music? Was it the movies? Was it her ‘freedom’ from her parents?

The world offers so much to us. There is much that sounds and - at first glance – looks good and right, yet when looked at deeper there is more that goes against the Bible. “Postman Pat” teaches that you shouldn’t try to share what you believe with others because their belief is just as valid. “Harry Potter” teaches that the ends justify the means. The media teaches that freedom to do what we want to do is right and good, that restrictions on our freedoms are a bad thing.

When we take away those restrictions, we take away the stops that were there to protect ourselves. We take away teaching morality because others can be just as valid in their beliefs, and our crime rate goes up, there are more un-wed mothers, there are more drugs, there is more travel to detox centers. We have the freedom to do what we want, right? As long as I am only hurting myself, right?

To live a life worthy of Christ, we need to understand the perils and traps that surround us. We need to know what the world is trying to teach us and we should compare it to what is taught in the Bible, this is the only way we can protect ourselves from the tempting offers of worldly “freedom.” We are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16), we are enslaved to the desires of God (Ephesians 6:6). Let us then be careful of what we feed our minds on lest we find ourselves in bondage to corruption. We escaped the world so why like the alcoholic who returns to the bar after an AA meeting should we put ourselves in danger of returning to our fleshly addictions?

IT'S NOT HARD TO BE A CHRISTIAN AND FILL A FRIENDLY PEW,
WHERE ONLY FRIENDS SURROUND YOU AND PRAISE THE THINGS YOU DO.
BUT GOD WOULD HAVE US SHARE HIS WORD WITH THOSE WHO KNOW HIM NOT,
ON DARKENED STREETS AND AVENUES WHERE SINNERS CAST THEIR LOT.
HERE DWELL THE NON-BELIEVERS, AND THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HEARD,
THAT JESUS CHRIST STILL LOVES THEM ACCORDING TO HIS WORD.
HERE DWELL THE LOST AND LONELY THE HOMELESS AND THE PROUD,
WHO LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY BY FOLLOWING THE CROWD.
HERE DWELL THE BROKEN HEARTED, THE ABANDONED AND ABUSED,
WHO HAVE SEEN THE "SUNDAY CHRISTIANS" AND WALKED AWAY CONFUSED.
IT'S NOT HARD TO BE A CHRISTIAN AND FILL A FRIENDLY PEW,
BUT AFTER THE BENEDICTION.. CAN CHRIST BE FOUND IN YOU?
~Author Unknown