While we may look at other cultures and disdain their use and abuse of women, this movie promotes the same behaviors with a cloud of niceties over it. The immorality of this movie includes the devaluing and twisting of a godly relationship between a man and woman, and the pornographic and violent use of people for our own (and the enemy’s) pleasure. But because it’s presented with passion, wealth,and the mutual agreement of the two main characters, it’s a shade of gray lighter than the outright vicious and violent abuse we condemn in other societies.
This is how the enemy works (and he is a master at it): he presents a lighter, more palatable shade of gray, mixing the boundaries of good and bad before he darkens our world one more shade. He’s been doing this for centuries (darkening the minds and lives of society’s members) and we have obliviously allowed ourselves to boil in this slow process. In fact, we have fed the entertainment industry with billions of dollars and elevated disturbed and twisted individuals to positions of authority and fame, all the while pointing our fingers at other cultures who live ‘below’ our moral standards.
Consider our society’s progression of immorality in movies, books and other entertainment from 50 years ago until now: in 1950 two of the most popular movies in the USA were Rio Grande and Harvey (Imbd.com). These were innocent and fun forms of entertainment compared to 50 Shades. In 2014, we are inundated with immoral and violent television series such as Hannibal as well as ‘on demand’ porn available on the internet and pay for view television. All of this is set before us in prime time for our entertainment, as though we are simply watching birds on a feeder outside of someone’s kitchen window. If there’s a little excitement, a little romance or a life of luxury mixed in with the immorality and porn, we accept the various shades of gray with open arms.
“50 Shades…” is appropriately named: it’s the perfect picture of a paint sample in various shades and intensities of lewd and lascivious gray. But it’s also a wake-up call for Christians, a time to realize just how far off base we have gone and how deeply we have become enmeshed in a society that presents varying degrees and shades of immorality for us to participate in. As long as we’re not on the dark end of the shade spectrum we might consider ourselves to be upright, moral, and in good standing with God. But God’s plumb line is not the lesser shade of gray that society sees as upright, it’s His word and His heart! He has shed His blood that we might be washed and clothed in garments as white as snow.
I could go on and on about the terrible effects of this movie and the immoral condition of society, and we might likely agree on those points. But the question I am asking myself, and prompting you to ask yourself, is ‘what shade am I?’ What shade have I become as I’ve been immersed in society and surrounded by its ‘soft’ forms of immorality, lewdness and violence? Do I see that I’m betrothed to Jesus Christ, and is my heart and mind single on Him and the holy beauty of our relationship? Or am I enticed by other‘lovers’ who take my mind and affections off of my Beloved, just as they did with the Israelites in the Old Testament? May God help us to reflect on these questions and come to a conclusion which draws us deeper into relationship with Him!
Let us rejoice and shout for joy [exulting and triumphant]!Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb [at last] has come, and His bride has prepared herself. She has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen, dazzling and white--for the fine linen is (signifies, represents) the righteousness (the upright, just, and godly living, deeds, and conduct, and right standing with God) of the saints (God's holy people) [Rev 19:7-8 AMP].
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