fleeing from sin
May 26, 2006
i had breakfast with a good friend a few weeks ago. it was great to catch up with her, since i haven't talked to her much over the past few months. one topic we got onto was the whole issue of Christians and clubbing. i, myself, have never been to a club consciously. the only time i was at a club was for our grad-show after-party... but i didn't even realize it was a club until we got there! i had thought we were going to a coffee-shop type place, but boy was i wrong. i hated every moment of it. i sat on a couch the whole time and wanted to go home.
my friend had gone before, to celebrate a birthday party with her friend. she was appalled at what she saw. she was appalled that Christians would subject themselves to such an environment. at first off, it might seem that going to clubs with a group of Christian friends seems really innocent, but we must remember our lives affects those around us. people go to clubs to hook up. some go there for their own sexual pleasure.
as my friend was there, she saw a guy go up behind one of her friends and start grinding behind her. so she pulled her friend away (she had no idea that guy was doing it). she also noticed how even moving about the club was sketchy. because they are typically very packed, bodies are forced to rub up on other people. and as people move about, body parts might get touched by others (either intentionally or unintentionally). also, she noticed how guys would watch other girls dance. as a Christian, even if you're having a great time with your friends as you dance, you are probably be looked at as a piece of meat from other people. why subject yourself to that? why give people that chance?
my friend was on guard at all times while she was there. she watched over her friends that were dancing, to make sure no guys went near them. is that an environment where Christians should be in? i remember her saying, why should Christians subject themselves to an environment where they have to be on guard at all times? simply to have fun? why can't they engage in fun activities that don't require that?
the way i see it, if you like to dance, dance onto the Lord! i'm reminded of the wonderful celebrations that went on in the OT when they moved the ark of the covenant back to jerusalem. every few steps, they had a worship service. as the neared the city of david, david danced before the Lord with all His might (cf. 2 sam 6:14).
i was very encouraged by our talk. that week, i thought a lot about what it meant to live in the world, but not be of it. i thought a lot about how so often, Christian live lives that are really no different from the rest of the world. i thought about the whole concept of fleeing from sin.
what does that look like? it means we run away from anything that can tempt us, ensnare us. it means we become intentional about the things we say, think, watch, do, listen to, eat, spend time in. but this does not come easily. because we live in such a media-saturated culture, we've become apathetic about many of the things we see and hear due to frequent exposure. violence, sex, corrupt morals in our movies, tv programs, music (to list a few) no longer bother us. we may even snicker or laugh at them. we might even joke about such things. i know i've been there before.
i think there's something seriously wrong with that. as Christians, we are called to live in the world, but not be of it. that means we don't live by the standards, values, morals set by it. how are we different than those in the world if we are apathetic? if we participate in the same things that everyone else does? i believe that one of the reasons the LORD gave the israelites the ten commandments was to set apart His people from the other nations (the primary reason was for the covenant. the israelites were given the ten commandments not as a set of rules to follow, but as a set of guidelines to show their loyalty to God). because the people of God had so many laws to adhere to, they did in fact live a very different life from those around them. it was very clear to them! but in our day in age, many Christians blend right in with the rest of the world. the only difference is church attendance, possibly some Bible reading and prayer. we are commanded to live a life worthy of the One who calls us. we are called to be the salt and light of the world (cf. matt 5:13-16).
back in high school, i remember i was so repulsed by a movie, i wanted to get up and leave. but being with two other friends who didn't have the same conviction, i didn't have that chance. instead, i closed my eyes and slept through the whole thing. in my acting class in university, we were doing an improv exercise as a class. i remember the subject matter was very ungodly. every one in the class laughed, except for me. i felt very foreign in the environment. that was the first time i actually knew what it meant to be an alien in this world (cf. 1 pet 2:11).
as our relationship with the LORD deepens, we become more like Him. as we become more like Him, we begin to love the things He loves and hate the things He hates. what does God hate? sin! He cannot tolerate it, nor can He be near it, for God is holy. sin has nothing to do with holiness. they are polar opposites. God commands us to be holy, because He is holy (cf. lev 19:2). so as we become grow closer to Him, our view of sin changes. our sinful nature no longer has control over us. we become repulsed by sin, not drawn to it. paul instructs us to live as children of light in ephesians 4:17-24. what business do we, as the children of God, have in allowing ourselves to be near sin when it can be avoided? we cannot give the devil a foothold (cf. eph 4:27). hebrews 12:1 [NIV] says "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
joseph is the classic OT example of someone who fled from sin. one day, when joseph went inside potiphar's household, there were no servants inside. potiphar's wife, for the umpteenth time, tried to seduce him. joseph's reaction? he bolted out the door as fast as he could. that's fleeing from sin! that's not allowing the devil to have a foothold. that's what we are to do.
friends, let's be intentional about the way we live our lives, in the things we watch, listen to, talk about, in the people we chose to spend our time with, in the thoughts that we have and in the activities we chose to do. we are the people of God! let's seek to live lives that reflect the glory and majesty of God that dwells in us.
"live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us" - 1 peter 2:12 [NIV]
Posted by Leo Chan at May 26, 2006 10:20 AM
Instead of saying that we should flee from sin, I think more appropriate to say to flee that we should from temptation. Sin is impossible to flee from because it's also our identity.
I am not a clubber myself and would prefer doing lots of more sports instead. Clubbing to me is a meat market for non-Christians, a place to showcase flesh, a place to raise self-esteem or to give it, a place to exchange social contacts, and one to move with the music they love. As you have seen in music videos and being at clubs youself, it's obvious there are not overly large or obese people there. Therefore it is safe to say that clubing is more for showcasing the body. It assumes that obese people who go clubig end up slimmer because of all the calories they burn. However I do not agree that Christians can't go clubbing.
As Christians, we have God and a church to which we congregate to worship via praises and songs. A central dogma to which we give physical and spiritual appreciation during worship. In worship, when you get into a mood to praise, you move your body the best you can. You boob your head, thrust your neck, and play to the tunes of your instrument. In clubs, to a lesser extent than worship, is very similar. Music encourages dancing and also the moves mentioned above and more. Music is the central theme where everyone comes to congregate to, not worship, but to move to the music with everyone else. Not because of meat but to the enjoyment of musical worship. If there were Christian electronica, jazz, alternative rock songs, I would get with the music too. While there are mostly Christians in church worships, there also also non-believers who dares to take that chance. While there are mostly non-Christians at clubs, it doesn't mean they can't be there to enjoy the music. True that music at clubs, accompanied with the darkness and lots of alcohol, can lead to other behaviours but that's why Christians often go to clubs in a group. The Christian guys block other guys from grinding with Christian girls and to protect them, look out for obsessive drinking, etc. Similarly in our church, we know who are Christians and who we can ask out etc, like that in a club.
Because you see Christians at clubs, it doesn't mean they are apathetic to their religious values. It's true that we live by standards, values, and morals but can you say that Christians at clubs demote that when clubbing? How can one say tell that they have no Christian standards, values, or morals by going clubing if they're protecting themselves? You can't tell. Because some Christians go clubbing, how can you say that they arne't doing their devotions, they aren't praying, they aren't spiritually intune with the Lord? Listening to contemporary music is a personal preference, not a religious taboo. Going to clubs means more temptation but that doesn't mean you have to run away from it. Being the SALT of the world means to be among the mist of temptation but still to not act or think upon it which it becomes a sin. Sure that sexual connotations come with clubbing but that doesn't mean they don't exist in non-club goers either.
There are also non-clubs like raves, where in stead of alcohol, there are drugs. Everything is the same with even more sex.
I just want to let you know that Chrisitans and clubbing are not opposing sides of our religious right.
Allan
hi allan!
i appreciate your comments, but i think you missed the point of this entry. this post is not about clubbing! the viewpoints expressed here are of my friend and though i do agree with her, it's not the point at all. i included our discussion as a means to intro the topic of my entry. furthermore, no where in my post do i even suggest that Christians that go to clubs through out all their morals out the window, nor do i say they are not praying, reading their devos, as you stated.
but being on the topic, you said yourself, going to a club means more temptation. if that's the case, why subject yourself to such an environment? why give the devil a foothold in your life? joseph, in the example i referenced, fled from potiphar's wife. he fled from temptation, not go towards it. that was a very wise move by joseph.
i also do not agree that being the salt of the world means that you be among temptation. the Scriptures do not say that. when Jesus talks about that in matthew 5, the analogy of salt is in reference to its function. salt makes thing saltier, it provides flavour, taste. in the same way, Christians are representations of Christ in the world. we give the world a taste of what Christ is like.
my post was talking about intentional living as Christians. the Scriptures say that everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial, which is really the core of the message i was trying to convey. i was merely using clubbing as an example of that.
i appreciate the discourse and look forward to your thoughts.
leo
