A4P Guest: “Is watching a movie a sin?”
A4P: Hmm! Your question is a bit vague.
A4P Guest: Oh, you know, watching movies, like family, love and thriller movies?
A4P: I mean, there are many beautiful movies out there, directed by Christians movie makers, such as Facing the Giants, Courageous, Faith Under Fire and more. I love these movies and I sometimes watch them again and again.
And am I signing against God when I watch these movies? I don’t think so. I actually get challenged spiritually for the better.
As a Christian, it is always good to ask yourself before you watch a movie: “What do I get out of this movie? Will the movie bring me close to Christ or away from Him?”
You see, for us Christians, our main purpose in life is to glorify God in everything we do and say.
A4P Guest: As Christians, what’s wrong with relaxing and enjoying myself while watching a movie? I don’t think God is against that, is He?
A4P: Not at all! God is actually for our joy all the time. He does not want anything to take away our true joy and peace. However, the Bible says, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 NASB
So, it is good to ask yourself in what way the movie you watch is going to add any value in to your life. You see, there is no “neutral” movie per say, means, every movie has a message that can influence, impact and shape your worldview. And every movie promotes some kind of moral values. And I believe it is good to see if those moral values matches yours which are biblical moral values. You can use pluggedin.com (branch of ministry of Focus on the Family) to check if a movie matches your biblical moral values.
A4P Guest: But I only watch Amharic movies.
A4P: C’mon now, who said that Amharic movies are made in the heavenly Jerusalem?
Look, the life we live in Christ is a life given over to God because of the love we have for Christ. That love dictates our lives, not the list of “do’s and the don’ts” we create in our minds.
I think this “Is doing ‘this & that’ a sin” kind of question comes out of a performance based faith system.
As Christians, we need to focus on developing close and intimate relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit as we read, study and meditate on the word of God, pray without ceasing and fellowship with other believers. When we do that, we run out of these kinds of questions because Christ’s love makes them all totally IRRELEVANT to our lives.
Listen what the Bible says:
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”” Isaiah 30:21NIV
Did you hear that? Who can hear God clearly except those who hide His words in their hearts!
List of “do’s and “don’ts” won’t make us better Christians but our devotion to know, love, fear and trust Jesus Christ. ///