We live in a vile and sinful world but yet our Savior (for those who are born again and following after Jesus in obedience) said:
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. (John 17:15-19)
We are to be in the world but are sanctified (set apart) from it while we go about our Father’s business living a holy life (1 Peter 1:15) and preaching the Word:
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:2)
In this technology age have many choices to make and God’s Word says we are to test (2 Thessalonians 5:21) and examine everything (2 Corinthians 13:5) so in this article we will test Youtube and if it fits into a believers life.
Right off we will say that Youtube is a very vile place and is filled with almost every sin imaginable so how can a Christian be a part of Youtube? The answer is….’it all depends on what it is they are doing there.’
Too often there are excuses that professed believers are going there looking for biblical truth or to learn something (cooking, constructing something etc) and while there is nothing sinful about any of that, we strongly suggest that youtube is not necessarily the platform they should use because of the filth. In the perfect world a video to help you would be a great thing but it is virtually impossible to watch videos without the vileness on the side bar of suggested videos or the content inside them.
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. (Romans 12:9)
The world is filled with that which is evil but as we go about our business we are to look away from it.
Abstain from all appearance of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)
Abstain means to ‘hold oneself off’ and appearance means ‘view, form, fashion, sight.’ We are to hold ourselves off from any view, form or sight of evil so while in the world if we see/hear vileness (vulgarity, music, immodesty/nakendess etc) we are to hold ourselves off which would mean turn away.
Something to think about….if Youtube is a place to sit and watch, paging through to see what other videos are there; how can you look away from something you came in to watch or look at?
See, Youtube is all about visual and the focus of people going there is to look (see/watch) so looking away won’t work. The difference with being in the world and looking away is as if you go to the grocery store to buy food, your focus of being there is to get food so you can look away from the vileness and focus on the food until you can get out.
As for ‘how to’ videos…those are nice but not necessary as how did we ever get along without them before we had them? Time and time again we hear how people have been swept away into Youtube after giving up television and therefore it becomes a place where people spend too much time and allow all sorts of filth to violate their eyes when God’s Word clearly states otherwise.
Warning...believers must be careful not to fall prey to the philosophy that the ends justify the means. What that means is a good outcome will excuse any sins committed to attain it. This is sinful!
Be very careful of the lust of the eyes as can simply mean a strong desire or lust to ‘see’ (look at) something that which you should not be looking at and instead should be looking away from (avoiding).
Youtube can be a good place to shine God’s light of truth and it is possible to do that without becoming spotted from the world (James 1). A person can sign into Youtube and upload godly videos without participating in it and then putting a message on the video calling people out of that dark place and into God’s Word. We at dontperish.com do just that.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. (Proverbs 4:14-15)
God be praised!
www.dontperish.com
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. (John 17:15-19)
We are to be in the world but are sanctified (set apart) from it while we go about our Father’s business living a holy life (1 Peter 1:15) and preaching the Word:
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:2)
In this technology age have many choices to make and God’s Word says we are to test (2 Thessalonians 5:21) and examine everything (2 Corinthians 13:5) so in this article we will test Youtube and if it fits into a believers life.
Right off we will say that Youtube is a very vile place and is filled with almost every sin imaginable so how can a Christian be a part of Youtube? The answer is….’it all depends on what it is they are doing there.’
Too often there are excuses that professed believers are going there looking for biblical truth or to learn something (cooking, constructing something etc) and while there is nothing sinful about any of that, we strongly suggest that youtube is not necessarily the platform they should use because of the filth. In the perfect world a video to help you would be a great thing but it is virtually impossible to watch videos without the vileness on the side bar of suggested videos or the content inside them.
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. (Romans 12:9)
The world is filled with that which is evil but as we go about our business we are to look away from it.
Abstain from all appearance of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)
Abstain means to ‘hold oneself off’ and appearance means ‘view, form, fashion, sight.’ We are to hold ourselves off from any view, form or sight of evil so while in the world if we see/hear vileness (vulgarity, music, immodesty/nakendess etc) we are to hold ourselves off which would mean turn away.
Something to think about….if Youtube is a place to sit and watch, paging through to see what other videos are there; how can you look away from something you came in to watch or look at?
See, Youtube is all about visual and the focus of people going there is to look (see/watch) so looking away won’t work. The difference with being in the world and looking away is as if you go to the grocery store to buy food, your focus of being there is to get food so you can look away from the vileness and focus on the food until you can get out.
As for ‘how to’ videos…those are nice but not necessary as how did we ever get along without them before we had them? Time and time again we hear how people have been swept away into Youtube after giving up television and therefore it becomes a place where people spend too much time and allow all sorts of filth to violate their eyes when God’s Word clearly states otherwise.
Warning...believers must be careful not to fall prey to the philosophy that the ends justify the means. What that means is a good outcome will excuse any sins committed to attain it. This is sinful!
Be very careful of the lust of the eyes as can simply mean a strong desire or lust to ‘see’ (look at) something that which you should not be looking at and instead should be looking away from (avoiding).
Youtube can be a good place to shine God’s light of truth and it is possible to do that without becoming spotted from the world (James 1). A person can sign into Youtube and upload godly videos without participating in it and then putting a message on the video calling people out of that dark place and into God’s Word. We at dontperish.com do just that.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. (Proverbs 4:14-15)
God be praised!
www.dontperish.com