The Christian and Media, Part 1: The Fundamentals of Sanctification

When someone becomes a Christian, a revolution happens in the spirit. Something transforms the way a believer looks at the world. The Bible describes this change in different ways: regeneration, being born again, receiving a new spirit within. Many verses relate to this profound transformation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Believers have a new way of looking at the world. The old way of looking at the world is gone. Even if someone became a Christian as a very young child, there remains a difference between that person and the people in the world, between their thinking and the way the world expresses itself and communicates.

Ephesians 5:8 explains, “For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Something about the non-Christian life follows a way of darkness. Something about the Christian life follows the way of light. This verse implies that Christians remain capable of stepping into the darkness, which is why the exhortation exists: walk as children of the light.

1 Thessalonians 5:5 reinforces this contrast: “You are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness.” Romans 6:17-18 presents an interesting way of expressing this reality: “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Understanding Media in the Modern World

What exactly do we mean by media? According to Merriam-Webster, there are basically two definitions.First, a medium of cultivation, conveyance, or expression. In other words, media is a conveyance, a means of expressing itself. Second, media means mass media or members of the mass media. We often think of the press, television reporters, and similar outlets as mass media, but today we mean something more than that.¹

A website called Techopedia broadens the definition: “Media is the plural form of medium, which broadly speaking describes any channel of communication. This can include anything from printed paper to digital data and encompasses art, news, educational content, and numerous other forms of information. Anything that can reach or influence people, including phones, television, and the internet, can be considered a form of media.”²

When we ask what Christians should do about media, we are really asking about the means of communication that are out there in the world. Should Christians be completely abstaining from all forms of media? Is it even possible to cut all those things out of life?

Our world is awash in media. This includes not just radio, television, and the internet, but everywhere ideas are being communicated. Even a shirt can be media. People communicate something through the designs and words printed on clothing. We are really talking about the world we live in when we discuss media. In a way, the world is media.

The Contrast Between Light and Darkness

Because of the change that occurs at conversion, believers sense that the things of this world are alien to their new nature. 1 John 2:15-17 instructs, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts, but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

Something in the spirit of a born-again believer creates a contrast between that person and the world. Believers are now connected to light, to righteousness. They are new creations. All these images the Bible uses are true of every Christian. Believers have a new way of thinking.

By asking the question “What should Christians do about media?” we are standing on a premise or proposition: there is something wrong with the world’s media to some extent. People will often talk about the image of God when they look at the creativity of man and see the things that people have developed. This is quite evident in the movie industry, for example.

Thomas Edison created the first moving picture camera. Looking back at some of the films he took, they are not very riveting. They are interesting because they were the first ones, but they lack compelling content. Now, transferring through time to the present, the films that people produce with special effects, filming techniques, or digitizing technology are mind-boggling, especially when we consider the difference. Why do people get increasingly better at making moving pictures? Because they are made in the image of God and they create and communicate.

The image of God creates things. Even the idea of creating a moving picture is the image of God expressing itself in the world. In that sense, the world is doing something in connection with the creation mandate. God said to rule the world, be creative, and live out the image of God. That is what is happening. Except these creators walk in darkness. They do not walk in the light. They are the old creature, not the new creature. They are not born again. They do love the world. So, there is darkness in their creativity.

Yes, the image of God can be seen, but there is something the Christian instinctively understands when asking what Christians should do about media. The media is not all right. Something there means that as a Christian, discernment is necessary. Believers cannot just say, “Look, here is a guy reflecting the image of God in his creativity. I am free to that enjoy that creativity without question.” We cannot just say anything goes. The Christian almost “instinctively” knows that.

Recalling the Fundamentals of Sanctification

There are some things about sanctification that Christians automatically understand. If someone is born again, that person automatically understands there is something in the world that has darkness in it. Believers need to be careful. They need discernment. Even Christians who do not turn very far away from the world realize this is true. They will make distinctions. They will say they would not go that far because they know that would be too far. That would be darkness. The bottom-line idea of sanctification is that there are some things the Spirit of God approves and some things it condemns.

Several passages in the New Testament present virtue lists. 2 Peter 1:5-7 instructs: “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.” These are all positive qualities of the spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 presents very similar content: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.” James 3:17-18 adds: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” These are all parallel passages.

Philippians 4:8 completes the picture: “Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” The King James Version says think on these things. Set your mind on these things.

As Christians, we want to pursue the fruit of the Spirit. We want to pursue the wisdom from above. We want to think on the things we are instructed to consider. We want to add them to our faith. This is a universal testimony in the New Testament. It is something the Spirit instructs our hearts immediately. When someone is born again, that person already has this sense. Even a little child who is born again knows there are some things he should not do, and he can be led to understand what is right, what is light.

The Vice Lists: Understanding What to Avoid

We also have the opposites in Scripture, the vice lists. Some of them appear right next to the virtue lists. James 3:14-16 warns: “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.”

In the manifold creativity and expertise of Hollywood, do we ever see jealousy and selfish ambition expressed? Of course we do! We see all these things. James says this is wisdom from below. It is earthly. It is natural. It is demonic. That is the darkness. That is the old way.

Galatians 5:19-21 is explicit: “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

1 Peter 2:1 instructs: “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.” 1 John 2:15-17 mentions the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life. Do we see those things communicated? Do we see them communicated in commercials on television? Do we see them communicated on the internet? Are they a part of video games?

Are there elements of darkness, immorality, and sensuality in at least some video games? We have to say they are present in some, for sure. These are deeds of the flesh. That is wisdom from below. That is the things of the world. We must think about these things and develop a discerning spirit about them.

Applying Biblical Truth to Media Choices

Consider how Scripture places these contrasts together. Galatians presents the works of the flesh, and then in the very next verse, “but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience.” People will often ask when it comes to movies, why do filmmakers not produce more G-rated content, more family shows? They make so much money when they make one of those films.

One such movie might make a lot of money. But if we had a steady diet of nothing but G-rated movies, how many of them would sell? Not many, because what sells is violence, immorality, drunkenness, and war. The themes of movies that center on conflict are what people thrive on. It is a bombarding of the senses. If everything was just a wholesome story, we would get bored. Why? Because that is the way the flesh works.

James presents the contrast this way: “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, do not be arrogant. This wisdom is not that which comes from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits.”

The Peter passages are not right together in Scripture, but in 1 Peter we see the instruction about putting aside all malice and all deceit. Then in 2 Peter, we read: “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply,” or as the King James Version says, “to your faith add.” So, we put aside malice and deceit and so forth, and we add these positive things into our faith.

1 John instructs us not to love the world, while Paul says to think on what is true, what is honorable, what is right, what is pure, what is lovely, whatever is of good repute. These are the contrasts.

Making the Application

Why spend so much time on the Scriptures on this topic? To underscore the dichotomy between the Christian and the world or the flesh. We are new creatures. We are now responding to the Holy Spirit of God. We must recognize when that conflict is in our hearts. There might be a movie we are watching, a video game we are playing, a book we are reading. It might be a piece of art that we are enjoying. It could be anything. Some of it may reflect great talent in the artist or the person who produced it. There may be a great deal of ability displayed. But is it edifying my spirit? There is a difference between the Christian and the world, and we need to think about it.

Christianity is not just about being nicer than lost people, though we should be nice. Christians often want to emphasize the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, and so on. They want to be loving people, but they do not want to talk about the works of the flesh. They do not want to cut those things out of their lives. They do not want to rebuke them in other people. They do not want to stand up against them when it is a public issue. They want to be nice and well thought of and gentle and kind.

We are to be gentle and kind, and there is a right way and a wrong way to stand up against evil. But Christianity involves making decisions about the things of the world. Can we deny that media are infected by worldly attitudes and values? The answer to that is no. We cannot deny that.

Consider one aspect of media specifically. Does music in our world exalt selfishness, jealousy, and rebellion, or does it glorify God? We want to be careful when we pose a question like that. Are we making a false dichotomy? A false dichotomy lays out two choices and says it is either one or the other. But when we look at music in our world, most of the world’s music, what is it exalting? Selfishness, jealousy, rebellion, or glorifying God? We are pretty sure it is not glorifying God.

There are other things we could add. Listen to country music and it seems to focus on jealousy and anger and whining and crying and moaning. I am not just picking on country music. Those themes are in all sorts of music. On the internet, do we find anger and immorality and drunkenness and jealousy and envy? At least in some elements of the things that are expressed, yes we do.

What about video games? The same categories apply. Or any of the arts of man: movies, books, paintings, culture, podcasts. Some podcasts are worth listening to, but not all of them. Listen to some political commentators. Many people tend to listen to those they agree with in politics. They do not really care about those they disagree with because those commentators just make them angry. But even those commentators a person agrees with are, basically, most of them, lost people. Listen to them long enough and you will find there is something wrong with the way they look at politics, even though their political outlook is very similar to your own. The world and the darkness are in their thinking.

Since the world infects everything that man produces, Christians will have to decide to stop consuming media at some point. At some point, a line must be drawn.

Moving Forward

We have not come to a complete answer to the question yet. We are basically saying it is a good question, and there is more to discuss. So far, we are just laying some groundwork. We want to lay some Bible foundations here. There is this conflict between believers and the world. So how do we navigate it?

We could say we are going to have a Christian commune, be totally separate from the world, raise our own vegetables and cows and live off the land. That is not really practical. It would not work. People who have tried it have discovered the problem: they bring the world in their hearts with them. What we need to understand is how to live in the Spirit in a world that is full of darkness. That is really what it comes down to.

If we think about the passages we have discussed, we will see the answer in them. We are in a new life. We need to identify those things in our lives that are part of the old life and turn away from them. There might be a movie we are watching, a video game we are playing, or a book we are reading. It might be any form of media. Some of it may reflect great talent, but the question remains: is it edifying our spirit?

The thing is, as born-again believers, something has happened to us that has transformed the way we look at the world. We were formerly darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. We are commanded not to love the world. We are commanded to have a different stance toward it. By asking what Christians should do about media, we acknowledge there is something wrong with the world’s media to some extent. We need to be thinking biblically and letting the Bible guide our decision making and our thinking. We need to be resting on the Word of God as our foundation for everything we think about how to navigate our world.

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Don Johnson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.

This article reproduces a sermon preached on March 19, 2023, which you can view or listen to here. We used Claude.AI to turn the transcript into the article. Pastor Johnson has reviewed and edited the final form of this article.

1. Frederick C. Mish, ed., Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. (Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003). [↩]
2. “Media,” Techopedia (blog), December 23, 2020, https://www.techopedia.com/definition/1098/media [apparently this page is no longer available and the site now is all about gambling] [↩]