LICENTIOUSNESS

 "Let us throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness . . . and make no provision for the desires of the flesh." (Romans 13:13-14)  And in Galatians 5:19-21 St. Paul again lists the works of the flesh, concluding with "I warn you as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God."  

The word licentiousness is dictionary defined as:  "sexually unrestrained; lascivious; libertine; lewd; unrestrained by law or general morality; lawless; immoral."  The reason it and some of the words to define it are rarely heard today is because our society's obsession with sex does not allow for Christian moral behavior to be fostered.  To suggest something is immoral will often generate a response that you are judging others, which is something even the Bible says not to do.  But by calling something immoral we are actually judging actions, not people, which is an important distinction.  The Bible is very clear that we are to judge actions as right or wrong, or as in this case moral or immoral; judging people is up to God.  TV shows, movies, magazines, internet, etc., have long portrayed and promoted some forms of licentiousness, often as merely an acceptable alternative lifestyle rather than as immoral activity.  Christians need to divorce themselves from this quagmire of moral degradation rampant in today's society.

The Bible instructs us that fornication and adultery are wrongful acts that can result in loss of eternal life (1 Cor. 6:9-10).  But notice also that homosexuality (and by extension all of its aberrant forms) is denounced, as are other forms of immoral conduct.  The same holds true for the graphic presentation of these activities, classified generally as pornography, more specifically as "soft" or "hard".  Unfortunately the more of either that is allowed and shown, the more desensitized we can become to it and dangerously begin to accept it as normal.  For Christians, viewing it is unacceptable sinful behavior.  Jesus tells us in Matt. 5:28 that everyone that looks at another with lust has already committed sin in their heart.  If it's wrong to do it, it's also wrong to view it.

Consider what pornography entails.  Viewers support an industry that engages people, whether married to each other or (most likely) not, to perform all manner of sexual acts in order to appeal to the fleshly allure of our fallen nature.  St. Paul, however, reminds us that "the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God . . . and those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:7-8).  He has told us also that these types of things should not even be mentioned among believers (Eph. 5:3-5).  Many may try to rationalize it and claim that no one is actually being hurt, but by supporting it we thereby support at the very least the sinful actions of the participants, which is clearly not virtuous Christian conduct.

We need to heed St. Paul's words to the Romans and Galatians, and also follow the admonition given in 1 Peter 1:14-16:  "Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desire of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct."  The Kingdom of God awaits those who persevere.