(Based on Ephesians 5:1-18)

When Adam and Eve sinned, the Dispensation of Innocence abruptly ended and the Dispensation of Conscience was inaugurated. Until that awful day, the parents of all mankind had dwelt in innocence, totally free from guilt or shame. God had given Adam but one command:

"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Gen. 2:16-17)

We are well aware of the story of the temptation of Eve by Satan, which led to their disobedience and the entrance of sin and death into the world. Along with the entrance of sin came conscience; a new consciousness of sin and a sense of guilt and shame---the "knowledge of good and evil." And man, God's crowning creation, made perfect in the image and likeness of God, was quickly reduced by his disobedience to a sniveling, shame-filled wretch!

And what was the first lesson these progenitors of the human race learned as a result of this new awareness? It was simply that in a fallen, sinful world man needs a covering for his nakedness. Their newly acquired conscience and "knowledge of good and evil" made it clear to them that open nudity belongs to the realm of "evil." In their shame they sewed fig leaves together to make coverings for their naked bodies. They also learned that, although man-made garments could cover their physical nakedness, the shame and guilt-consciousness that results from sin remains.

That shame continued to plague the father and mother of mankind in spite of their figleaf coverings and finally culminated in a pathetic and futile attempt to hide from God. Death had entered the world as a result of that one sin, and Adam and Eve soon learned that sin calls for the shedding of blood. An animal must be sacrificed to provide a covering, not only for their nakedness, but also for their guilt and shame.

Great doctrinal truths are to be found in this account, but let us not allow these deeper spiritual truths to obscure the simple fact that the first effect of conscience was to make man aware (and ashamed) of his physical nakedness. And God confirmed the inappropriateness of public nudity by making garments for Adam and Eve.

I do not believe that Adam and Eve, with their newly acquired (and still unjaded) conscience could have enjoyed the TV shows, video movies, and fiction books that frequently find their way into "Christian" homes today! The increasing acceptance by professing Christians of filth and profanity in entertainment media is shocking; and it is dangerous!

Consider, for example this increasingly common scenario, illustrated by a typical incident in my own experience as a pastor: A leader in a church I served as an interim pastor offered to loan me a video movie which he declared to be one of the best he had ever seen. He assured me that it was a good "family movie" which was enjoyed by his whole family, adults and children alike. So I borrowed the tape and my wife and I settled down to enjoy some good, wholesome entertainment. But what did we get? We got profanity; we got blasphemy; and we got nudity, including a lengthy, explicit portrayal of sexual intercourse!

Conscience was an adequate guide for Adam and Eve. It produced shame and guilt-consciousness in them because of their nakedness. But man's conscience has long since ceased to be a reliable guide. Our consciences have been unduly influenced by the culture in which we live. Adam had to rely on his conscience. We cannot (and must not) rely on ours!

But today we Christians have the Word of God to instruct us, and the Holy Spirit of God living in us to enable us. Furthermore, God's Word sets clear standards of modesty and decency for Christians. A Christian's choice of entertainment should reflect those standards.

We pastors must boldly proclaim those Biblical standards, and set a shining example of purity in our own lives.

I cannot maintain purity of mind while watching (or reading about) a couple who are engaging in sexual intercourse. Can you? I cannot enjoy reading or viewing a story that includes profanity and abuses the Name of my Lord. Can you? It makes no difference how otherwise interesting or even "uplifting" the story might be. Satan has alway been a master of the art of attractive packaging! I know that I cannot possibly escape exposure to such things in a sin-cursed world, but shall I choose them for my entertainment?

The Apostle Paul warns us in Chapter Five of his Epistle to the Ephesians (please read verses 1 to 18) that is is shameful even to mention such things (verse 12). Shall we then, as Christ's Ambassadors, find pleasure and entertainment in that which is shameful even to mention? Shall we provide a market for that which our Lord condemns? Shall we encourage, and perhaps subsidize, the immoral antics of the actors and actresses who produce it?

How can we be "renewed in the spirit of our minds" if we continue to pollute our minds with such filth?