Committed Christian

A People magazine article recently praised actresses over 40. In it, actress Rene Russo discussed nude scenes she performed in her latest film, and how that she wasn't always so comfortable with displaying her body. The article said, ""A deeply committed Christian since her teens, the actress prayed about her new image. 'I don't know where in the Bible it says, 'Don't be nude in a motion picture,' she said.""

Granted, Hollywood's idea of a deeply committed Christian has long been at odds with the Bible's teaching on the subject, but have we reached a point where one can claim to be a Christian while espousing such shameless immodesty?

Actually, more disturbing than her willingness to be immoral is her attempt to justify it. If 'deeply committed' Christians are going to have to have a ""Thou shalt not . . ."" to indict every sin, are we to believe there are thousands, maybe millions of things which will go unnoticed by God? There is no ""Don't be a drug dealer"" prohibition in scripture, not even a ""Don't produce "" prohibition. You can see how ridiculous the argument could become.

Committed Christians, rather than looking for absolute prohibitions in scripture, rely on attempting to live like Christ (Gal. 2:20). It has become cliched, but the term ""What Would Jesus Do?"" is a valid thought in our attempts to serve God. Imagine Jesus seeking to justify a nude scene in a movie. The thought is ludicrous. Committed Christians also seek the good of weaker Christians (1 Cor. 8:13; 1 Cor. 9:22). What I do, even if I think I am right, may have a dramatically negative effect on my brother or sister who is weak. Thus, even the freedom that may come from the lack of a Biblical prohibition must be weighed against the possible loss of a dear soul.

Finally, committed Christians study their Bibles for principles of right and wrong, not simply to find loopholes for their own desires (2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17). We must determine right and wrong based on all of scripture, not just simple commands. Biblical discussions of modesty (ex.: 1 Tim. 2:9-10), as well as discussions of the consequences of lust (the story of David and Bathsheba in 2 Sam. 11-12, for example), should be enough to convince any committed Christian of the dangers and outright sinfulness of appearing nude in a motion picture.

But this article is not necessarily about Rene Russo and her problem. The question each of us needs to ask is, ""What am I doing for which I am seeking justification rather than the truth of what God would have me to do?""

In short, ""Am I a committed Christian?""