The Truth in Print Vol. 19 Issue 9, Oct. 2013
A Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Surely Not Dancing Around Lasciviousness
(Twerking)
A Definition of Twerking
“The rhythmic gyrating of the
lower fleshly extremities in a lascivious manner with the intent to elicit
sexual arousal or laughter in ones intended audience. Hey Girl, lets Twerk on
the dance floor.”
Jesus, when teaching on sin and
the deeds of lasciviousness stated that such proceed from the heart as works of
the flesh:
Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of
men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness,
deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride,
foolishness:
Mar 7:23 All these evil
things come from within, and defile the man.
Paul gave this list of the works
of the flesh, stating that those who practice such will not inherit the kingdom
of God:
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings,
murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of
the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God.
Thayer’s
lexicon defines “lasciviousness” G767 (also
translated wantonness, licentiousness, sensuality) thusly: "wanton (acts
or) manners, as filthy words, indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of
males and females, etc."
Just a few Applications:
1. “Naked wear” would appropriately describe the skin
tight form fitting pants, leggings, etc. worn intentionally to attract
attention to one’s body. The word “modestly” in I Tim. 2:9 that appears in the
context of acceptable clothing means having a sense of honor or respect for
self and others.
2. Freaking called Booty and Sandwich dancing in the year 2000 was
described as close bodily contact back to back, front to front, with filthy
gestures and movements – i.e. simulated sex. Surely not indecent bodily
movements!
3. What was called Booty dancing then is called Twerking today in 2013.
Twerking like Booty and Sandwich dancing back then is the sin of
Lasciviousness!
4. Parents letting kids watch MTV. Here is a failure to identify an enemy
of righteousness, thus making a child an enemy of God! (Ja.
4:4).
Jam 4:4
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship
of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore
will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5. You’re talking against their culture! Well it is not difficult to find a
scriptural reason to do that! (cf. Rom. 13:12; Eph. 5:11; I Th. 5:21; 2 Tim.
4:1-4.).
Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
6. I gave up arguing with them. Adults should be the bosses, not spiritual
cowards (Eph. 6:1-4; Pr. 19:18).
Pro 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope,
and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
7. Our Sixties an Eighties cultures weren’t anti-sex. Your sin of fornication
in the 80s doesn’t justify their sin today! (cf. Gal. 5:19-21; 2 Cor. 5:10).
2Co 5:10 For we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive
the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or
bad.
8. The kids claim it’s not
really dirty. Kids lie and manipulate weak adults! (Pr. 20:11).
Pro 20:11 Even a child is known by his doings,
whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
9. Our dress and dance are just
forms of expression! When will you learn to identify and compare “substance”
with “lasciviousness.” Is it ok to dress or act like a
whore or a whoremonger? You know both of those words are Bible words (cf. Lev.
19:29; Pro. 7:10, 23:27; Rev. 17:1; Eph. 5:5).
Pro 7:10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
Eph 5:5
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor
covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
and of God.
10. Our sex-ed teacher says that sex belongs in
the context of a meaningful relationship! God put sex in the marriage of a man
and woman, and that eliminates adults dancing around lasciviousness and
fornication! (cf. Matt. 19:4-6; Heb. 13:4).
Mat 19:4 And he
answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and
female,
Mat 19:5 And said, For
this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife:
and they twain shall be one flesh?
Mat 19:6 Wherefore they
are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let
not man put asunder.
11. Others do it too! Others’ sins don’t justify adding yet another doing
the same immoralities (cf. Ps.
50:18; Rom. 1:32; Rev. 21:8).
Psa 50:18
When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with
adulterers.
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that
they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but
have pleasure in them that do them.
12. The men and boys do it too! Neither show respect for self or others
(cf. I Tim. 2:9; Titus 2:6).
Tit 2:6
Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
13. Everyone at school is doing it! That “everyone is doing it” is why we
have the warnings against disobedience in the course of this world (cf. Gal.
5:19-21; Eph. 2:2-3; Rom. 12:1-3 says “do not be conformed to this world”).
Rom 12:2 And be
not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God.
14. Well I feel good about my body! That’s a declaration of sinful pride
that goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall, and finding
“pleasure in unrighteousness” (cf. Pr. 6:18; Rom. 1:32; 2 Th. 2:12).
Pro 16:18 Pride
goeth
before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Rom
12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
15. You’re slamming them
with mean words like “whore,” “trash,” “slut” etc. This retort is a good example of justifiers of
the ungodly twistin’ with the “hate speech move.” More dancing around lasciviousness!
16. Shaming removes their self worth! God placed responsibility on every
young man and woman (see again I Tim. 2:9; Titus 2:6).
17. You’re trying to make them feel guilty for fornication and adultery.
You won’t regret accepting a rebuke and repenting; in righteousness there is no
shame! (Ja. 1:25 “this man shall be blessed in his
deed”).
18. You can’t expect VMAs to be family friendly! Still not identifying enemies of
righteousness – adults sin and cause those younger to follow suit!
19. A non-shocker: That the entertainers who have set this kind of example
for young adults, and the young adults who mimic them, would admit that they
have untold problems in their lives (cf. Gal. 6:7).
By Bob Lovelace
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