One of the more ridiculous statements concerning the Imus situation is that the market place will eventually determine whether he is right or wrong. The market place is amoral, being neither moral nor immoral. It is the people who engage in the commerce of the market place that are moral or immoral and the attitudes they hold concerning God’s way will determine the way business is conducted.

When audience and money are the prime focus of a show, rather than reasoned thinking, and when the quotient of morals is shoved aside, then excesses of all kinds occur and attract those who refuse to follow God’s way. The irony in the Imus affair is that those also guilty of excess with inflammatory words, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, called for his scalp and got it. The only difference is the type of situations, who they were castigating, and the words they used. The market place is where they made their utterances and the people accepted their blathering. That proves it is so much nonsense to expect the market place to determine moral outcomes. When people are immoral and know not the truth, they accept immorality as if it is truth.

Jesus said, 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:16-20) There is the word evil again that springs from a corrupt tree which is the mind of a human. Evil is the opposite of God and anything not of God is evil. Works done to glorify self are evil since they aren’t done for the glory of God who must receive the credit since he created us to do good works.

Many are saying that Imus shouldn’t be vilified because he has done so much good. Good works don’t set off bad deeds. Paul wrote: 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10) Imus nor anyone else can use the good works line to excuse his conduct and neither can anyone else. Paul also wrote:  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:17)

At some point after the creation, mankind descended lower and ever lower into evil.  The Bible tells us what God saw and what he decided to do in Genesis 6: 5-7: 5  And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.  Evil and wickedness is what is seen today. The TV, the radio, music, movies, the Internet, and books are filled with everything alien to the way of God and his Son. Tragically, a whole host of people thinks it is normal and offer excuses for it being so. How wrong they are, and when God and his moral principles are brought into the equation, all kinds of illogic from freedom of speech to separation of church and state is thrown out in an effort to silence the critics and excuse immoral speech and behavior. Sadly, too often those tactics work because Christians won’t fight back with the truth found in the Bible. Consequently, immortality flourishes because immoral conduct isn’t confronted and it then continues to grow as Jesus said, corrupt trees produce evil fruit.

Christians can fight back by remembering and putting into practice the words of Peter: 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. (1 Peter 3: 15-17) And as Paul told Timothy: 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. Have preachers and other Christians forgotten how to proclaim the word because of fear of not being accepted and because of worldly pursuits? Are we not in a period where people won’t listen to sound doctrine and like listening to feel good false teachers?

Being a Christian and taking a stand against evil is central to the new life in Christ. Following God’s morals are paramount to living the Christian life and godly nation. George had it right when he penned the following: George Washington had it right: "... Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. ... It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary fundamental for popular government. The writer of proverbs wrote in 14: 34, Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. God’s righteousness is fleeing our nation and sin is taking over. Where is the reproach that we as a nation should hold toward sin? Will we continue to allow immorality to beget more immorality?

© 04-16-2007 DEC

          Next Lesson Immorality Begets Immorality Part III