Is Acting In Movies A Sin?
Question : Hello pastor, How are you? Please pray for me ok. I am planning to do a movie and trying to get finance for that. My ambition in life is to become a film actor and I am trying for that. Pastor can I succeed in that? Is acting a sin? Just wanted to know. I am a singer and if there is any chance I get, I will sing too...but on the whole I want to become a film actor.
Answer : Greetings to you in Jesus name! I am doing wonderfully well by the grace of God. You have asked one very important that many teenagers do have.
To understand this issue fully, we must go to the basic and then come to deal with this issue. Who has given talents and gifts to all humans, whether it be in media, sports, business, education, science and technology and in all areas of our human existence? The Bible says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (Jam 1:17). In other words, the devil doesn't have any ability to provide any gift to any humans out of his own resource except that which has come from God. God gives only good and perfect gifts to all humans whom He has created in His own image for His own purpose (Gen 1:26; Col 1:16-18).
We know that the devil comes for nothing but to steal, kill and destroy all humans through deception and use them as means to promote his own evil agenda against God (John 10:10). So Satan as the "god of this world" system of governance and the "Prince of this present world" (2 Cor 4:4; John 14:30), he influences the mind of people constantly to appeal to their self and flesh to deceive them to use their gifts and talents to promote his own hidden agenda of spreading his lies against God and thus at the end destroy them away from the God who loves them and has a eternal purpose for them in Christ Jesus (John 8:44; Rom 8:28-30). "The Lord has made everything for his own purposes." (Proverbs 16:4, NLT) and therefore God gives His (Isaiah 26:3, TEV Paraphrased), “... perfect peace [only] to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in ...[Him].”
“Obsession with self in these matters [of flesh which promotes our own idea to achieve fame, money and status in life] is a dead end; attention to God's purpose leads us into purposeful and heavenly abundant life of meaning and satisfaction.” (Romans 8:6, MSG Paraphrased).
The talent to act, sing and take a film is a gift that is given to you by God and He will also never take back his gift even if you choose to use it for yourself to become famous and not use it for God's purpose (Rom 11:29). But as for you, your treasure in heaven will be nothing at the end of your earthly life if you choose to use the God-given gifts for yourself and also the peace, joy and righteousness that God gives to all his children who live purposefully for His Glory, you will never experience it in your life if you continue in that wrong choice (Matt 6:19-21, 33). When a gift is used for self that should have been used for God, it will never bring satisfaction or meaning to the life lived as it has been originally designed by God for His Glory. This is the reason Apostle Paul said to all believers, "31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved." (1 Cor 10:31-33). In other words, the Great Apostle Paul was saying, it doesn't matter how you are living for your physical existence as long as you know whom you are living for and doing all your work for His Glory. Next he is saying, check your activity to find what you do is bringing glory to God or not? Do not do things that might be a stumbling block to people in the world who might be Jews, Non Jews or the Church of God.
If you are using your gifts and talents in the area of media, singing, directing and acting heartily for the extension of the kingdom of God and to bring glory to God, you will receive eternal reward in heaven or else you will regret for it the rest of your eternity as it can never come back again (Col 3:17, 23-25).
In this regard I have something to say, recently I have heard questions in these areas from some good young people who are living for God. They asked me citing some Christian musicians who work as music directors and famous cinema artists in South India, who are even allowed to play in one of the biggest Churches in their youth music team and who have facebook account in which other so called pastors even congragulate them for their new songs and works that they do for the world of cinema. When they were confronted by these young people about it, they began to say that what they do is a professional work and that they are doing it to share the gospel of Jesus Christ within the Cinema industry. O what a shame to the name of our Lord Jesus caused by the Shepherds who have set not a holy standard within the Church to face the world with holy boldness!
Jesus said that we are in the world and not of the world (John 17:11, 14-16), which means Jesus expected us not to get conformed to the world's way of thinking but be renewed in our mind by the God's word which is the truth when embodied by us becomes a living testimony to the world (Rom 12:2; Matt 5:14, 16). One must consider what the Apostle James said, "11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom." (James 3:11-13). In other words, Apostle James is asking, how can someone speak and work as the world does and say that they are doing professional work for spreading of the gospel of the kingdom of God? Can the pure water of the Spirit which is the gospel of God mix with the gutter water of vanity, lust, pride, perversion, jealousy and all kinds of fleshly works in the cinema field to make a difference in these fields (Gal 5:19-21)? These are nothing but the wisdom and confusion and every evil thing that is earthly, sensual and demonic which is set on fire by self-seeking souls who try to hide themselves behind the name of Christ by boasting and lying against the truth of God for which the pillar and foundation is the Church (James 3:6, 14-16; 1 Tim 3:15). These men who have sold their gift to the devil for self-seeking glory, money and survival, they must repent and come to use their gift to promote the gospel ministry which has to be done by faith. If they want to continue to play music within the Church, they must sanctify themselves for the Lord's use completely and should leave the Cinema industry completely or should be able to take secular films with godly Biblical values by aligning themselves with like minded people. They will not be able to get money from financiers for it like in the world which promotes filth, but they can sacrificially sanctify themselves to be used by God alone and thus storing for themselves treasures in heaven. We can either serve God or money, it is our decision whom we will follow, but we cannot serve both (Luke 16:13).
No believer who sell their gift for themselves within the world should ever try to hide their bad example by shamelessly using the name of the gospel or the Lord to justify their evil works. Jesus clearly warned such people by saying, " 41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. 42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. 43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark 9:41-44). I myself have seen more and more young people within the Church who see such bad example, start to either compromise to become conformed to the world or even they fall away from God seeing them. O such people must be beware of God's judgment coming upon them!
Such gifted musicians and directors who are saved but are setting a bad example to others in the world and within the Church should know according to Apostle Paul that, "12 ...every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." (Rom 14:12-13). Let us not compare our spiritual life with the one who is weaker than us to justify our wrong doings and thus bring a shame to the Lord, rather let us focus on the Lord Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith, who must be our only example to follow along with those who follow Him (Heb 12:2; 1 Cor 11:1). Let us judge our spiritual fruits and lives not by do's and dont's of the law which only brings more sin and death (1 Cor 15:56; Rom 3:20; 4:15; 7:8; 6:23), but let us serve God by the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:2) which is the newness of the Spirit that always leads us to act as the sons and daughters of God (Rom 7:6; 8:14).
Let us ask ourselves the question before we do anything for God's glory, if Jesus were in my place will he do what I have planned do for God's glory? If Jesus was standing with me in planning and executing what I have planned to do for God's glory, will He still do it? Does what I have planned, will it compromise my righteous lifestyle? Am I seeking for my glory and seeking for money to promote a good cause and using God's name to justify my faulty thinking? Am I using a good cause as a cloak to cover myself away from the God's cause of a sacrificial and a sanctified life that He is always pleased with? So acting in itself is not a sin, but for whom we are doing it will decide whether it will become a sin or not in our lives. We cannot become conformed to the world as we have seen in the above scenario, and then try to justify ourselves like the self righteous Pharisees tried to do many times before Jesus, thus forgetting that they were committing abomination in the sight of the Lord (Luke 16:14-15). Instead of being deceived to justify ourselves, we must rather judge ourselves in the light of the word of God which is the "sword of the Spirit" (Eph 6:17) that operates and removes all fleshly growth within us whenever we allow it to do its powerful work against earthly, sensual and demonic wisdom that tries to control us, then God Himself will be pleased with us and will not be chasten us, instead He will keep us safe from being condemned with the world (1 Cor 11:31-32).
So from the above exposition, I want to clearly convey it to you that you have a gift from God in the area of media, directing, singing and other related areas. So I would suggest you to give it back to the Lord and tell Him to use it for His Glory! You can dream big and ask God to guide you to people who will make movies with Biblical themes and values which will draw people towards the Lord and the gospel. For that to happen, you need a mustard seed size of faith that will pray and command the circumstances until you see God guide you and give you connection with godly people who will make this happen (Matt 21:21-22). I believe you can succeed if your can believe! Also why not first start taking small videos for Sunday class and youth meetings that will inspire this generation and draw them towards the Lord. Why not discuss it with like minded godly people who also have passion to fulfill God's purpose in these areas where you are gifted with? Even if nobody is there, you go alone by faith as a pioneer and do it for the glory of God! You can act for the Lord with a desire to draw people to the Lord and not to yourself. Acting is never a sin, if you do it with a right motive and a Biblical values inside you to reach people with the message of the gospel. But never try to join in the worldly stream and try to say that I will glorify God within it and sell your gift for survival, fame and money. If you do, you will be serving only Satan's purpose and God will never be glorified through it.
Lose yourself in God for God's purposes, and very soon you will be surprised to find yourself in joy, satisfaction, with meaning in life and above all find the abundant life of God-quality on earth as He lives in heaven. A wrong means cannot be used to achieve a good purpose and God himself will use only righteous ways to fulfill His purpose of saving people from sin and making them live with Him for eternity. So I hope you will be a shining light for Jesus and a great example to emulate for the young people of our generation to lift up Jesus and glorify God by using your gift for extending the gospel of Jesus Christ. I will be praying for you...
Much Blessings....
Answer : Greetings to you in Jesus name! I am doing wonderfully well by the grace of God. You have asked one very important that many teenagers do have.
To understand this issue fully, we must go to the basic and then come to deal with this issue. Who has given talents and gifts to all humans, whether it be in media, sports, business, education, science and technology and in all areas of our human existence? The Bible says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (Jam 1:17). In other words, the devil doesn't have any ability to provide any gift to any humans out of his own resource except that which has come from God. God gives only good and perfect gifts to all humans whom He has created in His own image for His own purpose (Gen 1:26; Col 1:16-18).
We know that the devil comes for nothing but to steal, kill and destroy all humans through deception and use them as means to promote his own evil agenda against God (John 10:10). So Satan as the "god of this world" system of governance and the "Prince of this present world" (2 Cor 4:4; John 14:30), he influences the mind of people constantly to appeal to their self and flesh to deceive them to use their gifts and talents to promote his own hidden agenda of spreading his lies against God and thus at the end destroy them away from the God who loves them and has a eternal purpose for them in Christ Jesus (John 8:44; Rom 8:28-30). "The Lord has made everything for his own purposes." (Proverbs 16:4, NLT) and therefore God gives His (Isaiah 26:3, TEV Paraphrased), “... perfect peace [only] to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in ...[Him].”
“Obsession with self in these matters [of flesh which promotes our own idea to achieve fame, money and status in life] is a dead end; attention to God's purpose leads us into purposeful and heavenly abundant life of meaning and satisfaction.” (Romans 8:6, MSG Paraphrased).
The talent to act, sing and take a film is a gift that is given to you by God and He will also never take back his gift even if you choose to use it for yourself to become famous and not use it for God's purpose (Rom 11:29). But as for you, your treasure in heaven will be nothing at the end of your earthly life if you choose to use the God-given gifts for yourself and also the peace, joy and righteousness that God gives to all his children who live purposefully for His Glory, you will never experience it in your life if you continue in that wrong choice (Matt 6:19-21, 33). When a gift is used for self that should have been used for God, it will never bring satisfaction or meaning to the life lived as it has been originally designed by God for His Glory. This is the reason Apostle Paul said to all believers, "31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved." (1 Cor 10:31-33). In other words, the Great Apostle Paul was saying, it doesn't matter how you are living for your physical existence as long as you know whom you are living for and doing all your work for His Glory. Next he is saying, check your activity to find what you do is bringing glory to God or not? Do not do things that might be a stumbling block to people in the world who might be Jews, Non Jews or the Church of God.
If you are using your gifts and talents in the area of media, singing, directing and acting heartily for the extension of the kingdom of God and to bring glory to God, you will receive eternal reward in heaven or else you will regret for it the rest of your eternity as it can never come back again (Col 3:17, 23-25).
In this regard I have something to say, recently I have heard questions in these areas from some good young people who are living for God. They asked me citing some Christian musicians who work as music directors and famous cinema artists in South India, who are even allowed to play in one of the biggest Churches in their youth music team and who have facebook account in which other so called pastors even congragulate them for their new songs and works that they do for the world of cinema. When they were confronted by these young people about it, they began to say that what they do is a professional work and that they are doing it to share the gospel of Jesus Christ within the Cinema industry. O what a shame to the name of our Lord Jesus caused by the Shepherds who have set not a holy standard within the Church to face the world with holy boldness!
Jesus said that we are in the world and not of the world (John 17:11, 14-16), which means Jesus expected us not to get conformed to the world's way of thinking but be renewed in our mind by the God's word which is the truth when embodied by us becomes a living testimony to the world (Rom 12:2; Matt 5:14, 16). One must consider what the Apostle James said, "11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom." (James 3:11-13). In other words, Apostle James is asking, how can someone speak and work as the world does and say that they are doing professional work for spreading of the gospel of the kingdom of God? Can the pure water of the Spirit which is the gospel of God mix with the gutter water of vanity, lust, pride, perversion, jealousy and all kinds of fleshly works in the cinema field to make a difference in these fields (Gal 5:19-21)? These are nothing but the wisdom and confusion and every evil thing that is earthly, sensual and demonic which is set on fire by self-seeking souls who try to hide themselves behind the name of Christ by boasting and lying against the truth of God for which the pillar and foundation is the Church (James 3:6, 14-16; 1 Tim 3:15). These men who have sold their gift to the devil for self-seeking glory, money and survival, they must repent and come to use their gift to promote the gospel ministry which has to be done by faith. If they want to continue to play music within the Church, they must sanctify themselves for the Lord's use completely and should leave the Cinema industry completely or should be able to take secular films with godly Biblical values by aligning themselves with like minded people. They will not be able to get money from financiers for it like in the world which promotes filth, but they can sacrificially sanctify themselves to be used by God alone and thus storing for themselves treasures in heaven. We can either serve God or money, it is our decision whom we will follow, but we cannot serve both (Luke 16:13).
No believer who sell their gift for themselves within the world should ever try to hide their bad example by shamelessly using the name of the gospel or the Lord to justify their evil works. Jesus clearly warned such people by saying, " 41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. 42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. 43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark 9:41-44). I myself have seen more and more young people within the Church who see such bad example, start to either compromise to become conformed to the world or even they fall away from God seeing them. O such people must be beware of God's judgment coming upon them!
Such gifted musicians and directors who are saved but are setting a bad example to others in the world and within the Church should know according to Apostle Paul that, "12 ...every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." (Rom 14:12-13). Let us not compare our spiritual life with the one who is weaker than us to justify our wrong doings and thus bring a shame to the Lord, rather let us focus on the Lord Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith, who must be our only example to follow along with those who follow Him (Heb 12:2; 1 Cor 11:1). Let us judge our spiritual fruits and lives not by do's and dont's of the law which only brings more sin and death (1 Cor 15:56; Rom 3:20; 4:15; 7:8; 6:23), but let us serve God by the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:2) which is the newness of the Spirit that always leads us to act as the sons and daughters of God (Rom 7:6; 8:14).
Let us ask ourselves the question before we do anything for God's glory, if Jesus were in my place will he do what I have planned do for God's glory? If Jesus was standing with me in planning and executing what I have planned to do for God's glory, will He still do it? Does what I have planned, will it compromise my righteous lifestyle? Am I seeking for my glory and seeking for money to promote a good cause and using God's name to justify my faulty thinking? Am I using a good cause as a cloak to cover myself away from the God's cause of a sacrificial and a sanctified life that He is always pleased with? So acting in itself is not a sin, but for whom we are doing it will decide whether it will become a sin or not in our lives. We cannot become conformed to the world as we have seen in the above scenario, and then try to justify ourselves like the self righteous Pharisees tried to do many times before Jesus, thus forgetting that they were committing abomination in the sight of the Lord (Luke 16:14-15). Instead of being deceived to justify ourselves, we must rather judge ourselves in the light of the word of God which is the "sword of the Spirit" (Eph 6:17) that operates and removes all fleshly growth within us whenever we allow it to do its powerful work against earthly, sensual and demonic wisdom that tries to control us, then God Himself will be pleased with us and will not be chasten us, instead He will keep us safe from being condemned with the world (1 Cor 11:31-32).
So from the above exposition, I want to clearly convey it to you that you have a gift from God in the area of media, directing, singing and other related areas. So I would suggest you to give it back to the Lord and tell Him to use it for His Glory! You can dream big and ask God to guide you to people who will make movies with Biblical themes and values which will draw people towards the Lord and the gospel. For that to happen, you need a mustard seed size of faith that will pray and command the circumstances until you see God guide you and give you connection with godly people who will make this happen (Matt 21:21-22). I believe you can succeed if your can believe! Also why not first start taking small videos for Sunday class and youth meetings that will inspire this generation and draw them towards the Lord. Why not discuss it with like minded godly people who also have passion to fulfill God's purpose in these areas where you are gifted with? Even if nobody is there, you go alone by faith as a pioneer and do it for the glory of God! You can act for the Lord with a desire to draw people to the Lord and not to yourself. Acting is never a sin, if you do it with a right motive and a Biblical values inside you to reach people with the message of the gospel. But never try to join in the worldly stream and try to say that I will glorify God within it and sell your gift for survival, fame and money. If you do, you will be serving only Satan's purpose and God will never be glorified through it.
Lose yourself in God for God's purposes, and very soon you will be surprised to find yourself in joy, satisfaction, with meaning in life and above all find the abundant life of God-quality on earth as He lives in heaven. A wrong means cannot be used to achieve a good purpose and God himself will use only righteous ways to fulfill His purpose of saving people from sin and making them live with Him for eternity. So I hope you will be a shining light for Jesus and a great example to emulate for the young people of our generation to lift up Jesus and glorify God by using your gift for extending the gospel of Jesus Christ. I will be praying for you...
Much Blessings....
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Hi Friend, I am of the firm opinion that acting for whatsoever purpose is itself not truth for it is ACTING in the true sense that it is not your own natural way but a programmed, dictated and induced way only suitable for a stage performance. Actors are actually hypocrites either for getting money or fame which is Satan's tool. I have not seen any acting done for pure charity(there is always a hidden sponsor). Acting is also done to raise funds but it is proclaimmed as raising faith. All situations of acting finally appeal to your pocket first. Actors also come from priests who are mostly never pastoral in nature but are those who seek attention to themselves and away from Christ. Imagine a priest or even a pastor who acts!!!!!!!!! You never are sure about his Holy Spirit indwelling. Finally actors are self deceivers much more than they deceive others .Acting is always falsified and not true in Spirit.It needs a commercial stage and performance.Jesus Christ never acted and neither His true Apostles and disciples.They were true to their heart and spirit and there was no deception or falsehood in them.Let us be original and naturally spontaneous rather than pretend to be someone different. Truth matters and not what appears to be the truth. End justifies the means ?? No the means we employ will justify our end. Let us love one another with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our strenght which God has created in us. Stop acting and start living.God bless you all.
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