Apr 23, 2014
O be careful little eyes…
by Gordon Lawton
In Mark 7:14-16, Jesus taught that uncleanness comes from inside, not outside a person. He explained in verses 20-23, “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean’.” (NIV)
Jesus was not teaching anything new. Jeremiah had said something similar. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Beyond cure is also translated as “desperately sick” (ESV, NASB) and “desperately wicked” (KJV, NKJV, NLT). Saint Paul struggled with this issue and spoke of it in Romans 7:7-25.
This side of heaven we all struggle with sin. One of the reasons that it is almost impossible to become a mature believer by ourselves is that we need our brothers and sisters to hold us accountable. From time to time we need to be asked how we are doing in our relationship with the Lord and how we can be prayed for or helped.
Parents should hold their children accountable for their words and actions. As believers we each need someone who will “speak the truth in love” so that we are challenged to deal with issues we would rather sidestep or ignore. Sometimes this person is our spouse; sometimes it needs to be someone else.
The internet is a place where temptation is high and accountability is low, and at times non-existent. A person with a shopping problem can go wild sitting at home using their computer and credit card or PayPal. Pictures in poor taste or ones that wrongly entice are prevalent online. How do we deal with this?
It is easy to say, “I don’t have a problem.” Some people who say that are truthful. What about the rest of us? We can say, “God sees all, so that is a deterrent.” That is true. However if we are honest, we all must admit with Paul: “I do not do the thing I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Rom 7:15, ESV).
Some know they have a problem. Others know they can be tempted from time to time. Still others want to remove any question from their reputation in this area. There is software that can be helpful to all three of these groups. There are various options available for online accountability. One of them, “Covenant Eyes” software, provides internet accountability which tracks websites you visit on your computers, smart phones, and tablets, and sends an easy-to-read report to someone you trust. This makes it easy to talk about the temptations you face online.
The SDB Center on Ministry has created a group with Covenant Eyes that ministers can join. The cost is $24 for 12 months and the pastor gets to choose an Accountability Partner to whom their reports are sent. This Accountability Partner is to review the report and even when it consistently says “looks good,” should touch base and see how things are going.
Currently eight of our pastors are using the COM group with Covenant Eyes. I have spoken with at least one other who is using a different service. It is possible that some are hesitant to spend the $24 per year. You might ask your pastor if he would participate if you or your church were to provide these funds. This doesn’t guarantee that there will not be temptation or yielding to temptation, but it does provide a tool for nipping issues in the bud.
For further information check the COM website at www.sdbministry.org
