Mike’s Musings …
Summertime Danger!
As warmer temperatures arrive, sunshine becomes abundant, and the outdoors is most inviting, once stable minds become devoid of sanity! Youthful bodies believe nudity is fashionable, and elderly bodies have mouths that stay silent regarding the offensive display. The contagious sin of lasciviousness goes unchecked due to the ignorance of its meaning. Therefore, to caution as many as possible about this lewd behavior, let me muse with you regarding this summertime (or any time) danger.
Lascivious means “Loose; wanton; lewd; lustful” (Webster). The word “wanton” means, “Wandering from moral rectitude; licentious; dissolute; indulging in sensuality without restraint” (Webster). A common interpretation is this: “Do what you want to do without regard for how your actions influence the moral behavior of those who observe you, and follow your example.” (That one is from Davis.)
When Christians, regardless of their age, indulge in lascivious behavior, they ignore God’s word and thereby influence those beholding their behavior to accept sinful behavior as “usual, no big deal, live as you want to live.” It doesn’t have to be nudity (the summertime version of lasciviousness), but any behavior that promotes self-desire over righteousness. A few examples to notice are the willful neglect of faithful attendance to worship and Bible study services, the participation in activities that you would be otherwise ashamed to do if Christ were literally by your side, the use of language that is much less than wholesome and decent – these are but three examples of lascivious behavior that are not often thought to be lascivious. But they are! They are loose, wanton, lewd, and lustful: the very definition of lascivious.
I muse on summertime dangers, not the least of which are ones we have mentioned. I muse most on why Christians would consider such behavior as “acceptable” any time of the year. Sin is sin and should never be willfully committed. Hebrews 10:26