Is the Bible grey on Fifty Shades of Grey?

I'm not a psychologist, a philosopher, theologian, or anything professional, really. I'm just a friend and sister in Christ who cares. Believe me, it's easier not to care. It's easier to be quiet, to stop typing, to not put myself out there for people to criticize and poke fun at.
Yet, as I watch women, and sisters in Christ across the web rave about the new upcoming movie Fifty Shades of Grey, my heart physically hurts for what these women are allowing into their minds, hearts and souls. I can no longer sit in the shadows because this isn't just something that will affect those who view the movie. This movie is going to affect relationships, marriages, children and everyone in between if society begins to view a "fifty shades relationship" (even with consent) as love.
I know there are a ton of articles out there warning you of how this movie will affect you emotionally, physically and especially spiritually. There are even books written on how damaging Fifty Shades of Grey will ultimately be for your marriage, and yes, even your love life. I have shared many of those additional resources outlining the dangers of Fifty Shades at the end of this post and I strongly encourage you to read them.
Because I know that adding my thoughts and opinions to the millions out there really doesn't hold a whole lot of weight, after all you don't really even know me, so why should you care what I think, I feel that it holds a lot more weight to share with you what God thinks about Fifty Shades of Grey. I have found that God's words are far more powerful than my own.
1. We are commanded in God's word to live holy, set apart lives. I don't think I have to convince anyone that a book or movie like Fifty Shades of Grey is anything but holy.
*1 Peter 1:16
Since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

*2 Corinthians 7:1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

*Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

*Ephesians 4:22-24
Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.


2. Our bodies belong to God. Our lives are to be sacrificial offerings of worship for the Lord. Your eyes belong to the Lord, your mind belongs to the Lord; YOU are his temple. Take a moment to consider what types of things belong in the temple of the Lord. Erotica, sexually explicit scenes and pornography belong nowhere near a holy temple of God.
*Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
*1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own. You were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body.


3. Sexual immorality is sin. Sexual immorality includes things like sex outside of marriage, adultery, homosexuality, pornography, erotica, and even lust which takes place in your mind and heart. When you view images that celebrate immorality, glorify it, and yes even romanticize it, you are sinning against your own body.

*1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

*1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;

*Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
*Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
*Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.


4. We are to fill our minds with things that glorify God. If you feel that a movie like Fifty Shades of Grey brings glory to God then you are either misinformed about the movie, or misinformed about God. I have heard so many women say that they are going to this movie because it has a great story line. The Bible is clear that we are to think on things that our pure, lovely, and honorable, and it doesn't make exceptions for good story lines.
*Phillipians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
*Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
5. God's word gives us a clear picture of what love is. And it's not fifty shades of grey. We have love only because God loved us first and is our example of love. His love is freeing rather than binding, gentle rather than abusive, patient rather than controlling. The Bible teaches us that love is selfless. It gives up of our selves rather than taking whatever we want however we want it. Fifty Shades of Grey is leading us away from true love, not towards it.
*1 Corinthians 13:4-8
A)">Love is patient and B)">kind; love C)">does not envy or boast; it D)">is not arrogant or rude. It E)">does not insist on its own way; it F)">is not irritable or resentful; it G)">does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but H)">rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, J)">endures all things. Love never ends.

*Romans 13:10
Love does no harm to its neighbor

*Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

*1 John 4:18-19
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.

*Ephesians 5:25
Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

I hope after reading these verses you can clearly see that this is not a grey area in the Bible. And I want to boldly challenge all Christian women that to read or watch Fifty Shades of Grey is to be living in direct opposition to what God's word commands of us as Christians. And to go against God's word is sin.

I want to clarify that this post does not come out of a place of pride or arrogance. I am not a perfect Christian, nor do I have it all figured out. I know there are areas of weakness and sin in my own life that I need to work on as well. This is simply a challenge to my Christian sisters to stand up against the culture and preserve purity, marriage, love, and holiness for ourselves, for our marriages, for our families and ultimately for the glory of God. Proverbs 4:23 says "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." I pray that even if you don't care what I think that you care what God, your father in heaven thinks. After all, He's the only one that truly matters.
*Additional resources My Review of Pulling Back The Shades of Grey Fifty Shades of Grey and Why We should Fight Fifty Shades of Grey Promotes Sexual Abuse (LA Times) Pulling Back The Shades (FREE book offer with trade in of your Fifty Shades) Five Things Fifty Shades of Grey Teaches How Fifty Shades of Grey Harms Women Fifty Shades of Prey Lies Christian Women Will Believe to Justify Watching Fifty Shades of Grey
And if you still want to see a movie on Valentines Day, go see Old Fashioned Love instead!