What Would Jesus Say?

When I was preparing to release my book, “Fifty Shades of They,” the young lady who helped me with my books suggested I read “Fifty Shades of Grey,” in case anyone asked me about the title of my book and its similarity to the wildly popular bestseller.

After skipping over all the erotic parts, I finished the book in forty-five minutes, Here’s my conclusion: the storyline is basic. A handsome and powerful billionaire, Christian, is a sexual predator. Basically, it normalizes perversion. It’s a book that uses metaphors and clichés and eroticism and art to camouflage what it is: domestic violence. The victim in this story is Ana.

It sounds like rape to me. What’s normal is abnormal. 

What Is God’s Perspective on Sex and Relationships?

We know, though, that God is not gray when it comes to life, don’t we? We know that God is not gray when it comes to power, money, and sex. We know God is not gray when it comes to marriage and when it comes to friendship.

God wants to show you His way is best

This reminds me of a story Jesus told in Luke 12. It’s the story of the prodigal son. The son demanded his inheritance from his father, then he spent it all on wild living. The end result was that he found himself broke, friendless, and living in a pigsty. That’s what happens when we take a gift from God and let the enemy pervert it.

Money itself is not evil. Power, when used correctly, is not evil. Sex, within the confines of marriage, is holy.

What would Jesus say to Christian and Ana?

If we were to insert Jesus into the conversation between Christian and Ana, what do you believe He would say to them?

#1. Be free from sin

In the book, Fifty Shades of Grey, the characters are searching for oneness. For many people, the closest they’ll ever get to God is through sexual intercourse. When you have sex, you’re one with the other. We desire this oneness, this intimate connection, with God. 

When we have a relationship with God, He comes into our lives. We have a hole in our soul and we try to fill this hole with money and sex and power. It may give us a fast, temporary relief from the aches and pains of life, but it doesn’t satisfy us. What’s so ironic is that, in our search for freedom apart from God, the things we chase end up keeping us in bondage. They end up limiting us. 

The deepest intimacy many people will ever have is in the act of sex, and it starts with God! God, though, is the author of sex and he says, “Do sex my way, Christian.”

#2. Repent

We’ve forgotten about repentance. We have to repent, to do a 180. I believe Jesus would get in Christian Grey’s grill and say, ‘You’ve got to turn from your evil ways. You’re committing cosmic treason before God. I know you had a tough life. I know it’s been difficult. I know you’ve been adopted. I know this woman took advantage of you, but you’ve got to take responsibility.’

In our world today, we love to play the victim, don't we? It’s so popular—from our house, all the way to the White House. ‘Their fault!’ ‘It was somebody else’s fault!’ ‘It’s not my fault!’ ‘It’s not my responsibility!’ We’ve got to step up and take responsibility and turn from it. Christian needs to come to his senses before he ends up in a pigsty.

The Bible says in Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV) “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

If you hold up a hundred-dollar bill to the light, you can determine if it is real or counterfeit. That light separates the real deal from a fake, and the same is true when we hold our lives up and our relationships up and our power up and our money up and our sex up to the God of the universe, the Light of the world. Is what we’re examining real or counterfeit?

#3. Seek better relationships

We should handle the real so much, we should hang out with the right ‘they’ so much, and do the right thing so much that when something counterfeit comes our way, when temptation comes our way, we should be able to say, ‘Whoa! That’s counterfeit!’ The devil pays in counterfeit money!

So I believe Jesus would say to Christian, “Turn to me.” He would have his nail-pierced hands out. “Turn to me; come to me. I want to forgive you and cleanse you and change your life.” I believe he would say, “I’m sorry.” I think also he would say this. “Christian, stop looking for the mortal to do what only the immortal can.” Throughout the book, you feel the angst, the tension, because Christian and Ana are trying to put on a human relationship the pressure that only God can fulfill.

That’s why it’s so important to have the right ‘they’ in your life. Look what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV), “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”

#4. Get help

The Bible says in Proverbs 11:14, “...in a multitude of counselors there is safety.” 

My family and I have benefited greatly from Christian counseling. I’m not shy to admit that. I’ve got blind spots, and so do you. A great Biblical counselor will point out those challenging areas and help you work through them.

Choose The Living Book

Many of you would say, “‘Fifty Shades’ is just a book.” Just a book? 

I hold in my hand the Book. The book of life. I hold in my hand the book of marriage. I hold in my hand the book of power and money and sex. I hold in my hand the book of an amazing, abundant agenda that God has for you and for me. I hold in my hand the book that will teach you what repentance and faith and a clear conscience are all about. I hold in my hand the book that will help you with parenting. I hold in my hand the book that will teach you about friendship. I hold in my hand the book that will teach you about life. It’s the Bible.

Will you join me in committing yourself to God’s way, not the Grey way?

Next Steps

When you say yes to Jesus, He will take what’s been damaged inside and transform it into something beautiful. If you’ve been searching for someone or something that brings meaning to your life, then look no further. 

The missing piece in your heart that you’re seeking is God. Ask Him to forgive your sins and your tendency to put your desires on the wrong things—the things of this life. He’ll purify the pieces of your heart that have been bruised and wounded by the world’s attitude toward sexual relationships and the damage it causes.

Join us online or visit us in person at Fellowship Church, where we connect with other believers who, with the Lord’s help, are living life in freedom, victorious over the captivity of sin and lust.

We invite you to try life God’s way instead.