Phosphor Hell

It doesn’t matter if we believers befuddle our minds with television; we are still saved. Those who claim that our safety in Christ, under God, depends on whether or not our Christward affections are single and pure, are mistaken. We are saved by grace.

But television is a deluding influence, a deception, able to corrupt the apprehensions and subtly seduce believers from a singleness of purpose. In this capacity, television could potentially keep believers from 1) becoming mature in Christ (Phil. 3:15), 2) receiving a reward at the dais of Christ (1 Cor. 3:15, 2 Cor. 5:10), 3) receiving a wreath of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8), and 4) ruling with Christ among the celestials (Rom. 8:17, 2 Tim. 2:12). But again, as for general salvation, we are saved by grace, even if we have Gilligan’s Island reruns laminated onto our cerebellums.

Is one called to press on into salvation (Phil. 3:13-15), or is one called to love this current eon, as Paul’s ex-friend Demas (2 Tim. 4:9)? We have no doubt that Demas was saved (Philemon 24), he just became spiritually sidetracked when he got cable.
Satan has given up fighting salvation because the cross won that for all (2 Cor. 5:14, Rom. 5:18, Col. 1:20). But God has given Satan the power to set up deluding influences, not to keep people from getting saved, but to keep those who love The Beverly Hillbillies more than the truth from becoming spiritually mature.Paul says that "Satan himself is being transfigured into a messenger of light" (2 Cor. 11:14).

The Greek word here translated "light" is "phos," from which we derive our English words "phosphor," and "phosphorous." A phosphor is "any of a number of substances that exhibit luminescence when struck by light of certain wavelengths, as by ultraviolet." And we know that a television screen "is formed by coating the inner end of the tube with any one of several types of chemicals known as phosphors, which have the property of glowing when subjected to bombardment by a beam of electrons" (Funk and Wagnall’s Standard Reference Encyclopedia).

I know that some are laughing at this. If I were saying that watching television could endanger one’s salvation, I would deserve the ridicule. But if I’m saying that television keeps believers from studying the Scriptures, from nurturing family relationships, and from becoming mature in Christ, then those who were just laughing might now be squirming.

Does any of the above apply to computers? All of it. It’s the phosphors, man. They’re hell.

* * *

The apostle Paul knocks at the door of the home of Jack Dankworth. Jack, a believer, also believes in The Price is Right."

"Carol, get the door."

"Why can’t you get it?"
"Phyllis is bidding on a refrigerator."

"Jack, look here. It’s Paul."

"Paul who?"

"The ‘To live is Christ’ guy."

"I love that show! Tell him I’ll be there in a minute."

"He’s standing right here."

"Oh, gosh. They all overbid. Can you believe that? They’re going to have to bid again."

"What was the lowest bid?"

"Nine-hundred and twenty-five dollars."

"For a refrigerator? Who bid that?"

"That dummy in the red sweater. Alan."

"I’d bid seven and a quarter."

"How much did our refrigerator cost?"

"About four fifty—but that was three years ago."

"Is ours the same brand as that one?"

"What brand is that one?"

"I have no idea. Probably a Frigidaire. They always give away frickin’ Frigidaires. Frigidaires must be horrible."

"Ours is a GE."

"Same thing."

"I don’t think so, Jack. I just noticed the one on television has an ice dispenser."

"I always wanted one of those. Why didn’t we get an ice dispenser?"

"I guess I’d bid seven fifty."

"Shhh! Here’s the actual retail price ... Seven-hundred and seventy-five dollars. I can’t believe it. Alan won."

"I wonder what he’ll get a chance to win now?"

"It’s gonna be a car, Carol; mark my words. It’s always a car at this point in the show, and it’s gonna be a Pontiac.

They always giving out Pontiacs; Pontiacs must be really bad cars."

"How do you know it’s going to be a Pontiac?"

"Trust me. Just be quiet and trust me. I’ve just got a feeling."

"Oh, look. A Honda Civic."

"Jesus! I can’t believe it. It should have been a Pontiac."

"Did you just hear the door close?"

"It’s a curtain, Carol. The car was behind a curtain; you’re thinking of the old ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ show."

"No, I mean it sounded like our door just closed."

"Oh, look, it's the Over/Under game. This game is all luck; no skill whatsoever."

"I could have sworn I heard our door close."