The Internet: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

We have seen a great revolution in technology develop before our very eyes in the past 10 to 15 years: the Internet, technology once reserved for the military, government, and universities, has now permeated our society. The Internet now allows us to communicate with others around the world; many tasks, like shopping and paying of bills, can now be done online. Rarely has so much change occurred in so little time!

While the technology may be new, human nature is not (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Many of the same human impulses that have existed in the "real world" for millennia are also now present online. As with most such change, thought of propriety and ethics has lagged behind the technological developments. It is good, then, for us to "test the spirits" (1 John 4:1) and consider the profitability of the Internet: is it something worth using?

The Internet can be a source of great good. Christians can more easily communicate with one another, both on the level of the local church and the universal church. Prayer requests can be expedited, and more people than ever can be praying for those in need (James 5:16). The Internet also facilitates interaction among brethren on e-mail lists, message boards, and now especially through weblog systems. While such interaction can have negative results occasionally, the interaction can also lead to great good: just as the Christians associated daily in Jerusalem (Acts 2:46), we can now associate continually with other Christians, both near and far, online. Brethren have also done well at presenting Biblical materials on many websites; there is a wealth of articles, sermon outlines, and other resources available to anyone with a click of the mouse!

Perhaps the greatest potential of the Internet is found in evangelism. Recent studies have shown that people are more comfortable accessing religious information online, and a large percentage of Internet users have done so. An individual or a congregation can host a website and allow visitors to hear lessons, read spiritual material, and learn more about the church in their own homes without feeling like they are being "sold" a belief system. We would do well to harness this potential (Matthew 28:18-20)!

Unfortunately, there is also great opportunity for evil on the Internet. Ever since the Internet began gaining popularity, many promoters of sin-- pornographers, gambling outfits, con men, and the like-- have gone online to peddle their wares. The anonymity of the Internet and the ability to access it within one's own home have led to the great popularity of such forms of sin. It is possible to avoid such sins online, and all effort should be made to do so. There is no room for sexually deviant behavior, covetousness, gambling, lying, and such things in the lives of brethren (Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians 3:1-5)!

The Internet also has its ugly side. Many of the same tools that can be used for good-- teaching the truth, associating with brethren-- can turn ugly: just as the truth can be promoted online, so can false teachings, and many have been promoted and spread far more effectively than in years past (2 Peter 2, etc.). Likewise, brethren often sin in matters of the tongue while discussing spiritual matters online; it is too easy to forget that one is communicating with other people when one simply types on a computer, and many improper things have been said (James 3:2-12).

In the end, the Internet represents a tool: it can be used for good or evil purposes. The choice is up to those who use it. Let us, therefore, use the Internet as a tool for good, to promote God's Kingdom!

Ethan R. Longhenry
evangelist@norwalkchurch.org

Questions to Ponder During the Lesson

AM: Defining Our Spiritual Association

1. How does the New Testament define spiritual association?
2. With whom are we to have spiritual association? Why?
3. With whom are we unable to have spiritual association? Why?
4. Who is the ultimate Judge?

PM: Churches of the New Testament: Colossae

1. What is Paul's relationship to the church in Colossae?
2. Who were some of the members in the church in Colossae?
3. What difficulties did some of the brethren face in Colossae?
4. What was the fate of the church there? What can we learn from it?

The church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio

Thank you for reading the electronic version of our bulletin, Good News for Norwalk. If you live in Norwalk or happen to be traveling in the Norwalk area, we would certainly love to have you visit one of our assemblies!

Our location:

386 North Edgewood Drive (just off US 250 just north of Norwalk's city limits)
Norwalk, Ohio 44857

Our assemblies:

Sunday morning assembly: 10:30am
Sunday evening assembly: 6:00pm

Our Bible studies:

Sunday morning Bible study: 9:30am
Wednesday evening Bible study: 7:00pm

For More Information

If you have any questions or comments about anything you have read here, or desire more information, please contact our evangelist, Ethan Longhenry, at evangelist@norwalkchurch.org.

Please click here to return to the 2007 archive of Good News for Norwalk, or click here to return to the main page of Good News for Norwalk. Thanks!