…purity…

 

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Paul’s charge to Timothy:

1Timothy 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.

James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Striving for purity without repentance and true life that comes only from Jesus Christ, and Power of the Holy Spirit, is in vain.

I cannot attain the standard of purity and holiness held forth in the word of God, by striving to do so by my own strength and effort.

The bottom line is this:

-We all desperately need Jesus.

-We need to be connected to the true vine.

-We need to live in the power of the Holy Spirit

 

 

Can I lead a life of purity?

1John 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Titus 2:11 ¶ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

1John 1:5 ¶ This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Submitting my will to the will of God,

Allowing Jesus Christ to perform the miracle of grace in my heart,

Walking in the light as He is in the Light,

And daily following the Great Shepherd,

……allows the weakest of mortals to walk in righteousness and true holiness.

What is meant by leading a pure life?

1. Are my thoughts pure?

How is my thought life?

What do I fill my mind with?

Does what I have in my mind affect my character?

Am I filling my mind with things that are pure, holy, kind, righteous and so on or is my mind filled with evil thoughts and impure motives.

What I allow through the door of my mind, will at some point, also come out          and affect those around me.

 

2. Is my speech pure?

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:3 ¶ But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

What is pure speech?

-words that encourage and are upbuilding

-words of kindness

-words that are shared from a heart of love

…..and so on.

Here is a list of things that do not belong to pure speech:

-idle words

-by-words

-slang phrases

-vulgar language

-profanity

-gossiping

-taking the name of the Lord in vain

……and so on.

There are two things that are essential to overcoming wrong speech:

1. A pure heart.

Mt 12:34 …………for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

2. A persistent and prayerful walk with the Lord and being willing to continually say yes to the will of God and no to self and old habits.

 

 

3. Is my heart pure?

Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

1Titus 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

A pure heart seeks to bring honor and glory to God in all areas of life.

A pure heart is an open heart and a heart that is full of joy and peace.

4. Are my relationships pure?

Do I treat others with respect?

Am I driven by emotions and do I treat the opposite gender in a way that is God honoring.

Do my relationships draw me closer to God or do they have the opposite effect?

2Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Where chastity gives way to impurity, character is ruined.

 

5. Is my conscience pure?

 

Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

   14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Leading a pure life will positively impact those around you.

Leading an impure life will not only do damage and destroy your own character but it will also affect the people you associate with.

Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

 

 

 

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