This message is primarily for singles, but obviously applies to everyone.
1Corinthians 11:1 ¶ Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
God is the Head –He is supreme (there is no one above Him)
The Head of Christ is God.
The Head of the Man is Christ.
And the Head of the Woman is the Man.
I also spoke on how a husband ought to love his wife.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
A wife wants her husband to be her spiritual leader but she is designed by God to feel secure only when she sees that her husband is not the final authority in their marriage, but that he is looking to God for direction and guidance.
Where do singles fit in, under God’s order?
Is it more honorable to be married than to be single?
Is there purpose in singlehood?
We may not come to a satisfactory answer to these questions today, but I do want to address a topic that will greatly affect your usefulness on the Kingdom of God.
PURITY…..
Is it possible to live a life of purity when you spend the majority of your time by yourself?
Some people are single by choice and don’t mind being alone, and some people are single because of circumstances that are out of their control.
At time people do crazy things because of loneliness.
I would say that loneliness and rejection are two primary reasons for many impure relationships.
We are a three part being:
-Body
-Soul
-Spirit
When I think of purity, I would also break it into three parts:
-Mind
-Will
-Emotions
We will be looking into different areas of our lives, but have you ever considered
Emotional Purity?
Just like loneliness and rejection have an effect on how we pursue relationships; our emotions have a way of clouding our vision.
How many people do you know, that live entirely off of their emotions?
Emotions are good, when kept in check but they are not the foundation of truth on which we build our lives.
A pure mind or pure thoughts will always have a positive effect on our emotions.
If we desire emotional purity, we had better take a good look at our thought life.
Because of loneliness and rejection, many people live in a world of fantasy.
When you think of purity, what kind of effect does purity have on fantasy?
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 the infilling 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 need something greater than our self and our own efforts.
-We need to be filled with LIFE, and that Life is only found in Jesus Christ.
-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?
-Is it possible?
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.
I believe that we would have to conclude that, outside of the Power of God in our lives, we are destined to fail.
How can I live a life of Purity?
1. By submitting my mind, will, and emotions to God.
2. By allowing Jesus Christ to perform the miracle of grace in my heart.
3. By walking in the light as He is in the Light.
4. And by daily following the Great Shepherd.
Following Jesus out of a heart of genuine love, 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 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.
1Peter 1:13 ¶ Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
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.
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 up building.
-words of kindness.
-words that are shared from a heart of love.
What kinds of words do not belong to pure speech?
-idle words
-by-words
-slang phrases
-vulgar language
-profanity
-gossiping
-cursing
-and taking the name of the Lord in vain.
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 the presence of God
4. Are my relationships pure?
Do I treat others with respect?
Am I driven by emotions?
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?
2Timothy 2:22 ¶ Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
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.