Passage: Spiritual Disciplines | Lesson 08
Spiritual Discipline of PurityDanny Orh | May 3, 2015
Opening Questions:
What does Biblical Purity look like?
How does it differ, if at all, from Sexual Purity?
What does our current generation believe about purity?
When we think about biblical purity, we often think only about sexual purity. Scripture addresses the topic of purity numerous times and it goes beyond addressing just sexual sins.
Listed below are references where Scripture addresses or mentions Biblical Impurity and Immorality:
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
2 Timothy 2:22
Hebrews 13:4
1 Peter 2:11
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Romans 13:13-14
1 Corinthians 6:13
Ephesians 5:3-5
Galatians 5:19-21
Titus 2:1-2
Biblical purity must be worked on as a discipline as Scripture warns us in so many places about falling into sin. Just as sexual sin had been rampant in the days of Paul, these same sins are what the world tries to sell us on today.
Why do we need to talk about purity?
1. The numbers don't lie
Statistics continue to show that sexual purity is a large struggle for people today, both for non believers and believers alike.
- 66% of Internet-using 18- to 34-year-old men look at online pornography at least once a month.
- 40% of women are involved in online pornographic, cyber behavior.
- 70% of Internet pornographic traffic occurs during the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday.
- The largest consumers of Internet pornography are 12- to 17-year-olds.
- 12% of all Internet sites, or more than 26.6 million sites, are dedicated to pornography.
- 90% of 8- to 16-year-olds have viewed pornography online.
- About 83% of pornography addicts are men and 17% are women.
- Pornography is used by 87% of college males and 31% of females.
- 56% of divorces involved one party having an obsessive interest in pornography.
- 70% of Christian men admit to struggling with pornography in their daily lives.
- 50% of Christian men and 20% of Christian women admitted to an addiction to pornography.
- 55% of pastors admitted to visiting a pornographic site.
- 57% of pastors say that addiction to pornography is the most sexually damaging issue to their congregation.
- In December of 2000, the National Coalition to Protect Children and Families surveyed five Christian campuses to see how the next generation of believers was doing with sexual purity: 48% of males admitted to current pornography uses.
2. It is God's will for you
"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit."
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
3. You are an example
The affects of sexual sin extend beyond oneself. As you continue to help and serve in ministry, consider how your sins affect those whom you minister to, whether it be your Camp kids, Hi-Koi, those who you mentor, and perhaps, later your family. We are called to live a life exemplary of Christ. As we have been given spiritual influence over others, may we live above reproach, so that we can live out what we teach.
There is Freedom and Redemption in Jesus Christ
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
God clearly states that those who live lives of immorality will not inherit the kingdom of God, but the good news is that we can be washed and cleansed because of Jesus Christ! Regardless of what you have done in the past, place your faith in Christ and there is freedom and redemption from your sins!
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"
1 John 1:9
Posts
