A Passion for Purity (Part 2 of 2)

When were in church with our brothers and sisters in Christ to commit ourselves to living lives of holiness. But then we walked out the doors of the church and were in a world full of temptation.

So how do we stay the course today on Truth for Life.

Alastair Begg offers biblical tools to help us sustain a passion for purity or in Proverbs chapter 6. How then we ask ourselves, are we going to fail to make it through another day and another week make it through another year of our lives with a passion for purity. I have a number of points I'll do as many of them as I can in the time that I have number one if we are going to maintain a passion for purity in our lives. It is imperative that we cherish the word of God that we cherish the word of God. Secondly, if were going to have a passion for purity.

We need to stay awake and stay alert.

If your Bible is still open to Proverbs 6 and seven. You will notice that the problem of the problem with the individual. Here is that the young man failed to consider what was going on. The characters described here lacked judgment at the window of my house verse six I looked out through the lattice and I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men I you who lacked judgment. He was silly he was not learning the lessons of life. He was not considering things he was like a boy I mentioned the other evening. I told his mother he would never fall off his motorbike until of course he fell off his motorbike.

He was possessed of the idea that it was okay to start these things. It was okay to play around in his mind.

With this kind of stuff. It was okay to wander the streets and be involved in these passageways and he was failing to stay awake. He was failing to stay alert. He was living his life in a kind of moral dream he was living in a kind of indifferent carelessness, and therefore he was susceptible to the disaster which awaited him. If we are going to maintain a passion for purity were going to have to learn lessons from life turn to Proverbs 24. Solomon says in verse 30. I went past the field of the sluggard past the vineyard of the man who likes judgment thorns that come up everywhere. The ground was covered with weeds in the stone wall was in ruins.

So in 30 and 31 you have observation in verse 30. Do you have application. This is imperative if were going to make it through life, especially to live in the realm of purity we need to see the mass that's out there and we need to apply our hearts to the mess that we see and we then have to on the basis of our understanding of it. Make it referential to our lives and so he says. I little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. Some of us have watched others collapse in relationship to these things and we say as I said to you. How is it that this could ever be. Let me tell you what it is, in part, these individuals have failed to stay awake.

They have failed to stay alert. First Peter 57. Be self-controlled and alert for the devil is a roaring lion going around seeking those he may devour. Thirdly, if were going to maintain a passion for purity. We need to make our choices in advance and on the basis of God's word make our choices in advance and on the basis of God's word. Whenever you find someone who falls into this kind of sin that is more than even chance that they have been making their crucial decisions on the fly. They've been trying to make vital decisions in the heat of the moment. Now you see in the realm of aviation they put these characters in those simulators time and time and time again. Have them come out with a perspiration bursting out of them. Having lost pounds in weight, and all on the basis of a great electronic experience. Why so that they may learn to make the right decisions before they have ever to make those decisions when they issue is crucial in life is at stake. I always tell my teenage young people, you better make decisions about moral purity on an afternoon light. Today was kinda cold and drizzly and three can unappetizing go out and make your decisions on that day. Don't tell me that you'll make your decisions in the backseat of your father Scott at 1130 some Friday or Saturday evening because I'm going to tell you. You'll never ever manage you make your decisions tonight when the problem hasn't confronted you on the basis of God's word so that when the evil day comes, you will be able to reference the prior decision. No, I already made that decision.

I know that this is very appealing. I know that this is tremendously urgent in its strong pool, but I already made that decision. I don't think the people who fall file in this regard have set out and said you know I am going to go out and do wrong.

I think it is that they have never said I am going to do what is right.

There's a difference between simply affirming truth and laying down our spiritual milestone in relationship to these things. First Peter chapter 1 and verse 13 in the King James version reads, gird up the loins of your mind, what is that mean well it simply means prepare your minds for action.

That's how the NIV translates it is the picture from the Old Testament of eating the Passover.

The word was, I want you to eat the Passover with your your stuff tucked into your belt. The long gowns that they wore were down around her ankles and so to gird up they would take their their their cloaks and their bits and pieces and the hold them up and stuff them into their belts so that they can be ready at a moments notice to split. Peter picks up the picture and he says now in relationship to your minds. He says I want you to keep control of your minds. I want you to get a grip of your thought processes.

I want you to take a hold of them, stuff them into your belt is aware so that you're able to run after what is good and you're able to run away from what is backed prepare your minds for action. For if you do not then you and I are the suggestible type.

We are very very prone to tragedy in the city. Some hundred 19 is a great wealth of truth, some under 1906. I have taken an oath and confirmed it that I will follow your righteous laws hundred and 12. My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end to the very end is a picture from going out running if you look away down the end of the street you say to yourself I think I'll quit because the end of the street that I've got to get to is so far away so I don't look at the end of the street anymore. I just go from mailbox to mailbox Lord help me to get to the next mailbox. Please and I suggest to you that in the matter of moral purity you determined that you'll make it from mailbox to mailbox, having set your heart you're going to keep going to the very end.

One mailbox at a time. Are you with me here. Maybe one more if we are going to maintain a passion for purity. We need to determine to live our lives in the center of the narrow way and not on the edge. I want to live my life on the edge when it comes to zealous evangelism. I want to live my life on the edge and it comes to taking certain kinds of risks that I want to live my life entirely in this in the safe zone.

When it comes to the matter of purity and I would encourage you to do the same. Charles Bridges, the Puritan said the narrow way was never hit upon by chance and neither did I. Heedless manner woman ever live a holy life. You do not live a holy life. Just somehow or another.

It is an absolute active determination prompted by the spirit of God guided by the word of God, enabled by the power of God.

I have set my heart to it and now I will implement and I will determine that I live my life in the center of the narrow way you see the young fellow here back in Proverbs chapter 7 was living on the edge and that's a bad place to be. Look at verse eight he was going down the street near her corner.

He was walking along in the direction of her house at twilight as the day was fading as the dark of night said in what was he doing down there need to be down there only goal down there.

Don't get yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time would be one thing if you are drop-down and you found yourself there. But to actually walk down in those places. As the evening shadows, then your mom tell you I don't want you playing in the street.

Verse 27.

Her house is Highway to the grave leading down into the chambers of debt play in the street. Then your mom tell you play with matches. Verse 27 of chapter 6 can a man scoop fired into his lap without his clothes being burnt play with matches you set fire to yourself all, but it's okay. You see, I'm free to do what I want, I can watch this. I can read that I can listen to that music. Those lyrics don't affect me. I'm sorry that the effect you, Mr. bag, you must be certain you got a problem in this area. Obviously me that stuff is not a problem to me. I can listen to it all the time.

I can read it all the time. I can watch it all the time. Let me tell you something you are nuts. If you have a modicum of that in your mind you're not even true to common sense. Garbage in, garbage out. You fill your mind with that you will do that as a man thinks so is he a passion for purity means that I determined to live in the center of the narrow way to full around on the edges. There is nothing to begin from living on the edges when it comes to the matter of purity. Maybe another one.

Fifthly, if you're going to maintain a passion for purity walk in the light and live with the children of the day.

First Thessalonians 51 of the great pictures of what it means to be a Christian is that we are made children of the day. First Thessalonians 5 in verse five. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day.

We don't belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let's not be like the others are asleep, but let us be notice it, alert and self-controlled, for those who sleep, sleep at night, those who get drunk and drunk at night. But since we belong to the day.

Let's make sure that our activities are daytime activities. Let's be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. Don't be deceived by the darkness. Darkness creates isolation and when we are isolated we are vulnerable we are, minus accountability and we all need to be accountable within our lives with accountability where either going to live right.

Are we going to become manifold liars.

The interesting thing is that people are set up elaborate accountability systems for themselves and then they have violated the issue of truth telling. So the accountability structure in and of itself cannot do for us what we must do for ourselves because we are deceitful enough to conceal ourselves in the darkness. You need to turn to this, but let me just quote it for you.

Job 2450 in the eye of the adulterer watches for DOS. He thinks no. I will see me and he keeps his face concealed in the dark man break into houses, but by day they shut themselves and they want nothing to do with the light for all of deep darkness. Is there morning they make friends with the terror of darkness passion for purity demands walking in the light and with the children of light.

I three more. Let me just tell you what the ark said I don't have to come back to for going to maintain a passion for purity.

Don't let's be naïve about sins appeal and sends power. You only need to look here at verse 10 and then verse 14 so on.

In Proverbs 7, out came a woman to meet him and she says hey listen I have fellowship offerings at home. I have food today. I fulfilled my vows not only am I persuasive, but I am purifying so I came out to meet you.

I looked for you, and I found you, and I've covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt, I don't only have food but I have finery and I perfumed my bed with mirror and aloes, and cinnamon. And I can offer to you fulfillment verse 18 always get ourselves sin is predatory.

The word of God became sin is crouching at your door. It desires to have you and you must master it.

I don't like to hear from these young guys that tell me they never notice girls legs and they never notice this and they never notice that what's what's wrong fellow you brain-dead or something, you scare me the most, but I can understand a guy who says, you know, I've noticed that it's not the first Luke that does me and it's the second Luke that does me at telling you know what dead right second last going to maintain a passion for purity. Don't miss the obvious. Don't miss the obvious. Verse 24 of Proverbs 7 my sons listen to me pay attention to what I'm telling you, don't let your heart turn to her waist or stray into our past Inc. about it.

It's obvious. Many of the victim. She has brought down or slain are a mighty throng.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, the chances are it's a dock.

Don't miss the obvious and finally, if were going to maintain a passion for purity. We need to live with eternity in view live with eternity in view. What is it the made the heroes of Hebrews 11 the heroes it was that they look for a city that was beyond them.

They look for one whose foundation and builder was God and Moses is a classic illustration of he chose to be ill treated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. In other words, he did not succumb to instant gratification.

He did not sell his soul for the moment. He did not give up his ministry and his future and his family and his whole framework of existence for some fleeting moment of – he chose instead to set out on a more difficult course and would've otherwise open to him and what was the explanation he regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as a greater volume than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward. So tonight is you.

Many of you begin your college course, and others argue return for another year of opportunity and as you fascination on all these different challenges which are realistic challenges for all of us to our lives. Can I just encourage you to make sure that God being your helper in the word of God being your guidance, you will say today whatever the future is been whatever mistakes and disappointments of the past. Whatever follow-ups of March your life.

If there have been such that as of today you're gonna write it down somewhere. You can ask God to write it in your heart that you're going to be committed not simply to the theme of the year but to make it a very hallmark of your life you're going to be committed to a passion for purity.

Listen to how Paul puts it. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.

I told you before him the story of the man who was the chaplain to the sailors down in Portsmouth, England, and he was meeting with a group of the sailors and he was talking to them along the lines that I've been speaking to you here this evening and he said to the man you're going to have to hold the line here and make a commitment and establish your course and so on and so forth in the sailors began to rejoinder in all chaplain is okay for you are with your callers turned down the wrong way and living in this kind of little secluded zone of yours but you don't realize what is like fertilizer sailors got understand that the great drift in the passions and the movements in the appeals are so strong in their so powerful that just the just movements we can control where they take us naysaying Yanks command takes them out of the building and onto the war for Portsmouth and as they look out over the shoreline that are at all these sailing vessels out there in the bay, and he said to them, listen guys, one boat goes east one boat goes West by the selfsame wins that blow.

It's the said of the sales and not the Gayle's that determines which way they go young people set your sales. According to the instructions of the captain of your salvation and letters in every purposeful, powerful, persuasive way live as lights in the crew. And perverse generation with an unashamed passion for purity compelling message from Alastair big as we continue our series called lessons for life. This is Truth for Life. You may have noticed Alistair's comments were addressed to college-age students. That's because the messages in the series were originally delivered on the college campus.

But the battle for purity doesn't and when you graduate. We hope that regardless of your age you been challenged and encouraged by this message Truth for Life. Our desire is to see believers become rooted and grounded in their faith as well. We want to see unbelievers come to know Jesus and we want to see local churches strengthened.

We know God accomplishes these outcomes through the teaching of his word, and that's why we provide these daily messages on radio online through as many popular listing channels as possible. It is God's provision through listers like you that make all of these convenient listing options available to people for free. We are so grateful for your financial support of this ministry. When you donate today would like to express our thanks by sending you a book that is both entertaining and uplifting.

It's a compelling biography of Olympian Eric little.

It's titled running the race.

Little was known as the flying Scotsman will most famous Scottish athletes of all time. There was much more to Eric little than his significant athletic achievements. He was marked by a deep Christian faith and the passion for evangelism and missions in the middle of his remarkable career little felt God calling him to enter the foreign mission field, gave his life bringing the gospel to China.

He was faithful to the end, he valued the pleasure of God over the praise of men running the race is an in-depth biography offers a wealth of inspiration and shows us an example of how remarkable life in Christ can be request your copy when you give today that Truth for Life.org/donate or call 888588784 if you'd rather mail your donation along with the request for the book right to Truth for Life at PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, OH 44139 Bob Lapine tomorrow. Alastair concludes our series called lessons for life with some personal reflections and insights. If you have a son or daughter who is college aged. Be sure to invite them to list the Bible teaching of Alastair big is furnished by Truth for Life with Learning is for Living