No Ragrets (w2)

What is up Vertical! So, we’ve been in this series for the past three weeks where we’ve been talking about how to live a life with the least amount of regrets.

Inherently this topic leads to purity. And it should. Since purity is a characteristic of God. Purity means to: “freedom from anything that contaminates. Purity is the quality of being faultless, uncompromised, or unadulterated.” There are benefits to purity.

But when we talk about purity, one of two thoughts pops up. We either think of some other sinner or we think of our self. We think about that person who has a messy life Or maybe you think about yourself and the mistakes we have made that takes away the purity on our hearts.

And in reality, we should think of both. Because the Bible is clear that when it comes to purity & holiness, we do not have what it takes. We have sin that has broken our relationship with God and has brought sin.

However, one mistake that we make about purity is the following: When we think of purity, we think of something that is irreversible. It’s a stain that we have to live with if we ever go too far. If we push things past our boundaries there’s no going back.

Students, I am here to tell you that is not true. Purity can be achieve because of God’s redemption.

Main Point: God’s redemption empower us to live a godly life free of guilt.

Redemption simply means to “buy out.”

This concept is what our faith is based on. We have been redeemed from the power of sin and our mistakes of the past do not define our present.

The foundational message of our church is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and God the Son who lived the sinless life we could not live, then died the death we deserved to die, but defeated death and rose from the grave with the authority to forgive sin and grant eternal life to anyone who would believe, trust and surrender to Him. Have you ever done that?

God’s redemption empower us to live a godly life free of guilt.

God created purity for us so that we could live healthy lives, and to give us life. It’s like a flower in water. We know the flower needs water, so that’s what it lives in. We need purity in the same way. Just like a flower takes in water, we take in God’s purity from the outside in, and from the inside out, we receive life. Everything about purity comes from the inside—our heart.

But in week one, we talked about how our own heart is working against us, and when we let our heart control our lives, it leads to disaster. Our desires and emotions are not the best indicators of what is good for us.

When we choose our heart over our purity, we start to live in something toxic. It’s like if we poured motor oil inside a flower vase. We know the two don’t belong, and we can predict what will happen to it. It will slowly die from the inside out.

But the truth is this: purity exists to bring us back, not separate saints from sinners. If you’ve done something impure, God doesn’t leave you that way. Purity exists because God knew we would struggle.

Purity is part of God’s plan of grace. Grace is a gift, meaning you didn’t have to pay the cost; your only job is to receive it. I like this quote about grace:

“You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.” –Jonathan Edwards

God isn’t putting all the blame on your shoulders so that you can pay for it. He wants to pay for it for you so that you can experience His everlasting life. This all sounds good, but it’s hard to imagine how it can be true. Jesus shows what this type of grace looks like.

Principle #1: God’s redemption includes everyone.

John 8:1–16 (ESV)

but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.

In this passage, we see a group of Pharisees, who are like professional do-gooders, come to Jesus. They turned God’s plan of purity into a report card, and if you got an “F,” the sentence was death. They’ve been trying to trip up this man named Jesus, and so they tried to turn him into an executioner to show people that He’s not as loving as they think He is.

Don’t miss the fact that the Pharisee were right. Our sin brings death. That is what the law of Moses teaches, but the difference is that we are not the ultimate Judge. Christ is. And in His infinite grace, he took death upon himself so that we did not have to.

Principle #2: God’s redemption provides an inward look at our condition.

John 8:7–9 (ESV)

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

Before you are redeemed, you need to understand your condition.

Jesus takes the Pharisees’ report card and puts it back into the perspective of purity. Purity is about the quality of our heart, which means the only truly pure heart is the one without sin. If you are impatient, envious, angry, or selfish, then chances are, your heart is impure. That means you can be a virgin and still be an impure person. One by one, the people drop their stones and walk away.

Principle #3: God’s redemption requires a new owner.

John 8:10–11 (ESV)

Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

My biggest fear about this passage is we might missed some really important parts. In this moment with the woman, Jesus doesn’t tell her that everything is fine. He doesn’t excuse her sins, but He calls them out in a gentle way. He tells her to go and sin no more. He shows her that He is not offering her death, but life.

Jesus offers a Godly life free of guilt.

John 10:10 (ESV)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The life God wants to give you is full of possibilities, not restrictions. But in order for you to live in God’s grace, you need to live a life of purity. Purity exists to restore broken lives into life everlasting. Paul outlines what this looks like in Romans 12:1–2:

Romans 12:1–2 (ESV)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

[Illustration 2 - pour water after each sanctification bullet point.]

Paul is describing a process called sanctification. Sanctification is a big word that means “to make clean.” This isn’t a one-and-done type of plan. This is something you have to practice every day. Let me outline what Paul has already said in a more bullet-point way

OFFER GOD YOUR LIFE - Paul is telling us to give God full control of our lives. Let God be the final say in your decision making. This is similar to when someone accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior. You are literally saying that God can lead your life better than you can, so you are giving Him full control.

DON’T BE CONFORMED - Notice what culture says, and compare it to how God wants you to live. It’s normal in culture to let your heart control your actions. But following that example will only lead you to destruction. Compare the ways of culture to what God wants you to do, and choose God’s control. Don’t be surprised when the world lives opposite of how God wants you live; don’t be conformed.

BE TRANSFORMED - Let God speak value into your life. Shame can be a loud voice in your life, but God’s love is louder. You have to make it a habit of reading God’s Word to learn what He has to say about you and the life He has for you. God wants a say in how you see yourself. The more you are transformed by the renewal of your mind, the more you start to see your life through God’s eyes.

TEST, TASTE, SEE - God wants you to put His plan to the test. Notice how much healthier your life and your relationships become. God wants you to put His plan to the test. Don’t just talk a good game about purity—live it out and apply God’s wisdom to your life.

REPEAT - Sanctification is like a shower. You need to do it every day. This isn’t a 30-day diet; it’s a lifestyle choice.

When we walk in God’s plan of purity and sanctification, we welcome God’s overflowing love into our life. His pure love pushes out all of the things that have been destroying your heart. We don’t exist for purity; purity exists for us. And it’s because God knew we would need a way back to His love and a life overflowing with His goodness.