In Pursuit of Purity

Our whole life is about grace … because there is no one who is complete without Christ and there is no one who can overcome sin, death and the grave without Christ, and there is no one who can or will experience eternity with God without a personal relationship with Christ.

Slide - When Jesus talks about sin he is not doing it to shame you but rather to save you!

In this series we are looking at the Sermon on the Mount and the practical examples that Jesus gives about living a whole life, a life that is being put back together by our God.

Last week we saw that … Murder stems from the depravity of the human heart, not social circumstances. That anger is the seed that leads to a greater sin. That we are just as guilty of murder when we murder someone in our hearts through anger. That statement is true about every form of sin that enters the heart. God looks at the heart and sees the truth. We may have a smile on our face yet anger burning in our hearts. The truth is …

Slide - God values the condition of our heart over our outward behavior.

Being kind, polite, generous, loving, joyful, peaceful, patient and more are all good if they come from a good heart. As the psalmist wrote …

Slide - Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Psalm 51:6

Or as Solomon wrote in Proverbs …

Slide - Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

A heart that is devoted to God, a heart that is close to God, a heart that focuses on God, a heart that is being made whole in Jesus. It is this relationship with Jesus that makes us whole, complete, perfect in our heavenly Father’s eyes. As we said last week …

Slide - We are called to a Greater Life through a personal relationship with Jesus.

He is our only hope. Last Sunday we talked about anger, this week we are talking about purity. You hear those words and might wonder to yourself …

Slide - Is Purity a thing of the past?

One author writes …

Slide - When someone reads or hears the word purity mentioned they cringe. It’s not a very popular topic these days and that shouldn’t come as a shock. Purity isn’t valued in schools, churches, governments, movies, music or among our peers; why should it be of any value to us? Lisa Hallahan (A Lovely Calling)

Purity is often defined as freedom from adulteration or contamination, freedom from immorality, especially of a sexual nature. Even freedom from sin. But, at its core, the meaning of purity is being whole, complete. Not partially one thing and/or partially another.

Slide - Purity – Wholly one thing.

Pure water, pure chocolate, pure joy, pure love, unadulterated, completely wholly one thing!

In our study of the Beatitudes, Jesus said …

Slide - Blessed (or flourishing) are the pure in heart, for (because) they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

Wholeness is God’s intended design. Even as we talked about last week, Jesus ends chapter five with this proclamation …

Slide - You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

As Brian mentioned last week, perfect … means whole or complete.

We live in a sexually charged culture. It is everywhere and more accessible than ever. Jesus says …

Slide - “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27–28

God created us as sexual beings, it is part of being whole. God created Adam and Eve to procreate, to enjoy sexual intimacy. God knew what he was doing and said that “it is good”. But isn’t just like Satan to take what is good and distort it and use it to break us.

Lust means, a passionate desire for something. We most often see it in reference to lust that leads to an outward act that is sexual in nature. But there is also, lust for power, control, possessions, fame, etc. It is an intense passionate desire for something that you want that you do not have!

Here Jesus quotes the 7th commandment of the 10 commandments …

Slide - You shall not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14

In the OT, adultery was about stealing what was not yours. In the NT Jesus raises the bar and says that it is not just about stealing, it is about the heart’s desire or longing for what it doesn’t have - lust. Paul reminds us what is the will of God for our lives, our sanctification …

Slide - For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5

When you and I come to Jesus for forgiveness and to be made pure, whole and completely His … we enter the process of sanctification. Where those parts that don’t belong are removed. Those sins, those ways of showing up, those attitudes we have towards others that don’t represent a Holy God living in us. Jesus says to us …

Slide - Don’t let one part of your life destroy everypart of your life.

I have seen it in my own life, how a single sin can become entangled in every part of my life. Whether it is self-sufficiency, pride, anger, bitterness, doubt, fear, judgementalism, prayerlessness or yes, lust. So Jesus says …

Slide - If right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. Matthew 5:29–30

This is a broad statement that is about every sin, not just lust. But, clearly your eye is a place where lust most often begins or your hand that takes what does not belong to you. What is in your life that is a source of sin? Solution … get rid of it. Remove the social media, the computer, the TV, the tablet, the show that doesn’t help in your sanctification.

Slide - A look can lead to lingeringand lingering can lead to lust.

Slide - The Choice is to look away from what is not yours and look to what is yours.

The proverbs give us some advice that sounds a little racy but, it is a good reminder that what God has created in a marriage is good!

Slide - Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? Proverbs 5:18–20

Jesus goes on from our personal responsibility for our heart to how our actions get lived out in the Kingdom.

This next passage is about life in the Kingdom! Life that prioritizes our relationships over religion as we talked about last week. This is about the sanctity of marriage.

Slide - “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Matthew 5:31–32

In the OT divorce wasn’t all that common, the consequence for sexual immorality, or adultery of a woman in the OT was stoning. This is not just her sexual immorality … this is about either! No one gets married, wanting to get divorced and yet …

Marriage crises can affect any couple. Regardless of how long or fulfilled your marriage is, stop nurturing it – and you will experience stagnation and alienation. Living in marital communion is a two-way street. Good, healthy marriages require continuous and mutual effort, vigilance, and dedication to succeed.

· Fewer couples are getting married. 6.0/1,000

· Fewer couples are getting divorced. 2.3/1,000

· More couples are living together rather than getting married. Up 900% since the 60’s

Current reality … we are not perfect. Marriages are not perfect. We live in a broken and fallen world where couples divorce. But, in the kingdom of heaven, where every believer lives, there is hope, healing and wholeness to be experienced in marriage. Jesus expounded further in Matthew 19 when the pharisees approach him with a question meant to trap him.

Slide - And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” Matthew 19:3

There was Jewish teaching that would allow divorce for any reason, a bad meal, burnt toast, displeasure of any kind or for whatever made up reason.

Slide - He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19:4-6

Jesus goes all the way back to creation, not Moses. He looks at what was intended from the beginning. Jesus appealed to the principle, “The more original, the weightier,” an accepted form of argument in Jewish exegesis and it is impossible to go back further than creation. Jesus shows us that …

Slide - God’s original design for men and women is oneness in marriage!

But the pharisees quote the law of Moses.

Slide - They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” Matthew 19:7

Jesus answers them …

Slide - He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” Matthew 19:8-9

Lust leads sexual immorality which destroys oneness and leads to divorce and additional adultery. The disciples are listening to Jesus and this is their response …

Slide - The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” Matthew 19:10

That’s exactly what is happening today. Young people see marriage as a problem, an outdated institution that no longer serves a purpose. 54 % of people today say it’s okay to live together even if you have no intention or desire to ever marry.

Slide - But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” Matthew 19:10–12

A eunuch is someone with no sexual desire. It is possible that Apostle Paul was a eunuch.

Slide - I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. 1 Corinthians 7:7–9

Slide - There is a high calling in singleness!

So, what do you and I need to do to live this Greater Life that we are called to?

Slide - Repent of any lust that is in your life and all activities that have opened you up to lust.

Slide - Surrender your heart fully to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

Slide - Take practical steps!

Put blocks on channels, use software like, Covenant Eyes (or Ever Accountable, Safe Eyes, etc…), that allow accountability partners to help you stay pure.

Schedule an appointment with a licensed counselor, (Houston Center for Christian Counseling).

Slide - Seek help if sexual temptation has overcome you.

Again, this can be very shaming, but this is about saving your life, your marriage, your future.

We have a ministry called Castimonia. It is for men who are struggling with sexual addictions of any kind. (SAA has groups for women as well. This is no longer a predominately male problem)

Or, if you are a woman who is impacted, there are ministries like Parakaleo or ISA (Infidelity Survivors Anonymous)

Lastly,

Slide - Pray for purity in your life and relationships.

If you are single, pray for purity and power to exercise self-control.

If you are married, pray that your marriage will be all that God intended it to be. And that each of you would be pure and able to exercise self-control outside of your relationship with each other.

Pray that God will remove the sin, in whatever forms there may be in your life,

I want to invite you this morning to come to Altar to seek God on behalf of purity in your life. Come and pray as couples for your marriage. Come and pray for healing, wholeness, hope, restoration, come and pray for forgiveness, asking God to save what the enemy has sought to destroy.

I would ask that men pray with men and pray with women.

Come and Pray

Song – O Come to the Altar