Purity and Preservation
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After a violent storm one night, a large tree, which over the years had become a stately giant, was found lying across the pathway in a park. Nothing but a splintered stump was left. Closer examination showed that is was rotten at the core because thousands of tiny insects had eaten away at its heart. The weakness of that tree was not brought on by the sudden storm; it began the very moment the first insect nested within its bark. With the Holy Spirit's help, let's be very careful to guard our purity.
One of the things that makes us weak and vulnerable to the wily ways and deceptions of the world is the lack of purity. Purity is commanded and demanded in the scriptures… no doubt, but in our culture today for many many years now, purity is one of the those things that is seen in negative light. I remember as a child I was introduced to the purity is not cool ideology watching the movie grease. Hey what do you think about letting Sandy into the Pink ladies? Hmmm She looks to pure to be pink. Took a little bit for me to figure out what that whole thing was all about. Its always the bad boys who got the attention. It was always the bad girls who got the attention. It was always the rebel without a cause who got the lead roles in the movies. In high school and middle school you were kinda made fun of if you were still a virgin. In middle school … the question was… are you straight? Now it did not mean in those days not gay… it was used to ask if you kissed a girl yet? Purity was not cool! And even today … girls don’t wanna be known as good girls. Guys dress up in orange prison clothes? Even today purity is seen as not cool. Girls idolize indiscreet women and guys idolize criminals. Especially the young.
But even in the church we see this. Even at the christian school I went to… the bad boys are girls were the popular ones. The statistics of premarital sex and drugs and alcohol use on the campuses of Christian universities are no different than secular universities which for many started off as Christian universities. Why the degradation of purity in the church today? The Bible gives us a great deal of insight as to how we can be pure, but our issue is even deeper than not knowing how, its wanting to be pure in the first place.
Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Now that we know the directive… today we will see how. The next letter of the Hebrew Alphabet… Beth.
How can a young person stay pure?
By obeying your word.
I have tried hard to find you—
don’t let me wander from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
I praise you, O Lord;
teach me your decrees.
I have recited aloud
all the regulations you have given us.
I have rejoiced in your laws
as much as in riches.
I will study your commandments
and reflect on your ways.
I will delight in your decrees
and not forget your word.
The grass withers the flower fades but the word of our God stands forever.
How to be Pure
The Need to Protect
My Delight
The first thing we will look at today is the way in which we can be pure before the Lord. The second thing we will explore is the need for us to protect how we can be pure. And Finally, we will see the wonderful work of Christ that causes us to desire the law of God.
Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to be deceived into believing that purity is frivolous, it is the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of scripture that will cause us to see the power in and protection of purity.
I. How to be Pure
- Obeying Your Word.
A. This is clearly for us all, but it is specifically addressed to the young. The young are the ones historically struggle with temptations of various kinds.
Spurgeon writes, “He is just a young man, full of hot passions and lacking in knowledge and experience. How will he get on the right path and stay there?”
B. And the scriptures acknowledge the difficulty of young people having difficulty with making mature decisions to keep themselves pure.
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”
John Calvin writes, “There is another reason, arising from the fact, of the carnal propensities being very powerful in youth, requiring a double restraint; and the more they are inclined to excess, the greater is the necessity for curbing their licentiousness.”
C. But in the divine wisdom of our living God, the double restraint is given. It is the law of God. How do you get on the right path and stay there? We follow the directives of the scriptures. We have got to make the Word of our rule in life. And you cannot make it your rule if you don’t know it. And you cannot know it if you do not study it. And you cannot study it if you do not read it.
D. The Bible is like a map for us. Even with the greatest care a christian will be led astray if the map misleads them. And even with the most accurate map a christian will be led astray if they do not follow it. We must absolutely remember that we can sin even without thought at all, but do not be deceived, to follow the directives of the scriptures it will require thought effort with all our hearts soul mind and strength. We do not arrive at the narrow road by chance and the careless will not get through it.
E. The scriptures make it clear that two things will happen that will lead to ruin… 1. We will live our lives with no rule at all. 2. We will follow the wrong rules. Commentator James Anderson writes...
“The reason, therefore, of so much evil prevailing in the world, arises from men wallowing in their own impurity, and being disposed to yield more to their own inclination than to heavenly instruction. The only sure protection is, to regulate ourselves according to God’s word.”
F. It does not take a brain surgeon to realize that what the commentator suggests is not far off. When you really think about so much that is wrong in our world it is because so many are not following the directives in the Bible and do not care about purity at all. Even in the church we feel that what the scriptures command are simply options. Subject to private interpretation. Or irrelevant to our time. And so in the end we all tend to make up rules for ourselves. So like some of the 10 commandments but not all. Some like some of the teaching of Christ, but not all. Some like the teaching of Paul but not all. And in the end we are all practicing what philosophers… what we call emotivism. Right and wrong is simply what we like and what we don’t like. If it make us feel good, then it is right. If it makes you feel bad then it is wrong. Oh but Shane I like that whats wrong with that… in other words. We all do what is right in our own eyes. And by doing this… we are destroying the church and destroying the world.
G. This is why the Psalmist is crying out and yearning for the Lord to not let him wander from the laws of God. This is why he seeks. Why he searches. Why he strives. But also why hides it.
II. The Need to Protect
- Hiding the Word as we would treasure.
A. The Hebrew word Saphan… to be understood as hiding sheltering or keeping safe because it is highly valuable. This is not just reading… it is meditating. It is concentrating and memorizing the text to be rehearsed over and over as to become a part of our lives. Super important to know that this is what is commanded by God… not just to read but to meditate day and night.
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
B. We are to treat the Word of God as if it is valuable. Do we value it? As much as we do the finest treasure. This is very telling about how we view the scriptures. Do we really thing the Bible is more precious than gold. We will scour the earth and risk our lives for gold and the bible sits on our coffee table collecting dust.
Your instructions are more valuable to me
than millions in gold and silver.
I rejoice in your word
like one who discovers a great treasure.
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,
the one who gains understanding.
For wisdom is more profitable than silver,
and her wages are better than gold.
Wisdom is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
C. The question is… do we believe this? The things we will do for material wealth, but continue to neglect the scriptures and not be able to be strengthened by purity and the church disintegrates and the world devours itself. The Lord is telling us today how valuable His word is to us today. The problem we have today is that we don’t believe this and why we must yearn, seek and fight to cry out to the Lord to keep us from wandering from His commands.
D. This is why we meditate on the scriptures… because it is valuable to us. This is why we hide it in our hearts. Because it is a treasure. Because it is valuable. Because it is sooo worth it. We hide it, because we see that it is of real value. So number 1 we hide it because we want to, because we see it is valuable. And number 2 we hide it to protect it because it is valuable. Protect it? Yes because there is so much that is coming to steal it from you.
He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!
E. Then Jesus explains...
“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
D. And to add to this… very prevalent today. The farmer went to the store to get seed, but instead of getting seed to sow, they gave him gravel made to look like seeds and now he is sowing seed that he thinks is seed but it is not. These are the false prophets and teachers who sell false truth making us think is the bible and so if we actually do hide it and protect it in our heart it is still unfruitful because its not the word of God.
E. Make sure we got the word and then we meditate on it and we protect it as if it is the most valuable thing we have. What we are getting today we value. The Word of God we are hearing… we hide it in our heart. Value it and protect it.
III. My Delight
- The law is written on our hearts.
A. But Shane I do not delight in the scriptures, I don’t care about it. I don’t really want it. Its kinda whatever to me. I’ll take millions over it for sure. Do not be fooled, do not be deceived, do not be led astray… this is not the heart of a Christian. The covenant that God made with us is that he would write His laws upon our hearts… He would change our hearts so that our delight and the desire of our heart would be the Word of God.
B. The Sheep of Christ know His voice and they will not follow the voice of a stranger. No other voice they follow. Our view and our thoughts on the scriptures are a big deal. It is no small thing for us to have a wrong view of the Word of God.
C. I watched a video this week where the interviewer asked a professing Christian if she believed that the Bible was true. And she said no. You cannot believe this about the very breath of God and believe that you are a disciple of Christ. No way.
“If you love me, obey my commandments.
D. But this is the beauty of the gospel there is still hope and there is still time to be free from the slavery of sin and the pattern of this world. But like the psalmist said before he begged the Lord not to forsake him… not to give up on him.
B. The beautiful thing is… our Lord did not forsake us. Our Lord did not leave us. Though all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Though there is no one on earth who always does good and never sins. Though the wages of sin is death. Though we are all by nature children of wrath.
C. Our Father did not forsake us, but our Lord was forsaken on the cross as he bore our sins upon His shoulders and paid the price for our transgressions. Jesus lived the life we should have lived and he died the death we should have died. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He came to seek and save that which was lost. He became sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of of God in Christ Jesus.
D. And the promises continue… If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved. All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you confess your sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. These things are written so that you will believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God and that by believing you will have life in His name.
E. This is the wonder and the comfort we receive from the Word of the living God. The Bible. The scriptures. The very breath of God. The promise of life and life more abundant. The promise that brings the everlasting hope. The promise we get from the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Beth. The promise that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to bring it to completion at the day of the Lord.