What's the Bottom Line for Purity?

Do you remember the old hymn, Trust and Obey? The longer I live and the more I battle this monster of impurity, the more I realize the deep, profound truth of that hymn. The journey of purity really boils down to two major ingredients: submission and transparency.

I must submit myself every day before God and those in my accountability network (or friendship circle as I like to call it). I have to admit each moment that I am incapable of producing anything of value or worth (or purity) when I attempt to "call the shots" in my life. This means I must consider what I do with my eyes (where do I allow them to look?), my feet (where do I allow them to take me?), and my mind (what do I allow it to dwell on?). At every turn I have to ask myself the question, "Am I submitted to my Savior and the truth of His Word?" If the answer to this question comes back "no" then I must make the necessary adjustments to get back on track (i.e. call my wife, someone in my friendship circle, or RUN).

In this pursuit of daily purity, I also have to press forward as a man of honesty and transparency. Being transparent is leaving nothing hidden. This means I live my life in the open, before God and those I love and trust. The trap of pornography and other forms of sexual sin is that they promise to satisfy our every lustful craving, but only in secrecy and shame. God, however, reserved the deep recesses of our hearts and minds for Him and a select few (wife, parents, kids, etc.). If I am buying into the lie of porn it means I must hide certain areas of my heart in order to keep the behaviors going (the same way Adam hid when he and Eve at the forbidden fruit). Porn disconnects me from the ability to enjoy intimacy in my relationships. Therefore, to walk in purity I have check myself to see if I am beginning to place thoughts or actions in the secret places of my heart and mind. If so, I am setting myself up for a fall, and I am missing out on the peace and joy that comes from having no secrets.

I realize this may appear to be an oversimplification of what it means to live in purity. But for me, I like to keep things simple, and I believe God grows us up in "stages" based on how well we are trusting and obeying what we already know. There really isn't any great "secret" to walking in purity. It really does boil down to consistently connecting with God and other trusted friends in submission and humility, and keeping the doorway of our hearts open, not allowing dangerous thoughts and behaviors to find their way into the hidden recesses inside.

One other thing. Purity requires persistence. It is a BATTLE, and it can wear us out at times. This is why we must adopt a mindset that is determined to keep getting up and moving forward, no matter what emotions we feel or what seductive lies the enemy is whispering in our ears. NEVER GIVE UP!

In transparent humility,

jonathan

The Fear of the Lord...

Proverbs 9:10 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

How many of us wouldn't want wisdom? To be wise is a commodity far more valuable than material wealth. To know what is best from what is just ok. To discern when to move, when to be still; when to speak, when to be silent; when to fight, when to retreat. These are the treasures of insight that separate greatness from the average.

The Bible tells us that the starting point for wisdom is the fear of the Lord. This isn't some trembling, blubbering fear as one might have in the presence of a bank robber weilding a gun. The fear of the Lord is a reverent awe with the idea of submitting one's will to His authority. This attitude is one of humility, acknowledging who God is, and responding with appropriate respect.

It makes sense that wisdom would begin with a proper view of God. Who else could supply wisdom the way God could? He is the supreme Wise One. If you want wisdom you go to the source, right? You wouldn't go to Bill Gates to try to learn how to play baseball, just like you wouldn't call up Michael Jordan if you wanted to know how to knit socks. God is the giver of wisdom (James 1:5) and the wisdom He gives is pure and complete.

Interestingly, the fear of the Lord is only the beginning of wisdom. You see, God wants to move us to an even deeper place of intimacy with Himself. As we move in closer and closer to God we gain wisdom and understanding. We begin to see life through the eyes of God and gain an entirely new outlook on the world around us. Our compassion for the lost grows, our insight into sin and human suffering expands, and our desire to please God in all we do increases.

I pray I will grow in wisdom. I suppose my growth in this area is directly related to how often I bend my knee in submission to God. What an inequitable exchange; wisdom for worship. Praise be to the God of grace...

With bended knee,

jonathan

The Responsibility in Victory

There are a lot of opinions about what "victorious Christian living" looks like. You have the legalists who measure such a life by how well a person performs at keeping numerous rules and regulations. You have the pacifist Christians who view such a life as one devoid of personal responsibility and simply say, "If it be God's will..." Then there are the rest of us; rational, Bible-believing Christians who struggle to understand what "abundant life" really means.

I don't believe God strips us of our ability to think, reason, or make choices after we receive Christ as our Savior. In fact, I believe we think clearer, reason more soundly, and have better vision for making right choices as a Christian than we ever did before our salvation. But we have a responsibility to walk in the truth, and this requires knowledge and understanding.

God shares some great insights into living in victory in Proverbs 2. We first learn that the knowledge and understanding we need comes directly from God (v. 6). And we are assured in James 1:5 that God is quick to give wisdom to those who ask. It is critical to receive our instruction from God's Word in order to know that our knowledge and understanding are based on the truth.

What's really exciting to me in this passage in Proverbs is what we learn in verse 7, "He [God] holds victory in store for the upright; he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless." Did you catch it? God provides the victory, but it comes with a condition. He holds it in store for the upright, or the righteous. Previous to this verse we are charged to seek insight and understanding (that which is only revealed by knowing God) as if searching for silver or hidden treasure. There is a responsibility on our part to pursue wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. In other words, God gives victory to those who vigorously pursue Him.

Obviously, there are instances in which God, in His mercy, fights our battles for us. But the principle of victorious Christian living is that God is stretching our faith by challenging us to pursue Him, and in so doing reap the rewards of victory, protection, and understanding (vv. 8-11).

I guess it all really boils down to where my heart is pointed. Is it bent toward my Savior, or am I allowing it to be entertained and seduced by the lies of the world. It is a tough challenge to keep my heart's attention focused on pursuing Christ. But as I do, I find there is peace, joy, and powerful victory.

Searching for silver,

jonathan