If you are saved, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:17), and therefore it is to be a sacred place – a pure, clean vessel separated from the world to do the will of God. 2 Cor. 6:17 To stay pure you must have habits of clean thoughts, speech, and behaviors. As you have been taught to be clean in your habits of eating, it is even more important that you practice cleanliness with your mind. Mt. 15:17- 20 You must be careful both about what enters into your mind (Prov. 4:23) and about those thoughts that arise from the lusts of your flesh. Rom. 7:18 You are to actively keep yourself pure (2 Cor. 7:1 1 Tim. 5:22); as you cannot stay physically healthy feeding on garbage, so you cannot stay pure in mind and body on a diet of Hollywood T.V. shows, movies, rock music, or unclean information presented in other ways.
The wickedness of the world today is shown through the printed page, movies, Hollywood T.V. programs, videos, and music. 1 Jn. 5:19 The filthiness of sin is presented in full detail, and an ungodly way of living is shown to be right, fun, exciting, and desirable. In these last days the world has separated itself from Biblical morality and is doing “what FEELS right.” 2 Tim. 3:1-7 Prov. 18:2 There is little guilt or shame as people watch, listen to, and take part in the filth of this world. Titus 1:15 Jer. 6:15 As a Christian, you should be different; separated unto God to live a clean, pure, holy life – a life untouched by the filth of this world. 2 Cor. 6:14-17
You should have a strong sense of disgust and hatred toward the impurity of this world. Ps. 97:10 So Satan works, little by little, tempting you in seemingly innocent areas that are enjoyable in satisfying fleshly desires; but Satan’s intention is to destroy your purity and to render you useless to the Lord. A teenager may ruin his future life in exchange for a few moments of pleasure, but the “few moments” had been years in preparation as Satan led into impurity through T.V., music, wrong friends, impure habits, and impure thoughts. 2 Cor. 2:11; 11:14
Are you now keeping your self pure? Are you now doing things that will guard and protect your own purity so that you will be a vessel fit for the Lord’s use?
- I try to keep pure by not watching T.V. shows or movies that show or discuss impurity through drugs, alcohol, or sinful activities in a relationship.
- I do not laugh at “suggestive speech”; speech that is not openly impure, but contains a “hidden message” of impurity.
- I believe that the lyrics of rock music and country music are usually filthy and suggestive of sinful activities.
- I either walk away from another person or stop another person who is talking about something impure.
- I do not speak about the unclean things that others may do. Ep. 5:12
- I seek counsel about things that I am unsure about; if my purity may be compromised I try to find out information from a Godly adult.
- I avoid looking at, listening to, or doing things now that might lead to more impurity in the future- I do not “open the door” to more temptation.
- I am careful not to go to places where I know there will be those of the opposite sex who are not modestly dressed (when I have the choice as to where I am going).
- I do not in any way make fun of the human body or make mention of the body or parts of the body in an impure way.
- I fully intend to keep my purity of mind and body despite the temptations from and the mocking from those who live around me.
Consider purity to be a valuable possession to be guarded at any cost! Read those statements in Personal Evaluation 23.3 that you were unable to check to help as you set a specific goal to keep your purity.
“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” Psalm 101:3
