February 27, Tuesday ~ Giving Up Impurity

DAY 12: Giving Up Impurity

Scripture Links:

• Matthew 5:27-30

• 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

• James 3:13-18

Today, we are to give up impurity. Whoa, doggie!! I really don’t want to go there. I really don’t want to think about these kinds of things. It might mean I can’t watch my favorite miniseries or listen to that great new comedian because every other word starts with “f” or has everyone jumping into bed with everyone else or depicts cruelty or disregard for all forms of creation. But I think that each of us has our struggles in this area, so I am going to leave it up to you to take the time and identify where you are subjecting yourself to toxic substances that pull you down a path that is far away from God.

Our scriptures today are clear about what some of those things are, especially when it comes to sexual impurity. But others that are not as sensational are listed as well, such as bitter envy, selfish ambition, lust, arrogance, and deceit. I also want to add speech, vocabulary, and words of impurity. Ressler devotes an entire day to this (#25) but I want to include it in this day, too.

I see these kinds of things in two categories: those we deliberately pursue and those we expose ourselves to by being passive participants. Is one worse than the other? Can things rub off on you if you are simply being around them? Each of us will have to answer those questions for ourselves. Still, a good measure of where to draw the line with our involvement in impure things can be found in Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Do you see that as a multiple-choice list or a scorecard where you only need to get a 50% match? In 1 Corinthians 6:18, we are told to flee from sexual immorality, not sit and watch, listen, or read, thinking, hoping, praying, that we won’t make the wrong choice to actively participate in something so destructive to us and others who are with us. What if we spent that time instead building up our Spiritual strength to ensure we have God’s power in us to withstand those temptations? Surround yourself with the goodness of God. Ressler says, “Overcoming impurity is not a matter of will-power, but a matter of God’s power at work in you.” (page 48)

At any point if you are feeling overwhelmed by this content or just want to have a further discussion about the topic, feel free to contact pastormattbridges@gmail.com or wendy@encompassthespirit.com