In the Smithsonian Institute lies a large diamond called the Hope Diamond. It is encased in glass, and is protected by an alarm system. An armed guard stands in front of it. It is said to be priceless; yet in essence is only a rock. God has given each of us something more precious than that-our moral purity.
The world says “everyone is doing it.” No, there are some moral people still around. People no longer arrive at the marriage altar pure and virgin by accident. It takes work! 1 Timothy 5:22, “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.” Keep means to guard. We are to guard our morals. If we do not we will lose them.
1 Corinthians 6:15-20, “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
The biggest decisions anyone will ever make are salvation and marriage. THE GREATEST FOUNDATION ANYONE CAN HAVE FOR A GODLY MARRIAGE IS PURITY.
A marriage counselor in a large Baptist Church in Dallas said that he had counseled 1069 marriages. Not one of those couples were pure when they got married. Purity prevents problems.
PURITY REVEALED
Our purity of morals is revealed in several ways:
Thoughts
God is extremely interested in what we think. Solomon said, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are! Thoughts produce actions, which produce habits, which produce life-styles.
Matthew 5:28, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”
Yes, God sees our thoughts!
Ezekiel speaks of God seeing into the chambers of our imagery, or in other words, our imaginations. Evil thoughts may enter your mind, but you do not have to dwell on them!
Have you ever said something “clean” that another person took “dirty?” That reveals their impure thought life.
Dreams also reveal our thought life. Dream experts believe dreams are no more than our minds unwinding like a coil. Our dreams at night simply reveal our thoughts during the day. A clean thought life produces a clean dream life.
Controlling one’s eyes also helps control the thoughts. This is especially true for men! Job 31:1, “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” Men ought to control their eyes when around billboards and magazines. Do not let your eyes wander. Tell your eyes what to look at. A man ought to train his eyes to look at a woman’s face, not at her body!
Words
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh,” said Jesus. Words reveal the heart! A Bible college girl once slipped down on come ice. As her dress slipped up and revealed some of her thigh, she replied to the young men around, “Bet you got a thrill!” Another girl slipped down and part of her thigh was revealed. She told the guys she was sorry for not being more careful and ladylike. The morals were revealed in their words. Cursing, filthy talk, and shady jokes are out of bounds for the pure person.
Reading Material
Words produce pictures in our mind. A Christian needs to carefully guard what his eyes read. Pornography, romance novels, and other humanistic, passion-filled materials should be avoided like the plague.
Television
Psalms 101:3, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”
Most prime time television is nothing more than bedroom scenes, dancing, and nudity. A Christian who wishes to be pure is unwise to fill their mind with filthy soap operas, dancing, MTV, HBO, etc. Ask yourself: would Jesus watch it?
Music
Psalms 40:1-3 reveals the kind of music Christians should listen to. It says, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”
Music can corrupt morals and morals reveal our kind of music. Our music reveals what we have been thinking. Rock ’n Roll and country music of any kind lowers a person’s morals. The Christian desiring purity cannot listen to these types of music.
Clothing
Isaiah 47:1-5, “Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate. Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man. As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel. Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.”
God defines nakedness on a woman as revealing the thigh. A woman should never reveal above her knee in public. Scripturally, it is wrong. The thigh is what causes men to lust. They do not lust when they see a woman’s ankle or calf. Surveys prove that. Socially it is nakedness because of prostitutes who use to wear long dresses with a slit up above the knee. They knew what attracted men lustfully. Mini skirts and shorts also reveal a woman’s nakedness.
The Old Testament also says that a woman should not reveal her “private parts.” This is speaking of that which is reserved for her husband only. Many clothes accent and reveal the private parts. Woman are to wear modest apparel (long, flowing garment.) That rules out low cut blouses and tight clothing. This is why Christian men and women should not swim together. It is too much nudity! Men do not go to the beach just to swim. They go to lust. Matthew 5:28 indicates that a woman will be judged for every time she causes a man to lust after her because of the way she dresses.
THE STEPS DOWNWARD
No one loses their purity overnight. There are steps that lead to immorality:
Impure Mind
Memorize scripture to keep a clean mind. Psalms 119:9, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
Being Alone With The Opposite Sex
There is too much temptation when alone. God is more concerned with you never getting into temptation, than getting out once you are in! Remember that an automobile is nothing more than a motel on wheels. Scripture says to “abstain from all appearance of evil.” You have no alibi when alone. That person, if they get bitter toward you, can spread lies and damage your name for life. Because of this, it is never wise for a teenager to date.
Touch
Proverbs 6:20-29, “My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.”
Touch means to kindle. The dangerous thing about touch is that it alone does not satisfy. Lust wants more. It is like lighting a firecracker and hoping it does not explode.
Kiss
Proverbs 7:13, “So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,”
Embrace
Immorality
Proverbs 7:25-27, “Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.”
What is safest? If you backslide from a position of no touching, you may slip up and hold hands. Stay as far away from immorality as possible.
CONSEQUENCES OF IMPURITY
Someone asked, “So what if I’m impure. If I love my date, what’s the problem? If we go ‘all the way’ and I don’t get pregnant, has it really done any harm?” The answer is yes. Immorality causes:
Loss of joy
Loss of blessing
Damage to future potential
A lack of resistance to future temptation
Marriage damage
Seeds to be sown for a future crop of reaping
Effect on children, even to the great-great grandchildren (Exodus 20:12)
A man sat beside a well-to-do woman at a high society function. As the liquor flowed he asked her, “Would you go to bed with me for $10,000?” She looked flattered and replied, “I think I would.” He paused a few moments and then said, “Excuse me. Would you go to bed with me for $5?” She grew furious and said, “Just what kind of woman do you think I am anyway?” He replied, “We’ve already established what you are. Now we’re just settling on a price.” You should have no price!
NOT FOR SALE!
A teenage girl in a public school was being ridiculed for her pure life by an immoral crowd of girls. One day she had had enough. She stood up in front of the class of girls and said, “I can be like you any day I want, but you can never again be like me!” How true!
STANDING GUARD
Read your Bible Daily
Guard your thoughts
Teenage girls, tell your dad if a boy tries to touch you.
Dress modestly at all times.
Cracker Jacks have been a favorite candy for years, with the caramel popcorn, peanuts, and prize. Many people open the bottom first and remove the prize. Then there is nothing to look forward to. To the person who loses their purity, there is nothing to look forward to on the wedding day. Save the prize for last!
PURITY’S REWARD
As your children grow old enough to marry, you will have to teach them how to guard their purity. No doubt they will ask, “Mom and Dad, since it is so important to be pure, were you pure?” It will be worth it that day, if for no other reason, than to say “yes!” If you have lost your purity, confess it to God and realize where you went wrong. From this day forth, determine in your heart to BE PURE!
