A beautiful mind - Pure (Part 5)
Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22
The fourth attribute of Philippians 4:8 is pure, which is from the same root as “holy,” meaning clean, modest, chaste, and pure from carnality, as well as set apart, undefiled, and uninfluenced by the world.
Unfortunately, we live in an “impure culture ”. As an example, some teens feel "ashamed" and embarrassed about being virgins. The importance of chastity is rarely discussed in churches, and some believers excuse sexual sin as a common occurrence. Though impure sexuality is more evident of the work of the flesh and is one of the major temptations, biblical purity encompasses every aspect of our lives, especially the inward parts like our thought life. It impacts all aspects of our lives, such as our motives, speech, relationships with others, and private life, for example.
The topic of holiness and purity is a daunting one, and some people feel that they cannot commit to the Christian faith due to these holy standards. As a matter of fact, humans cannot produce purity or holiness, but only God can. It might seem odd, but try to take a moment to think about how clean we are. We are clean by what means? The blood of Jesus cleanses and purifies us so that He washes away our filth and junk, making us new and useful vessels for God.
Our thinking's fourth attribute is "pure," which is where we can dwell liberally. Whether it is a sexual thought, a malice thought, or a greedy thought, impure thoughts constantly invade our minds. For a mere human, it is impossible to battle impure thoughts and produce “holiness ”.
Our remedy is to gaze upon Jesus, who is holy and pure, and let him capture our attention. When temptations such as sexual fantasy arise, instead of indulging them or even using our strength to fight them, let Jesus capture all our attention. Whenever we focus our minds on something, it becomes bigger and stronger.
In addition, meditate on God's word: "How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.” Psalm 119:9 Just as diamond is clear and transparent when it is pure, impure thoughts are often rooted in idolatry and we cannot be single-mindedly focused on Jesus. Let's soak in the blood of Jesus to purify us and saturated our minds with Jesus for His word, for “The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times.” Psalm 12:6
Blessing prayer: Jesus, purify us with Your blood and remove impure thoughts from our hearts. Give me a single-minded focus on you. In Jesus’ name, Amen
