Purity In God- Part 2 (Thoughts)

I did a lesson for a group of single women and this is part 2. Tell me what you think about being pure and single in the kingdom of God?

Thoughts


How is your thinking?

Matthew 5: 27-26
· Jesus is very clear on sexual immorality, but he helps us out a little more by focusing on what is in the human heart.
· Lust is everywhere! The Message states Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt.
· What we see and hear affects our hearts. That second look at the cute guy can be deadly. I always have to ask myself "Why do you need to take another look?"

Romans 12: 1-2
· We have been grafted into God’s Holy plan, therefore we have to renew how we think and act so we can hear God speaking to us.
· The world has nothing to offer us. We cannot stand out if we act like the world.

James 1: 13-15
· Everything starts in our mind. God is not tempting us but our evil desires.
· Lust starts in the heart and that desire, if not captured, can lead to sin (death).
· II Corinthians 10: 2-3; 5 we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Romans 6: 15-23
· We made a promise when we said Jesus is Lord. We don’t live in fear anymore because our sins have been forgiven.
· Let us be even more careful with our purity in conduct and thought because we are free from sin. Let us not lose our inheritance for mere moments of “pleasure.”

Purity in God- Part 1 (Conduct)

Why is purity such an important matter in the kingdom of God?
Definition of purity is to show oneself in thought and conduct to be a person chosen by God.

Conduct
Ephesians 5: 1-14
v.3
What is a hint?

This passage is always convicting to me. It reminds me that I live in this world but I am not of it. I cannot look around and compare what others do, and justify my behavior either. Just because I am not sleeping with anyone does that make me pure? What are my thoughts like?

Not even a hint is powerful. Hint is defined as a slight indication of the existence, approach, or nature of something. A very small amount. God leaves no room for doubt. Why should I?

This always reminds me that my standards as a single woman and his standards for me as a single woman that is his daughter are not the same. God thinks of what is best for me, and I try to figure out how close I can get to the fire without getting burned.
Is my inheritance worth it?

Hebrews 12: 16-18
So much can be sacrificed when we compromise in our conduct. Little by little our fire and zeal for God disappear, when we lack self control.
In the Message it states Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.

- We sell ourselves short when we compromise with our purity. We are equipped to say no to our bodies and say yes to righteousness. Titus 2: 11-14

I Corinthians 6: 12-20
Paul starts with the most basic saying "Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything.

Just because we are able doesn’t mean we need to. The world screams at us that compromise is ok. What does God say?

We were brought as a price. We must now honor God with our bodies so that we can be united with the spirit. V.15 & 17

I know this just scartches the surface but it is a start. What do you think?

Reinterpret History

Relying on film to reinterpret history is always fascinating because anyone can spin a story to fit their point of view. There are varying reasons for this, but it happens. I look at two big movies that portrayed larger than life musicians Ray Charles (Ray) and Johnny Cash (Walk the Line). These two movies were loosely based on events surrounding Ray and Johnny, but they are not documentaries. They present facts loosely based upon life. Each have a story, but no one wants to see ever micromanaged minute of Ray Charles life. So directors have to draw the line somewhere. They have to think of budgets (big or small), locations, actors, ect. Things will be left out or even added.
Is it more entertaining to re-shape history? I do not want to go and watch a detail reenactment of anyone's life, but some of the high points is a good focal point. Film and history can be a good mix, but I would not look for an accurate portrayal of anything in film.

The Past... the Present

Understanding the past to understand the present. I have always liked that saying. Isn't that why we have history lessons throughout school?
I always thought History lessons were not given to bore me or make me learn boring facts and dates for an exam. It was exciting to take a certain period and really dig deep and see why things happened or what caused certain events to take place. That is my own out of mind opinion, but maybe someone shares that with me.
History was meant to be learned from. Things take time to learn from and see the bigger perspective of the situation. Plus, history always has a chance of repeating.