Now What?-Lifetime of Purity

Now What?

Pure Life-Lifetime of Purity

1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 2 Timothy 2:22

Question: Have you ever wanted to make sure you were getting the real deal?

Introduction: When I was wanting to buy Morgan an engagement ring I was a poor college kid that had no consistent job. I did know, however, that I wanted to marry her as well as give her a ring I felt she was worthy of having. I worked real hard that summer building fences and performing other jobs to save as much money as I could to buy her the ring. After going to different stores to search for the ring I knew she would want, I found out that I really was poor.

In my quest to buy her “the ring,” the jeweler at Kay’s could tell two things. First, I had my mind set on a particular ring, and second, that I really wanted the love of my life to have something special. He told me of a particular ring he knew of that was available on their network of a store database. It was a “refurbished” ring, meaning that someone either bought the wrong style or the proposal didn’t go as planned. (Yes, Morgan knows about this). I found an amazing ring for a percentage of the price. Now, I wouldn’t have gone to a back alley for this sort of transaction, but I would only trust someone that knew what the real deal was for this particular ring.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

My Inheritance, v.9-11: Hopefully someday you will receive some sort of inheritance. There is always something that our older family members have that we would like to own. Mine is the Bible and rifle of my grandfather. It was worth having and I wanted to make sure I received these particular items. In this life with Christ, we are called to a pure lifestyle. It is something where we should strive to only obtain the real things in this life, and to do so in a manner that is pleasing in the sight of God.

There is a wrong and a right way to live this life for Christ, especially in regard to a life of Godly purity. Unison with God is the goal if you are a Christian, but our Christian culture is being influenced by our culture of “equality” and “freedoms.” American Christianity is being influenced by the culture of society and not the culture of the Bible. We are not much different than the Church of Corinth. They were living as they pleased and were still acting the same as before. Understand that Christianity is not a club, but a relationship of purity that must be followed. God has called each of us to live a life that is set apart and sanctified before Him through the Blood of Christ.

If we are going to receive our inheritance in Christ , we must understand what God declares as pure living. Perverting the walk with Christ is unacceptable. We cannot live a life that is similar to the world and still claim to have a spiritual life. It is important to not abuse the grace and mercy of God. You are bombarded with impurity such as that mentioned by Paul everywhere, and it is not okay to perverse your lifestyle because your culture says it is okay. Strive to be different and commit to your inheritance.

Too much of our “Christian” culture says it’s okay to live together unmarried, to dress certain ways, to speak certain ways, to act like the world, to indulge in “what pleases you,” and you can still be a devout Christian. The Lord tells us to consecrate ourselves, to purify our lives, and to live a life worthy of our calling. We must ask God for the courage and the strength to stand for what He declares is right.

2 Timothy2:22: “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.”

Run Away v.22: If you spend any time around a school playground, it will not be uncommon for you to witness boys chasing girls around the playground equipment and vice versa. They are young and don’t want any part of the opposite gender because of “cooties.” As we age though, we are drawn more to the opposite gender. While God designed man and woman for one another, it is important that we pursue that relationship with intentions of purity. 

Paul tells Timothy to run away from anything that gets your lustful thoughts and acts going. Paul actually wrote in 1 Corinthians for it is better to remain as he was and to be unmarried in order to focus your attention on the work of the Lord. However, he also encourages us to marry so we do not burn in our lusts (1 Corinthians 7). Marriage is not just meant to be a way to enjoy relationships with the opposite gender, but to be the symbolic reflection of the relationship God desires.

To get back on the subject a little more, images and ideas bombard us today in America. We must run away from lustful things and cling to the right things. Don’t stay in a place you know sin can happen. Don’t be alone with a significant other that you are not married to that you know you want to do something with. Don’t be alone in a room by yourself with a computer or phone. Remove yourself from weaknesses and find companionship with a stronger, more experienced spiritual believer to develop some accountability.

The biggest effort we must attempt is to run towards God. When we devote more attention to Godly things we will find ourselves desiring things that will draw us closer to God. Use the Holy Spirit as your guide to push you through temptations and to remind you of the Word of God. The enemy is looking to destroy you anyway that he can and he desires to destroy your life the most through impurity. Impurity will break the special bond that God desires with you and the relationships you form with other believers, especially a spouse. As Christians we must strive for the excellence that God has for us.

I understand that this devotional hits a little close to home, and may even feel a little more judgmental and intrusive than other devotions. This is meant to encourage you to seek a pure lifestyle for a lifetime before God. Please do not lose sight of the fact God wants you pure before Him and do not let the world around you construe what He actually desires. May God bless you and give you the strength to endure to the end and fight through and beyond the snares of the enemy.

Blessings,

Nick Engleman

Now What-Yearly Mentorship

 Now What Series

Yearly Mentor-In Your Steps

Philippians 4:8-9

Question: Have you ever had to follow in someone else’s footsteps?

Intro: No one wants to be the guy after “the guy.” There can be so many expectations that have been established by your predecessor. From following the likes of Tom Brady to Nick Saban, the weight of being the next guy can become overwhelming. Now, imagine being the guy to continue the Gospel mission after Paul or Peter. Timothy had to take that role, as well as Titus. However, doing God’s work is never about us, but rather it is about being Spirit led to direct the spread of the Gospel. While the Holy Spirit is the ultimate reminder and teacher, we need earthly vessels to encourage, teach, and direct us throughout this mission. Also, we must look to invest in the next generation to help mentor them to grow in their callings. 

Philippians 4:8-9: “8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

Continue Your Focus: Focus for my dogs depends on what is happening around them that stimulates their mind. If I am eating, they are laser focused on me, waiting for any moment in which food may fall. Bruzer, my Boxer, will have slobber dripping from his mouth into a puddle on the floor. He is carefully waiting in anticipation for even the smallest of morsels to hit his mouth. However, if I take either Bruzer or Stanley for a walk, maintaining their focus is tougher. They will wander all over the road, looking to chase squirrels, smell a bush, or eat something they found on the ground. As Christians, we must look to develop a high level of focus. Our main point of focus will determine what will influence us in this life.

In this letter, Paul encourages the Church in Philippi to focus on things that are a reflection of Christ. Paul takes on the role of teacher and mentor in many of his letters. Whether he was writing to whole groups, or specifically to individuals like Timothy, Titus, or Philemon, Paul was focused on each person becoming a reflection of Christ and living as Christ would have lived. Likewise when we have a Godly, Jesus-focused mentor that person is going to give us advice and direction that focuses on the kingdom mindset. Make sure to pay careful attention to what they are saying, and examine it against God’s Word.

While this verse tells us to focus on many things, it can be summed up in this easy statement, “Think About God.” God tells us to “Be Holy, for I am Holy.” When our thoughts are focused on God, we see things in the way God sees them. When we listen to a mentor that is directing us toward God, we begin to praise the Creator and not the mentor. Be careful to measure everything that your mentor says to the Word of God. If it doesn’t measure up, just politely and privately ignore it. As we listen to our mentor, measure everything to focus on God. It is important to remember that we are following Christ more so than a Godly mentor.

Follow a Godly Example

Paul is encouraging his audience to not only remember what he has taught them, but also to place it all into practice. Paul as much as anyone in history established a Godly example for anyone to follow. Paul even states in another letter that those who imitate him are imitating Christ. The weight of this is two-fold. Any mentor we follow and listen to should be an example of Christ, as well as any mentee that we have should be looking to follow our Christ-like attributes.

What is the point of having a godly influence in your life if you don’t practice what they teach? Paul wanted the Philippian church to put into practice what he had taught them. As we dive into a relationship with a mentor, we need to measure and practice what they have taught us. If we have a mentor and don’t listen to what they are saying they are just a vent for our problems in which we might as well say that we do not care about their wisdom. We must learn to value Godly mentorship and seek their wisdom and knowledge to be applied to our own lives.

As mentioned previously, it is important to mimic the Godly attributes of our mentors. We must learn to seek the Holy Spirit’s discernment when looking to apply lessons that our mentors are trying to teach us. When we see our mentors performing Godly commands and actions, we must strive to put those actions into place in our own lives. Godly action demonstrates our faith, in which James echoes by saying I will show you my faith by my actions. As we try to mimic their behavior that reflects Godly values, we can utilize them to help us when we fall short. While our mentor is not to replace Christ as our Lord, the mentor should be the best physical example of Christ we can utilize to grow ourselves into the image of Christ.

I have heard it said that every Christian should have Paul/Peter in their lives as well as a Timothy and/or Titus. While it is good to have a mentor we can use to develop our own walk, it is equally as important that we look to pour wisdom and knowledge into others. Please hear me though, be careful to become influential if you are still young in the faith. Paul once again cautions new believers to be careful, if not hesitant, to begin to preach and lead because they may become too prideful and fall. 

Seeking a mentorship is not something that any Christian should take lightly. Seek God’s wisdom and direction before committing to a mentor or to being one yourself. The worst place we can be is to follow or lead someone astray from the faith. The Word speaks on this in regards to causing children to fall away. How we lead others matters and mentorship carries extreme weight. May God give you the strength, wisdom, and endurance to take on both roles.