Protect your purity

We go through seasons in our walk with Christ where we drop our guard on particular areas of our lives. When we don’t guard and strengthen our weak spots we become vulnerable to attack. This happened to me in the area of romantic relationships.

Since coming to Singapore, I believed that any romantic relationship was off the table. I had made a commitment to seeking God whole-heartedly, and I simply wasn’t expecting to meet anyone who would take an interest in me romantically due to the stark differences in culture and ethnicity.

I was proved wrong. A few months ago, a guy approached me and expressed an interest in getting to know me. We exchanged numbers with one another and met up a couple of times. Whenever we met we spoke about God and had a good time getting to know each other, we even prayed together!

It was so refreshing, but secretly I found myself plagued with thoughts about this guy. How things could be, how good looking he was, and before you know it I was lusting after him! Seeing messages on my phone from him excited me and awakened in me desires that God had put to sleep after I surrendered to Him.

Conviction from the counsellor came quickly and drove me into warfare mode. I had to FLEE, I had to distance myself from this guy and submit fully to God. I had to pray and study the word to renew my mind, because my loyalty is first and fore-mostly with Christ. He didn’t want me setting my affections upon ANYONE else yet. He didn’t want me indulging in the sin that he went to the cross for.

Here are some of the passages in the bible that I meditated upon and hid in my heart during this time:

• Ephesians 5:5, Ephesians 6:10, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Luke 10:27, Psalm 73:26, Romans 12:2, Romans 6:15-16

Yes it was hard, the spirit was willing but the flesh was incredibly weak. There were times when to be honest I wanted to think about this guy or talk to him, but I had to remind myself that I don’t wrestle with flesh and blood, it was so much deeper. It’s only His grace that brought me through and strengthened me past my fleshy desires and feelings of condemnation afterwards.

Through that experience, the Holy Spirit reminded me to stay alert and vigilant. I was also reminded of the importance of holistic purity especially in the mind. I pray that this exhortation will serve as a reminder and encouragement for you. Anyone who is struggling with lust or even sexual sin and immorality, may this point you back to the cross, and give you a deeper desire to protect your purity.

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First things first, we are the Bride of Christ and our Bridegroom wants to present us without wrinkle, spot or blemish. He cleansed and purified us in His own shed blood, so we must prize our purity high enough to protect it.

Impurity starts in the heart, filters into the mind and if not controlled, will overflow into our actions. Many of us have mastered the control of our actions, but what’s going on in your heart and mind? Are you burning with inordinate desires and passions? That’s what God sees, because He is searching our hearts and knows our thoughts before we even utter a word.

Jeremiah 17:10 (NKJV) “I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.”

This world is indeed full of seductions and snares, but it’s our responsibility to guard our hearts and minds, if we don’t we’ll keep falling. Why? Because the enemy is in the business of doing whatever he can to steal your purity. He will constantly present you with the temptation to sin through lustful thoughts, covetousness and sexual immorality. However we are not totally hopeless, we do have a choice. Choose to take these thoughts CAPTIVE.

Paul exhorts us to put on the WHOLE armor of God so that we can resist the wiles of the devil. Why have you dropped your breastplate of righteousness? Why have you unfastened your belt of truth? It’s time to get back UP beloved. Stay vigilant, alert and SOBER MINDED because your adversary is looking for someone to devour. Don’t let it be you.

We’ve been called to live to the standard worthy of the calling that God called us to. In all holiness, righteousness and purity. Live a life worthy of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and not as the heathen who don’t know God.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 “ For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,  not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;”

Beloved you are worth more than rubies, so resolve in your heart, between you and God, to stop selling yourself short, to stop allowing yourself to be a slave to the desires of your flesh. Master it through repentance, diligent renewal of your mind and practicing RADICAL obedience to the Holy Spirit.

God makes it very clear that those PRACTICING sexual immorality (intentionally, habitually, religiously..) will not inherit the kingdom of God. It’s not worth it.

Ephesians 5:5-6 (AMPC) “⁵ For be sure of this: that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous [who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain]—for he [in effect] is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”

We’ve got to be above reproach.

Be above reproach in your speech: put away flirting, sexual innuendos, and dirty, suggestive, godless chatter from your mouth.

Be above reproach in your dress: dress with modesty and shamefacedness. Not as one who harlots their body for money or attention, but as one who understands that real treasure is best kept hidden.

Be above reproach in conduct: be mindful of your behavior, actions and gestures and how they can become a stumbling block to others in the faith.

Luke 17:1-2 (AMP) “Jesus said to His disciples, “Stumbling blocks [temptations and traps set to lure one to sin] are sure to come, but woe (judgment is coming) to him through whom they come!

It would be better for him if a millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] were hung around his neck and he were hurled into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble [in sin and lose faith].”

Are you feeling convicted?

There is plenty of room at the cross for us all. Please turn to Jesus. Through Him we are free. In him we are more than conquerors!

JO Adeluola

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1 John 1:8-9 (NKJV) ^“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”