Preschool
I will arise and go to my father. Luke 15:18
Walk in Purity
Memory Verses
Primary
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee. Luke 15:18
Junior
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee. Luke 15:18
Background Scripture: Ephesians 5
Lesson Scripture: Ephesians 5:3–20
Introduction
The virtue of purity is being disregarded by many in society, placing the welfare of humanity in jeopardy. The moral sins and hypocrisy of those in responsible positions contributes to an increasingly decadent society. The moral character of successive generations is influenced by those in the present generation. Christians must live to raise a standard of walking in honesty and purity.
Amid a world of perversity, how does a follower of Jesus Christ keep himself pure in heart and action? The purpose of this lesson is to emphasize the blessings of the pure in heart and to lift out the way to find grace and power to live in obedience to God’s requirements.
We need a heart-changing miracle to be able to accept and practice purity in daily life. This miracle connects us to the power that Jesus gives his followers. The virtue of purity in the life of true Christians causes those they relate with to recognize that they have been with Jesus.
Key Verse
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God (Matt. 5:8).
Lesson Scripture
Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Studying the Lesson
The lesson text reinforces the key verse (Matt. 5:8). Jesus introduced the gospel to the world with the Sermon on the Mount. The world into which He came to deliver the gospel was chronically corrupt. History records that the world of the Roman Empire was in a state of extraordinary moral degeneration. The rich lived in luxury and excess, and the poor lived in poverty and neglect. “Chastity and marriage were the exception, while divorce and immorality were the rule. The religion of the Romans had no power to cope with the degeneracy of the times. The emperors were the monsters of crime.” 1
Perhaps the degree of corruption was as bad as or worse than today, but the present age is darkened by the worldwide distribution of impurity through technology. In some respects, the means and methods that Satan uses to confront and entice us are more subtle and available to the point of being available to everyone. Jesus and the apostles introduced the gospel to a confused, misguided, and immoral world; we too are faced with the challenge of remaining pure in an ungodly world.
What is the proper way to understand the call to a pure life? It certainly does not mean that we can expect to reach a state of sinless perfection. The Scriptures teach, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8), and that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9).
The heart is the center of our spiritual being. It may be helpful to think of our heart like a vehicle. From the driver’s seat, the steering wheel, as well as various other controls, regulate the vehicle’s operation. He who sits in the driver’s seat determines its safe and successful arrival at the planned destination. From this seat of control come the commands that determine the direction of our life (Prov. 4:23). We must ask ourselves, “Who has control of my heart?” He who sits in the driver’s seat of my heart will determine the course of my life and its ultimate end. Each one of us is responsible for whom he chooses to control his heart. Our eternal destiny is at stake.
Purity in heart is impossible without Christ in the driver’s seat of my life. It is futile to try to live a pure life while Satan is directing my heart. When impurities like obstacles loom on the road of life, there is not a way to resist or avoid them.
For God to control our life, we must be born again. Casting Satan and the sinful nature out of the driver’s seat and allowing Jesus to take control of our heart is a life-changing experience. The result is not a life in which we are above mistakes but a life in which our heart has become single (pure) and not divided between God and the world. God in the driver’s seat helps us identify and steer clear of those things that will destroy us.
Practical Truths for Today
A pure walk is the result of a pure personal life. What occupies the mind and the secret closet of thoughts determines the purity of our daily walk. “The fruit proves the root” is very applicable to our daily life.
Too many Christians are not finding joy and victory in their spiritual life. Some allow impure, immoral thoughts, ignoring the inevitable spiritual defeat that results from these thoughts. Others allow covetous and materialistic aims to control their thought life, making them unfruitful in the kingdom of God. There are also those who rehearse and review offenses and hurt feelings, apparently unaware of the insidious effect these thoughts have in their life, thinking that no one knows what is really in their mind. How long can a Christian continue thinking unholy thoughts and keep in the grace of God? Willfully entertaining such patterns of thought and imaginations has serious, unavoidable consequences, no matter how secretive a person is.
Simple questions can often help us prove our hearts. Am I happy? Do I have peace in my heart? Do I have the power to overcome daily temptation? Do I have confidence in my brethren? The answers to these questions deal directly with our personal, spiritual life.
The importance of personal devotion and prayer is not soon overemphasized, as it relates to having the grace and power we need in our daily Christian life. If we find a lack of purity in our life, we should examine our relationship with the heavenly Father. Many times, if we find we are bothered with lust and impurity, a lukewarm relationship with God is the reason. Often it is a matter of an unsurrendered will in some situation of life. In identifying what is hindering our relationship with God, we have the key to revival and renewal. Time spent alone with God results in understanding his voice and gives us victory over the flesh.
Our conversation should be free from impure innuendos. The coarse, sloppy slang of today has a root of impurity and should not be used by those who profess godliness. Christian men and women must dress modestly and behave discreetly toward each other to maintain purity. Responsible parents with pure hearts will teach their children moral integrity and proper respect for the opposite sex both by example and precept, giving them a foundation for a pure life in a lustful world—a foundation on which a successful marriage can be built. Many heartaches will be avoided by conscientiously adhering to the principles of modesty, purity, and chastity.
The spiritual weapons we need to combat and conquer the impure threats of the world are available when we are close to God. While the cost of our salvation has been paid by the blood of Jesus Christ, our spiritual growth and success are dependent on the importance we place on living consecrated to God.
Questions
- Considering 2 Corinthians 10:4–5, what are these weapons in a practical, everyday sense?
- Jesus left us the perfect example of using the Word of God to resist temptation (Matt. 4:4–10). Discuss how prayerfully reading the Bible and meditating makes us proficient in the Word, giving us the weapons to defend ourselves against the attacks of Satan.
- Although a pure heart is the result of an experience with God, how much of purity is learned?
- 1 J. W. Shepard, The Christ of the Gospels, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).