PURITY

In your childhood, you may have had a priest in your life (or a minister) and that priest would have set either a good or a bad example for you. I encountered priests that smoked and drank at weddings and I would say to myself, “What’s the use? What’s the DIFFERENCE??”

Priests in the Old Testament were commanded to be HOLY - WE ARE KINGS AND PRIESTS - WE ARE TO BE HOLY ! ! !

Rev 5:8-10 (KJV)

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

10 And hast made us unto our God KINGS AND PRIESTS: and we shall reign on the earth.

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We, as God’s people, are COMMANDED to be holy - both in the Old Testament AND the New:

Lev 19:2 (KJV)

2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall BE HOLY: FOR I THE LORD YOUR GOD AM HOLY.

1 Pet 1:14-16 (NIV)

14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;

16 for it is written: "BE HOLY, BECAUSE I AM HOLY."

Pastor, can’t we have any fun?? YES, just no SIN ! ! ! There are THOUSANDS of things you can do without sinning on this earth - CLEAN humor, fellowship, picnics, fishing, games (I am not against card games), swimming, friendship, love, hard work, accomplishments, and of course serving God :) Holy simply means morally pure and set apart for God ! !

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Ponder this scripture:

Titus 1:15 (KJV)

15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

One of the FIRST things I had to do to renew my mind after being saved was to stop thinking of everything from a SEXUAL (as in impure) perspective. The world jokes CONSTANTLY about sex and refers CONSTANTLY to sex - I had to train MY MIND and MY response back to pure ways and pure thoughts ! ! Consider THIS scripture:

Rom 12:1-2 (NIV)

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship.

2 DO NOT CONFORM ANY LONGER TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD, but be transformed by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

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I used to think that knowledge of EVERYTHING was important - ESPECIALLY to a Christian, but I was off slightly:

Rom 16:19-20 (NIV)

19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be WISE ABOUT WHAT IS GOOD, AND INNOCENT ABOUT WHAT IS EVIL.

20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

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Now, I will leave with you a scripture that has been GREATLY helpful to me and those I have had cause to minister to:

Ps 101:3 (NIV)

3 I will set before my eyes NO vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.