Always Abounding - Fall 2016_3

CHRISTIAN LIVING
Purity
Pastor Steve Damron
“But in a great house there are not only
vessels of gold and of silver, but also of
wood and of earth; and some to honour,
and some to dishonour. If a man therefore
purge himself from these, he shall be a
vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet
for the master’s use, and prepared unto
every good work. Flee also youthful lusts:
but follow righteousness, faith, charity,
peace, with them that call on the Lord out
of a pure heart” (II Timothy 2:20-22).
Purity Comes Through Preparation
The words used in our text are
“prepared unto every good work.” What
do we mean by preparing ourselves to be
pure? There should be a specific plan—a
purpose to do this.
We have a Bible that can help us
prepare for the battle of purity in our
lives. We must develop a Biblical plan of
Scripture memory, Bible reading, fasting,
and praying. Paul told us that the weapons
of our warfare are not carnal. We must
strengthen ourselves in the Word of God
by reading and memorizing its contents.
We must become skillful with the weapon
that God has given us. How much time do
you spend reading and memorizing the
Word of God? This will tell you if you are
really serious about overcoming some vice
in the area of purity.
We also have the Holy Spirit available
to guide us into all truth and to teach us
what we need to know. I would challenge
you to look up verses on the Holy Spirit.
There is a lack of Biblical understanding in
His ministry and His work in the believer’s
life. I have talked with many young
people struggling through depression,
disappointment, or despair in some area
of their lives. They are trying in their own
strength to defeat these foes. The Holy
Spirit can daily lead and guide you, and
He desires to be a comforter. The word
“comforter” indicates one who comes
alongside. The Holy Spirit wants to be your
partner in the battle for purity. The third
person of the Godhead wants to engage
the enemy side by side with you. Victory
can be had with a warrior such as this.
Too many Christians do not prepare for
the battle of purity. They march aimlessly
toward the battlefield unarmed, not ready
for battle—no armor to guard against the
fiery darts of the wicked. How foolish!
There was once a wise, old man walking
through the forest with a young scholar by
his side. The old man suddenly stopped
and pointed to four plants close at hand.
The first was beginning to peep above
the ground; the second had rooted itself
pretty well into the earth; the third was a
small shrub; while the fourth and last was
a full-sized tree. The old man said to his
young companion, “Pull up the first.” The
youth easily pulled it up with his fingers.
“Now pull the second.” The youth obeyed,
but not so easily. “And the third.” But the
boy had to put forth all his strength, and
use both arms, before he succeeded in
uprooting it. “And now,” said the man, “try
your hand upon the fourth.” But lo! the
trunk of the tall tree, grasped in the arms
of the youth, scarcely shook its leaves,
and the little fellow found it impossible
to tear its roots from the earth. Then the
wise, old man explained to the scholar the
meaning of the four trials. “This, my son,
is just what happens with our passions.
When they are young and weak, one may,
by a little watchfulness over self, and the
help of a little self-denial, easily tear them
up; but if we let them cast their roots
deep down into our souls, then no human
power can uproot them. The Almighty
hand of the Creator alone can pluck them
4 ‌‌‌‌│ ALWAYS ABOUNDING