“Throw out your calf-idol, O Samaria!
My anger burns against them.
How long will they be incapable of purity?”
(Hos 8:5)
“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
(2 Cor 7:1)
My anger burns against them.
How long will they be incapable of purity?”
(Hos 8:5)
I
was prayer jogging along the river trail last night, leaning into a strong
wind that was blowing dead leaves from the trees all around me.
Every autumn the leaves drop and die, giving room for future growth and providing
nutrients. Sometimes the wind speeds up the process.
It is the cycle of things by God’s design, flowing from His wisdom.
The thoughts of my heart kept rhythm with my pace as I considered how death cultivates growth. Denying myself fertilizes a maturing faith. Self denial is a path which cultivates purity, making room for the righteousness of Christ in me as I shed those things that need to die. Sometimes the winds of our world provide a shortcut.
I’m reading a great book, “The Purity Principle,” by Randy Alcorn. He puts the purity principle in simple terms, “Purity is always smart; impurity is always stupid.” Choosing the path of purity is always resourced in God’s wisdom. Unrighteous choices are always foolish, self-destructive, and sometimes deadly. “Purity is safe, impurity is risky. Purity always helps us, impurity always hurts us.”
When the winds of temptation gust in our direction, resisting is always wise. When struggles seek to blow us off track and when sin swirls around us, the wise choice is to stay rooted in Christ and His word. The smart decision is to dig deeper for grounding in His righteousness, lifting my eyes toward God as the source of help, elevated limbs in praise for his grace and strength. Standing firm brings a cleansing result, with the winds blowing off the dead stuff. That can mean a frozen winter season, but death to self is the path of purity and renewed abundant life. Standing in Christ and allowing the winds to blow away the unnecessary sources of self satisfaction can be a shortcut to the victorious life of purity.
The thoughts of my heart kept rhythm with my pace as I considered how death cultivates growth. Denying myself fertilizes a maturing faith. Self denial is a path which cultivates purity, making room for the righteousness of Christ in me as I shed those things that need to die. Sometimes the winds of our world provide a shortcut.
I’m reading a great book, “The Purity Principle,” by Randy Alcorn. He puts the purity principle in simple terms, “Purity is always smart; impurity is always stupid.” Choosing the path of purity is always resourced in God’s wisdom. Unrighteous choices are always foolish, self-destructive, and sometimes deadly. “Purity is safe, impurity is risky. Purity always helps us, impurity always hurts us.”
When the winds of temptation gust in our direction, resisting is always wise. When struggles seek to blow us off track and when sin swirls around us, the wise choice is to stay rooted in Christ and His word. The smart decision is to dig deeper for grounding in His righteousness, lifting my eyes toward God as the source of help, elevated limbs in praise for his grace and strength. Standing firm brings a cleansing result, with the winds blowing off the dead stuff. That can mean a frozen winter season, but death to self is the path of purity and renewed abundant life. Standing in Christ and allowing the winds to blow away the unnecessary sources of self satisfaction can be a shortcut to the victorious life of purity.
“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
(2 Cor 7:1)
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