SCRIPTURE
“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.” Daniel 1:8
SPOTLIGHT
What is purity? Put it this way. Would you like friends who are morally good, honorable, honest, decent, and seek not to be corrupted, or to corrupt, and in addition are being consistently worthy of respect? WOW! Of course you would want friends with those outstanding qualities. And wouldn’t it be the very best situation if you were marked by those same qualities? Of course!
Let’s put it another way. Impurity, which is the opposite of purity, can have a devastating effect on you, and many others. Impurity ruins good things in time.
A healthy, looking pine tree, towering 100 feet, with a trunk close to 4 feet in width, totally ruined my friend’s cottage after a violent storm caused it to fall. It had been a majestic sight of strength, providing a lot of shade from the hot summer sun for over 90 years. But was the storm the reason why it fell? Upon examination, the tree was rotten at the core. Insects had devoured its source of strength. Winds had not brought the tree down, but thousands of tiny insects over time had taken its life. Impure thoughts, attitudes, and actions can do the same to me and you.
David asked the big question, and then David answered it. Psalm 119:9-11 states, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”
Relationship with God is the number one answer to becoming pure and staying pure. David had previously prayed in Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Jesus Christ purifies us from our sinful nature and sins. 1 John 1:7 states, “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
Daniel gave us the example of how all this works. He is the illustration of how to maintain purity. Today’s Scripture text identifies that there must be a resolve, decision, or act of the will to live a pure life in an impure world. This verse tells us that Daniel; 1) Desired to be pure, 2) Decided to stay pure, 3) Delighted in being pure.
Your relationship to God through Jesus Christ will purify you from all sin. The Holy Spirit will empower you. That is God’s promise to you. However, your resolve is absolutely necessary. Your will has to get involved in this thing called purity. Just like Daniel, you have to:
1) DESIRE PURITY
2) DECIDE TO STAY PURE
3) DELIGHT IN BEING PURE
SOMETHING TO DO
Ask yourself 3 questions:
1) Do I desire to live a pure life?
2) What can I decide to do to stay pure?
3) How can I delight in being pure and not just desire to be pure?
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Heavenly Father, create in me a pure heart and give me a resolve to stay pure. Thank You Jesus that Your blood cleanses me from all my sin. Thank You Holy Spirit, that You will empower me to be pure, and also give me a delight in being pure rather than impure. AMEN!