What do you think of when you think of
purity? Purity is probably a word that has
lost some of its edge in a society that is so
impure. God desires a pure life , heart and
mind within in. He desires it to be
stronghold to hold us in the midst of the
storm.
Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him."
Question: Is God for us?
Is God for us? How do we know? He says so in His word!
Romans 8:31b If God is for us, who can be against us?
We know that God is for us! We know that God is in our corner cheering us on with His Word
and His watchfulness to fight the good fight of faith . . . to live a pure life. Even if the world
laughs at the thought of purity God desires it in our lives.
As I began to entertain this question in my mind my heart was examined with this question, "Is
God for everything that is in my life?"
God is for me, but is He for everything that in my life tonight? He desires a stronghold of purity
Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.
You and I look at our lives and cheer thinking God is for me! I can do what I want! But the
question is before us . . . Is God for everything that in our lives? God brings the scales out to
weight in the balance the things we have purposely placed in our lives, be it good or bad. He is
out to see if they are pure. With so many impurities before us we have the tendency to embrace
the impure because of our struggle with that old nature.
But God is for us! And with His new nature placed within us He gives us the staying power
through the Spirit to rise above the impurities of this world and live a life of purity, a stronghold
in our lives.
God will not allow us to harbor/rest in His stronghold with our old nature. He is not in the
business of leaving us alone with our old carnal nature.
Francis Franigpane says, "There are certain aspects of our lives that not only exist outside of
divine protection but God Himself seeks to destroy them."
Do you believe that there are things in our lives to which God says “No, no, that is not what you
are about My child! I am out not to destroy you, but those thing impure things so that you can
rest in my stronghold.”
John 15:1-2 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear
fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
God is out to prune/cut away the things that do no profit our lives. I have to admit I like the
verse that speak of God blessing me, making His Face to shine upon me and be gracious to me.
But I don’t care for these verses that say God wants to cut on me . . . even if it is for my good.
Yes it is true that God is for us but not for everything that is in our lives. God prunes for great
fruit production in our lives. We understand the pruning process . . . greater fruit, visible. And
one of those fruits I believe is purity.
Pure = catharses ... a cleansing
God wants to do a cleansing in us. He wants us to enter the stronghold of purity, but He is not
going to allow us to rest until He deals with certain impurities of our lives. He wants purity to be
a reality in our lives.
Tucked away in the book of James are four areas of catharses for purity.
1. The Purity of our Prayers
Through the voice of Job we understand we all face difficulties in this life. Job on one hand
represents us and on the other represents the stronghold of purity as he deals with his problems.
Job 16:17 Although no violence is in my hands, And my prayer is pure.
Though I face great difficulties they have not made my prayers impure. Interesting! How do we
often pray in hardships? “God get me out of this!” “God I don’t deserve this!” If we accept
goodness we should also except adversity.
There is a fine line in our prayers that are God-centered and self-centered. When my mother
was dying I crossed that fine line and prayed selfishly . . . “God don’t take away my greatest
supporter of my ministry! God don’t take away the person who taught me the scriptures. Don’t
take my mom away.” In a night of great struggle I prayed in the hospital chapel, not really being
conscious of what I was praying I heard myself pray, “Oh God you be my greatest support in the
ministry. Oh God you be the One who instructs me in Your Word. Oh God be merciful in my
mother’s life and relieve her suffering.”
James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Whether we want to face it or not many of our prayers are impure because we pray so selfishly.
We would rather pray for God’s kingdom to me moved for me rather than me being moved by
God’s kingdom. But Jesus prayed in the garden for God’s will to be done. He teaches us to pray
that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Our prayers are to be filled with pure motives that are seeking for God to move in our lives in a
greater measure. When our prayers are pure we move into a stronghold that no evil can enter.
There is a place of rest when we pray pure. God wants to cleanse our prayers.
2. The Purity of our Words
Proverbs 15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, But the words of the pure are
pleasant.
Our words are powerful forces. We’ve read and lived the stories of people saying things that
crush the spirit for a time or for a life. I pray we have not been those who speak such careless
and harmful words. It could be that the number of hurtful words are greater than the words
spoken that are filled with kindness and goodness.
James 3:2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also
to bridle the whole body.
James 3:9-10 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the
similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to
be so.
Only the Spirit can control the tongue!
The impurities of our words. Have you spoken things this past week that you wish you could
take back . . . perhaps out anger, jealousy, irritation, inconvenience we snapped and said things
we wish we could take back.
Steven Covey talks about the emotional bank account. Strong words spoken in anger or
frustration are considered to be withdrawals. If we are not careful we can be over drawn.
We snap and we say and then we feel guilty and we want to say sorry , but the damage is done.
I don’t think we really understand the power of the tongue or we would guard it. We would be
slow to speak and quick to listen (James 1:19).
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A
lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running
to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
Three out of the seven speaks to the use of our words . . . lying tongue . . . false witness who
speaks lies . . . seventh abomination ... sowing discord .
God is wanting to do a catharses a work of purity in cleansing our tongue.
3. The Purity of our Thoughts
God wants to work on our minds tonight. Sometimes we don’t say what we are thinking. How
many times have you started to say something and you say, “No, I’m not even going to say that.”
And someone says, “You might as well say it you are thinking it.” Don’t fall into that trap! Go
ahead and shut up! Praise the Lord we don’t say everything we’re thinking.
James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it
will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea
driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is
a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
We sometimes ask God for something and then doubt the ability of God to do it. Thinking of
such leads to an unstable life. God is looking to cut away the “stinkin thinkin" . . . the double
mindedness, and the doubts that are there,
I am the chief among the sinners in this area. I have the great ability (not God given) to
think negatively and fearfully when things happen out of my control. I worry and lower myself
lower than the floor, rather than entering into the stronghold of purity and saying “God I don’t
want these thoughts! You take them captive! I want to believe and ask for wisdom to deal with
these situations.”
I want to enter into the stronghold of purity . . . God desires to do a great work in the mind and it
is not just “positive thinking.” God wants to do more than the little red engine philosophy of “I
think I can! I think I can.” God wants to do a catharses and placing us into His stronghold of
purity so that we can say and believe, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”
It’s not me but God. He want to produce thought patterns that are productive in our lives.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue
and if there is anything praiseworthy; meditate on these things.
Anyone can see the wrong in someone, but it takes the working of God to look at a person and
see that they are worth dying for. Pure thoughts lead us into the stronghold.
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
4. The Purity of our Hearts
James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your
hearts, you double-minded.
Sermon on the mount is given so that you and I would deal with the issues that come from the
heart. Blessed are those whose hearts are filled with purity. The heart is the center of man . . .
he deals with anger, jealousies, divorce, adultery, money issues ... they all come from the heart.
Jesus is saying that if he can deal with our hearts he can make something new out of us. Jesus
didn’t come to just deal with the peripheral issues of our lives. He wants to deal with the heart.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
Blessed are the pure in heart for they say see God. He talks to the motive . . . He wants to bring
us into the stronghold. I must allow a catharses.
5. How to Enter into the Catharses
God’s Word has a purifying effect
Psalms 119:9-11 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10 With my
whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in
my heart, That I might not sin against You!
Heeding . . . to attend to, to guard ... allow our lives to be guarded with the Word
Seeking . . . a constant pursuit, an inquiry . .. Inquiring minds want to know!
Keeping . . . (wander) sins of ignorance ... ignorant to not heed and seek God
Hiding . . . a secret place
The Hiding place is the stronghold! I place God’s Word into my lives so that in the times I am
faced with the impurities of this life it will become a stronghold to cause me to step away from
the impurities. Let it take you into the stronghold of purity
We keep, seek, keep to enter into the hiding place called God’s stronghold of purity.
Psalms 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is
any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
David is saying “God bring a catharses into my life and make me clean and pure before you!”
Can you pray that? Say that? Think that?
Greater purity means greater protection. Enter into the stronghold of purity.
Amen!
This sermon was preached by Robert AuBuchon at Trinity Baptist Church. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from
the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved Copyright RFTPsermons.com
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