Series: Where Do You Go From Here? – City Church of Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN
Hebrews 6:1, Let us go on to maturity. Today, we continue our look at the characteristics of a spiritually mature follower of Christ. We are moving to characteristic number three— moral purity. A spiritually mature Christian is one who pursues a life of holiness that honors Christ. God calls us to a life of holiness:
1 Peter 1:15-16, Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (NIV)
Hebrews 12:14, Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (NIV)
The spirit of the age says to pursue anything but holiness. Yet, it is God’s call to every believer.
THE DELICATE TASK OF MORAL PURITY
To be in the world but not of the world.
John 17:15-17, I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They are not part of this world any more than I am. Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth. (NLT)
We are not to conform to the world, but be lights in the world.
Philippians 2:15, Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the life-giving Message into the night. (Message) Our challenge is to abandon the security of worldly attitudes and lifestyles and to be free from the gravitational pull of the world.
THE DYNAMIC MOTIVATION OF MORAL PURITY
There can be only one motivation for holiness:
The desire to honor Christ
Ephesians 4:1, I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. (NLT)
Colossians 1:10, And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (NIV)
1 Thessalonians 2:12, We urged you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. (NLT) Moral purity is about glorifying God with our bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
THE DETERMINING FACTOR OF MORAL PURITY
Moral purity begins in the heart.
Mathew 5:8, Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. (NIV) Moral Purity is not primarily about avoiding sin. It is getting your heart right with God.
1 Samuel 16:7, Man sees the outside, but God looks into the heart.
Proverbs 21:2, God weighs your heart. A pure heart is an un-divided heart.
Matthew 6:24, No man can serve two masters…
James 1:8, A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
A pure heart brings the reward of seeing God. Heart purity turns our “receivers” to the frequency of God’s transmission.