4.
Honor and serve other people (vs. 6)
“…and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter
because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you
before and solemnly warned you.”
I must not transgress my brother. By either
purposefully or accidentally compromising my purity or someone else’s or both, I
am sinning against God AND another person. Even if you like someone and he
likes you back, you are both sinning against each other if you use each other
for selfish pleasure, security, etc.
I talked about these on Monday already, but I’m
going to say it again.
WRONG QUESTION: How far is too far?
RIGHT QUESTION: How far can I run? How holy can I
be?
We
must be pure…in thoughts
There’s a difference between appreciating beauty
and lusting. And by lusting, I mean wanting and trying to get something that
doesn’t belong to you at the expense of another person for your pleasure. This can include wanting attention, affirmation,
security, touch, the thrill of romance, etc.
Ladies, one of the very common ways a girl can get
herself into trouble in her thoughts and emotions—and eventually body—is by
putting herself into vulnerable situations. Don’t ever be alone with another guy in a room. Even if you trust him. Be
wise. When you are in a tempting situation and your emotions are involved, it
is very hard to resist. So don’t put yourself in a tempting situation.
Remember:
succumbing to temptation isn’t worth it.
We
must be pure in…dress
Don’t unnecessarily cause others to stumble. Sometimes
we dress immodestly ignorantly and other times with full awareness. I found my
brothers, parents, and The Modesty Survey (which I believe has been taken down)
by The Rebelution to be extremely
helpful as I decide what to buy and wear.
As Adam Tyson put it, “Clothes are meant to
conceal, not reveal.”
Whenever you want to wear a questionable item of
clothing, ask yourself, “Am I wearing this to conceal or reveal?”
Do you
wear clothes to attract attention or respect?
In the long run, both you and the people around you
will benefit more from you dressing modestly. Ultimately, of course, guys are responsible
for their thoughts. However, as their sisters in Christ, it is our duty to try
and help them out in any way possible—especially in a culture like ours.
Remember,
the guys you will attract by immodesty are not the kind of guys you want to
marry.
Godly guys appreciate, respect, and admire modesty.
One thing I discovered from The Modesty Survey was
that almost all guys agreed that, while the clothes do matter, it’s more about the way we act. A girl who wears completely modest clothing but who
acts inappropriate can be more of a stumbling block than a girl who acts
modestly but unintentionally wears immodest clothing.
Modesty is a heart issue. While I recommend
evaluating your wardrobe, I would more strongly encourage you to evaluate your
heart.
Wrapping
up…
Some final thoughts that Adam Tyson shared was that
we should fear the wrath of God because He is an avenger of evil (vs. 6). We
are also called to remember our purpose as Christians (vs. 7) , that we should
love Christ more. Trust and obey what God says because He knows what’s best. He
has a vantage point that I don’t and my sin will have real consequences. It is
worth far more (both now and in eternity) to trust Him and not indulge in sin.
Finally, I must yield myself to the Holy Spirit
(vs. 8). It’s the Holy Spirit that gives me strength and power to live pure!
“No
temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful,
who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the
temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to
endure it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13
“Blessed
are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8
What are
your thoughts on purity and pursuing purity in thought life and dress?
Any stories to share? Share in the comments! Also feel free to discuss things
that you do/don’t agree with in the comment section!
