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Episode #33 "Swing Your Sword"
Transcript
In our last few episodes we’ve been learning about why we always fail when we try to fight this battle for purity on our own. We can’t do it, but God can!
In today’s episode we take a look at Psalm 19 and discover the singular, most powerful weapon God has provided us with that is guaranteed to take down the beast of sexual impurity in your life. Namely: The Word of God.
Welcome to today’s episode of the Point of Purity Podcast. A weekly study filled to the brim with the all the tools from Scripture you will ever need to build a lasting life of Biblical purity.
I’m your host, Steve Etner, Author, National Speaker, and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry. C’mon in and join us as we dive into Scripture to learn how to Swing Your Sword!
(01:00) Introduction
As I mentioned in Episode #1 – and in our testimony on our website – for over 30 years of my life I half-heartedly attempted to gain victory over lust, porn, and masturbation, along with all the other selfish sexual satisfactions I was trying to pursue. No matter what I did, I failed. I always crashed and burned. Then a man named Roger came alongside me and began to take me into the Bible.
Week after week we would open Scripture, study it, talk about it, and learn from it. I would be assigned a text to study during the week and a verse to memorize. Then I was required to return the following week and explain to Roger how that passage applied to my life and what I was going to do about it.
At first it was hard work! I was undisciplined and so my mind would easily wander. I would put off my assignment until the last possible moment. Thankfully, Roger would never accept my weak excuses for failure, and he would relentlessly hold me accountable for my poor, King Me decisions. Slowly (at first) change began to happen in my life. I began to look forward to my time in the Word each day. I began to see God in a totally different light. I began to understand why I was making the sinful choices I had made and doing the sinful things I had done. Real change was happening deep in my heart, which in turn began to show up in my daily attitudes and actions!
Please understand that it wasn’t because of Roger that I changed. It definitely wasn’t due to a particular counseling method; it wasn’t even the result of my specific homework assignments that brought about change—it was because the Holy Spirit was implanting God’s Truth from God’s Word deep into my heart and mind. You see, (Hebrews 4:12) God’s Word is living, it is powerful, and it is very active in our lives, sharper than any two-edged sword. As we read it and study it, the words of our Creator and Heavenly Father begin to push aside all the junk in our life and address the real issues of our mind and heart.
So, as we dive into this week’s podcast, I challenge you to seriously consider the power of God’s Word to provide you with everything you need to live a righteous, godly, and pure life (2 Peter 1:3).
(04:30) Oh, Mercy Me
In Romans 12:1 the Apostle Paul says, “I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” I want to challenge you to join with me over the next few moments to really think about, to seriously contemplate God’s amazingly wonderful and unconditional mercy.
“Mercy” is a word that refers to God’s compassion and pity upon us. It has been said that God’s mercy is, “God not giving to us what we do deserve.” Think about that as you consider the sinful choices you made last week, and the ones you made yesterday, and even the sinful choices you have made already today. Mull over for a moment how many times you put King Me on the throne in any given day. Got that firmly fixed in your mind? Now, reflect on what you deserve from a holy, righteous, and just God for just one of those sinful choices – let alone all of them!
Titus 3:5 tells us that “(God) saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” Peter cried out, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again.” (1 Peter 1:3)
Let me repeat an earlier point: God’s mercy is God NOT giving us what we do deserve. The fact is: we deserve death, not life. Romans 3:23 clearly states that “everyone has sinned; we all (have fallen) short of God’s glorious standard.” Yet God, in His mercy, has declared that anyone who believes on His Son will not receive the death they deserve, but will have eternal life (1 Timothy 1:16)!
God’s mercy is great! In 2 Sam. 24:14 King David says, “I’m in a desperate situation! Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.” God shows us His great mercy because of His great love. The prophet Nehemiah cried out to God, “Remember me ... and show mercy to me according to your great love.” (Neh. 13:22) Truly (Eph. 2:4) “God is rich in mercy, and he loves us so much!”
It is because of God’s mercy that He does not abandon us. Nehemiah 9:31 says, “In your great mercy you did not put an end to us or abandon us, for you are a gracious and merciful God.” It is strictly because of God’s mercy that we are able to come boldly into His presence without fear (Psa. 5:7 and Heb. 4:16). God has promised His mercy to those who reject sinful thinking (putting self on the throne), turn to Him, and confess and renounce their sin. Proverbs 28:13 tells us that “people who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” And Isaiah 55:7 we read, “Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.” In fact, God absolutely delights in showing us His mercy (Mic. 7:18).
So, “in view of God’s mercy”—because of the fact that God has not given to us what we deserve—Paul urges us to offer our body to God. His call here is for you and I to dedicate every aspect of ourselves, without reservation, to the Lord. Not just today, not just while in a Sunday worship service, but every moment of every day.
Notice also in Romans 12:1 the word “offer.” In view of God’s mercy, we are to offer our body to Him daily. Here’s why I point that out: It’s a technical term used to describe the way an Old Testament priest places an offering on the altar with the intention of surrendering or yielding it completely up to God. Anytime something was placed on an altar, it was for the purpose of sacrifice—willingly putting it to death, giving up ownership.
1 Pet. 2:5 tells us that as a Christian, “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” You see, God considers you a “priest,” and, as such, you are to offer—to daily surrender and yield—your body to Him. This is what God calls your priestly act of worship.
So, the next time you are tempted to give in to the lure of lust and the pull of pornography or the magnet of masturbation, remember God’s mercy and choose – right then and right there – choose to die to yourself and choose to sacrifice your fleshly desires, making your body available for God to use for His glory instead of you to wasting it on your sexual pleasures.
(11:37) Respect the Law
I firmly believe that over the last 20 years, something has drastically shifted in Christianity. Collectively, as a body of believers, we have lost a respect for the law — specifically, God’s law. I don’t mean that we are blatantly throwing it out the window, doing whatever we want and then acting like we don’t care what God thinks. I’m referring to having a smorgasbord mentality when it comes to Scripture.
We treat the Bible like it was a buffet table. We will read God’s Word, and then we’ll pick and choose which of God’s laws and standards, principles and promises we like. We then study those and decide to obey and follow them, while we leave the rest to the “irrelevancy of Old Testament times.”
Psalm 19:7 says, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul …” Notice that King David is saying that God’s law—all of God’s law—is perfect. Think about that. It was perfect when David penned those words, and all of Scripture is still perfect today.
Is that how you view the Bible? Can you say as David did in Psalm 119:72, “The law of (God’s) mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces”? Another way to put that verse is like this: God’s Word is better to me than all the pornographic images in the world, and all the lustful thoughts and fantasies I could ever think or dream! God’s Word is more precious to me than any pop or rush that giving in to my temptations could ever provide!
Can you honestly cry out, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day”? (Psalm 119:97) Do you “love (God’s) commandments above gold, above fine gold” (above sexual impurity), and do you “consider all (God’s) precepts to be right”? (Psalm 119:127-128) In other words, do you firmly believe, are you solidly convinced, are you steadfastly confident that God really does know what’s best for you? Do you fully and completely, totally and unreservedly trust Him?
If you want genuine and lasting victory over sexual impurity, open your Bible daily! As Deuteronomy 17:19 says, “Read in it all the days of (your) life … learn to fear the Lord (your) God by keeping all the words of (God’s) law and these statutes, and (do) them”! Joshua 1:8 commands: Don’t ever let “this Book of the Law … depart from your mouth, but … meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous”—and then you will know victory over lust and sexual impurity in your life!
Think again about Psalm 19:7. “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul …”. God’s Word is perfect my friend. Perfect! It is complete, whole, and entire, lacking in nothing. In other words, it has the answer for every problem you will ever face. It gives the weapons you need for every battle, and it will help you slay the dragon. David writes in Psalm 18:30 that “(Our) God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”
So, every day this week choose to make the time to dig into God’s Word. I promise, it will revive you. It will refresh. It will restore you. It will help you to say “No” to lust and sexual impurity and return you to the God who loves you.
Listen as I read to you the words of Psalm 119:25-32. “My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes! Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me. I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!” (Psalm 119:25-32)
(17:56) Great Resources
If you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about our ministry, be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com (repeat)
One of those resources I would like to highlight for you today is my book entitled “The Pure Man’s Devotional Guide: A Biblical Toolbox for Purity.” You see, building a life of purity doesn’t happen overnight, and like any building project – it will be best when you use the right tools for the task.
This book, “The Pure Man’s Devotional Guide: A Biblical Toolbox for Purity,” is a toolbox filled with nearly 700 passages of Scripture all for the purpose of equipping you with the proper tools to build a lasting life of Biblical purity.
This 5-week devotional guide will help you see how the enemy attacks and, more importantly, how to skillfully handle the Word of God as you learn to fight back. So I encourage you to visit the resource section of our website, or go directly to Amazon.com and search either for “The Pure Man’s Devotional Guide” or just look up my name, Steve Etner, and purchase your copy today.
(19:36) Closing Soundtrack
Thank you so much for listening to today’s podcast. If this has ministered to you, if this has blessed you, challenged you, or encouraged you I ask you to do two things. First of all – would you please let your friends know about The Point of Purity Podcast. Help us help men and women across the globe win their war for sexual purity and live in freedom.
Then second, and this is so important, please take a few seconds right now to go over to your favorite Podcast Player and rate our program and this episode – why? because every time you do, your rating lets them know this podcast is important, it is valuable, and your ratings helps us get this program and this ministry into the ears and hearts of people just like you. So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, and Purity Coach Steve Etner reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.