Stronghold: Purity Series

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