Mary: Living A Life Of Purity
Luke 1:26-35, 38
Introduction: The Consequences of Wrong Choices
Traci stood before the church, tears in her eyes, head bowed to the floor, her mother at her side. It must have been the most difficult situation she had ever been in in her short fifteen years. Yet it was necessary for her to take this important step in her spiritual maturity. Through tears and sobs she publicly asked the church to forgive her, acknowledging that what she had done was wrong.
With the love and compassion that only Christ could command, the church did forgive her, many openly weeping because of the courageous step that she had just taken. It would be a long road, and they knew she would need their prayers if she were to succeed in raising the child that she now carried. It’s not an easy task being a single mother in high school.
I. WE MUST BE A LIGHT THAT SHINES IN A DARKENED WORLD. Luke 1:26-27
A. Shining The Light Requires Us To Rise Above Our Surroundings And Become Partakers Of His Holiness. 2 Corinthians 7:1
Note: Nazareth was a city with a bad reputation. This has been attributed by some to be because of a lack of culture and rude dialect. But Nathanael asked “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). It would seem that “good” must be taken in an ethical sense and that the people of Nazareth had a bad name among their neighbors for their lack of religion and careless morals.
1. In the midst of our sinful world, there are still those whom God will use to accomplish His purpose.
2. They are the ones who refuse to use their circumstances as an excuse for their failures.
3. They live a life of purity because they believe that there is no excuse for not living for God. Matthew 5:16
B. Shining The Light Requires Us To Rise Above Our Desires And Stay Unspotted From The World. James 1:27
Note: Betrothal – A mutual promise or contract for a future marriage (Deuteronomy 20:7; Jeremiah 2:2; Luke 1:27).
The selection of the bride was followed by the betrothal, not to be entirely equated with the modern concept of engagement. A betrothal was undertaken by a friend or agent representing the bridegroom and by the parents representing the bride. It was confirmed by oaths and was accompanied with presents to the bride and often to the bride’s parents.
The betrothal was celebrated by a feast. In some instances, it was customary for the bridegroom to place a ring, a token of love and fidelity, on the bride’s finger. In Hebrew custom, betrothal was actually part of the marriage process. A change of intention by one of the partners after he or she was betrothed was a serious matter, subject in some instances to penalty by fine.
A Jewish betrothal could be dissolved only by the man’s giving the woman a certificate of divorce. A betrothal usually lasted for one year. During that year the couple were known as husband and wife, although they did not have the right to be united sexually.
Betrothal was much more closely linked with marriage than our modern engagement. But the actual marriage took place only when the bridegroom took the bride to his home and the marriage was consummated in the sexual union. (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
1. We can rise above the world if we have the love of God. 1 John 2:15-17
a. Worldliness is lust of the flesh (a passion for sensual satisfaction).
b. Worldliness is lust of the eyes (an inordinate desire for the finer things of life).
c. Worldliness is the pride of life (self-satisfaction in who we are, what we have, and what we have done).
Illustration: Addressing a national seminar of Southern Baptist leaders, George Gallup said, “We find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are not active religiously...The levels of lying, cheating, and stealing are remarkable similar in both groups. Eight out of ten Americans consider themselves Christians, Gallup said, yet only about half of them could identify the person who gave the Sermon on the Mount, and fewer still could recall five of the Ten Commandments. Only two in ten said they would be willing to suffer for their faith. (Erwin Lutzer, Pastor to Pastor, p. 76.)
2. We can rise above the world if we forsake the things it offers. 1 Timothy 6:6-10
a. The pursuit of wealth and possessions cannot be the primary thing in life for the believer.
b. We are most happy when we are content with what God provides for us.
c. We are least happy when pride and selfishness drive us to pursue the things of the world.
d. To be successful in the world will require us to sacrifice our principles, our integrity, our morals, and our values.
Illustration: The Ermine
In the forests of northern Europe and Asia lives a little animal called the ermine, known for his snow-white fur. He instinctively protects his white coat against anything that would soil it. His fur is so fine; nothing is more beautiful on the fur markets of the world. In some countries the state robes of judges are lined with it, the white being emblematic of purity and honor.
Fur hunters take advantage of this unusual trait of the ermine. They don’t set a snare to catch him, but instead they find his home, which is usually a cleft in a rock or a hollow in an old tree. They smear the entrance and interior with grime and filth. Then the hunters set their dogs loose to find and chase the ermine. The frightened animal flees toward home, his only place of refuge, but doesn’t enter because of the filth. Rather than soil his white coat, he is trapped by the dogs and captured while preserving his purity. It is better that he be stained by blood than spoiled by uncleanness. For the ermine, purity is more precious than life. (Our Daily Bread, April 21, 1997.)
II. WE CAN SHINE BECAUSE GOD FAVORS THOSE WHO LIVE A LIFE OF PURITY. Luke 1:28-30, 34-38
Note: highly favoured - NT:5487 - charitoo (khar-ee-to’-o); from NT:5485; to grace, i.e. endue with special honor: KJV - make accepted, be highly favoured. (Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
This is a term that literally means “full of grace,” and is used of all believers in Ephesians 1:6 where it is translated “accepted.” This portrays Mary as a recipient, not a dispenser, of divine grace.
A. Those Who Are Pure Rejoice In The Blessings Of God. Luke 1:28
B. Those Who Are Pure Consider The Word Of God. Luke 1:29-30
C. Those Who Are Pure Abide In The Integrity Of God. Luke 1:34
D. Those Who Are Pure Are Overshadowed By The Presence Of God. Luke 1:35
E. Those Who Are Pure Bear Witness To The Grace Of God. Luke 1:36-37
F. Those Who Are Pure Submit To The Will Of God. Luke 1:38
III. WE CAN SHINE BECAUSE OF WHAT JESUS CHRIST HAS PERFORMED IN US. Luke 1:31-33
A. We Are Righteous Because Of His Mercy. Titus 3:5a
B. We Are Clean Because Of His Renewing. Titus 3:5b
C. We Are Justified By His Grace. Titus 3:7a
D. We Are Heirs According To The Hope Of Eternal Life. Titus 3:7b
Illustration: The Eagle
There is a legend among Native Americans in the west about a brave who found an eagle’s egg and put it into the nest of a prairie chicken. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life the eagle thought he was a prairie chicken, so he did what the prairie chickens did. He scratched in the dirt for seeds and insects to eat. He clucked and cackled. And he flew in a brief thrashing of wings and flurry of feathers no more than a few feet off the ground. After all, that’s how prairie chickens were supposed to fly.
The years passed, and the eagle grew very old. One day, he saw a magnificent bird far above him in the cloudless sky. Hanging with graceful majesty on the powerful wind currents, it soared with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings.
“What a beautiful bird!” the eagle exclaimed to a prairie chicken who was his neighbor. “What is it?”
“That’s an eagle – the chief of the birds,” the neighbor clucked. “But don’t give it a second thought. You could never be like him.”
So the eagle never gave it another thought. And he died thinking he was a prairie chicken.
How Does This Apply to Our Lives? The eagle, made to soar in the skies, was conditioned by his surroundings to stay earthbound. There, he pecked at seeds and chased insects. Rather than trying to achieve his full potential as an eagle, he adopted his neighbor’s standard for life: “Hey, don’t worry about flying. Let’s scratch around in the dirt and find us some bugs.” So he never became what he was supposed to be, even though he had the capability of doing so. (Source unknown)
Conclusion – How Can I Exhibit A Life Of Purity?
1. Ask God to show you the impurities of your life and ask forgiveness for each one. 1 John 1:9
2. Accept personal responsibility for everything you do. 1 John 1:8, 10
3. Accept the consequences of your past failures and refuse to give up. Philippians 3:13-14
4. Be determined that nothing will put out the light. Matthew 5:16
5. Start today to live a pure, holy life and take the necessary steps to do the right thing. 1 John 1:6-7
