Sunday, August 25, 2013 am
PURER IN HEART -12
Dangers to the Pure Heart 1
Lust
In our studies thus far we have examined what the pure heart is – the
heart being that part of the inner man where our intellect, emotions,
attitudes, thoughts and will reside.
It is that which governs the soul that will spend eternity
somewhere based upon how we conduct our lives.
As Christians we are expected to have a pure heart.
There are a number of passages that speak directly of the pure
heart and numerous others that address the importance of the heart.
Prov. 4:23 says, “Keep
your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
“Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness,
faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
(2 Timothy 2:22, NKJV), “Since you have purified your souls in
obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren,
love one another fervently with a pure heart,” (1 Peter 1:22, NKJV)
The idea of purity
involves two things: Being undiluted and unpolluted.
WE need both if we are to be pleasing.
The bulk of our study has been directed toward qualities of a pure
heart. These qualities
include: priority, resolve, integrity, honesty, self-control, patience,
humility, contentment, kindness,
dignity, confidence and love.
We examined each of these qualities and saw how they relate to
our purity. In 2 Peter
1:5-7 Peter described qualities that we are to with diligence add to our
faith – virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness,
brotherly kindness and love.
Mastering these qualities will help us to live with full
assurance and the ability to overcome every temptation that comes our
way.
In our lesson today we want to begin another aspect of our study of the
pure heart. Today we want
to begin discussing some things that present a danger to the pure heart
and discuss some things we can do to avoid these dangers.
There are many things will taint or even damage the pure heart.
These are influences that we deal with as we strive to live godly
on a daily basis. So let us
begin examining some of these dangers.
a.
The Bible
is filled with warnings about dangers to our hearts.
b.
Psalm
66:18, “If I regard iniquity in
my heart, The Lord will not hear.”
c.
Gen. 6:5
– the world was destroyed by flood, “Then
the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that
every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
d.
Proverbs
15:11, “Hell and Destruction are
before the LORD; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men.”
e.
“Brood
of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good
treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of
the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” (Matthew 12:34–35)
f.
Speaking
to His own disciples about a parable similar to our previous verse Jesus
said, “So He said to them, “Are
you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever
enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter
his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all
foods?”And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For
from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,
fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit,
lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil
things come from within and defile a man.”” (Mark 7:18–23)
g.
Titus
1:15, “To the pure all things are
pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but
even their mind and conscience are defiled.”
a.
The word
ἐπιθυμία (epithymia) translated “lust” in our English New Testaments is
actually a word that indicates a strong desire for something.
Within itself, the idea of strong cravings is not wrong – in fact
at times we ought to strongly desire good things.
At times the word is used in a good sense, but a different
English word is used, such as “desire” (Phil 1:23, 1 Thess. 2:17, Luke
22:15) or something similar to that.
But the word, when translated
“lust” is always bad. It
portrays the idea of a strong desire to have that which belongs to
another or that which you are not entitled to have.
b.
Lust will
very quickly taint the pure heart.
By its very definition, it is craving something (in your heart)
that is contrary to the qualities of purity.
c.
“Therefore
do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its
lusts.” (Romans 6:12)
d.
“But
put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to
fulfill its lusts.” (Romans 13:1)
e.
“But
each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and
enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and
sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14–15)
f.
“Beloved,
I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which
war against the soul,” (1 Peter 2:11)
g.
“For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but
according to their own desires,
because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves
teachers;” (2 Timothy 4:3)
h.
1 John
2:15-17, “Do not love the world
or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the
Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father
but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it;
but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
a.
Our
society is driven by lust.
Often times when lust is mentioned, one thinks of sensuality.
It is found everywhere – on television, at the movies, on the
radio, books, magazines, in music, on the billboards, etc.
The dress code of many leaves little to the imagination and
exposes more skin than it covers up.
It seems that you cannot avoid it. In fact, the greatest purveyors of
lust are now found in our homes – our televisions and computers.
And society is craving more and more.
For example: Recently, the Today Show[1]
aired a short segment on the decline of “G” rated movies.
It noted that more and more family oriented movies are seeking a
PG rating because it is “the new G”.
One expert noted that what is now tolerated in an “R” rated movie
would have been “X” when the ratings were first created.
“PG-13” now shows what would be found in “R” rated movies, etc.
When we allow lustful images to enter our eyes, it will rapidly taint
the pure heart. Recall that
purity of heart involves both being undiluted and unpolluted (not
contaminated). When
one is lusting he is not focusing his heart on matters that will purify
it.
b.
Jesus
taught, “The lamp of the body is
the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of
light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.
If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that
darkness!” (Matthew 6:22–23)
He was saying that what we allow into our bodies through our
eyes will affect our hearts.
c.
On the
same occasion, HE also said, “You
have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit
adultery. But I say to you
that whoever looks at a woman to
lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his
heart.” (Matthew
5:27-28)
d.
“Therefore
God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the
lusts of their hearts, to
dishonor their bodies among themselves,” (Romans 1:24, NKJV)
e.
“And
those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and
desires.” (Galatians 5:24)
f.
“Therefore
put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication,
uncleanness, passion, evil
desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)
g.
IF we are
to keep a pure heart, it is imperative that we recognize lust and avoid
it.
i.
Job said,
“I have made a covenant with my
eyes, why then should I look upon a young woman?”(Job 31:1)
ii.
1 Pet.
2:11 warns us “Beloved, I beg you
as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against
the soul,”
2 Tim. 2:22 – Timothy was told to “flee youthful lusts.”
h.
Developing self-control will help one overcome lust.