I asked the Lord, what can I give my students that is practical and can help them understand my stance on not dating. I don't encourage my students to date, because of this very reason, The young people I have worked with over the 6 years of ministry, struggle to make time to study for big test at school, but can spend hours watching TV or on social networks.
The thing that I do not hear very often is that Purity isn't just a physical thing, its a heart issue.
We as pastors want to set our students for success but when addressing purity we usually address just the physical aspects of purity. (Don't do this and don't touch that)
When the core of the issue is Purity of the Heart.
In Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else for it effects everything you do!
The Lord spoke so clearly to me that I had to share it, this directy from my notes
"Guys and girls, the reason I say you’re too young to date, is because I know most of you don’t have the spiritual disciplines in place to combat your sinful desires."
It's not that most of our students don't want to remain pure, but for so long I think we've been addressing the whole purity thing wrong!
That is why we get so frustrated when they ask questions like Well, how far is too far?
But we're the ones focusing so much on the physical and not the inward purity where outward purity stems from!
We need to focus on setting up our students with the knowledge and understanding of spiritual disciplines.
Because you can stay pure physically but your heart and mind have already gone there, but Jesus says
27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Purity of the heart is what matters most to God, because if it is in the heart it will be in the actions.
Our purpose as a Christian is to be like Christ, He spent 30 years preparing his heart and mind before God for 3 short years of ministry! Those 3 short years impacted our world like nothing else!
If you are reading this please be encouraged, I am not saying don't address the physical things of purity, but don't make it your focus.
The enemy can manipulate what you're trying to do by distracting your students to focus just on the physical and not on the heart of the matter.
When you have inward purity, your physical body aligns to it!
In closing, I used this analogy,
Proverbs 17:3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.
When silver or gold is being refined but fire the fire purges the impurities out of them, never to be picked up again.
The same can be for us, the more intimate we are with the Lord, He purifies us through this same purging of our sinful nature. It may not be comfortable, because we have to admit the deep dark sinfulness of our soul, but in the end we will be purified! (we don't ever have to pick them up again!)
The Lord knows our hearts, he may be directing us to a closer look into them so their isn't this separation in our mind, body, and spirit.
One more time, Purity of the heart is what matters most to God, because if it is in the heart it will be in the actions.
