How can a young person stay on the path of purity?David begins the second octet of his trip diary with a question nearly everyone has asked at one time or another.
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
Psalm 119:9-10
How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
When we think of purity, we generally think about sexual purity. Or maybe pure thoughts and purity of our speech. Each of those is a different aspect of life where purity comes into play. But they are only the outward sign of inward purity.
Purity is single minded focus. It's about focusing on one thing, unpolluted by distractions.
Purity means not letting the uniqueness of my own way, my identity, and my interests, overwhelm the purity of God's way. There is only One Road, and it is God's road, not mine.
Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me."No one comes to the Father through focusing on pure doctrine -- no matter however good and beneficial proper theology may be.
John 14:6
No one comes to the Father through focusing on morality - although the Father certainly expects righteousness from his followers.
No one comes to the Father through focusing on politics. Or the politics of morality.
No one comes to the Father through focusing on works -- even though he has re-created us for the purpose of doing his good works.
No one comes to the Father through focusing on engaging with culture - no matter how integral that might be for effective evangelism in the 21st century.
No one comes to the Father through focusing on anything except by focusing purely on Christ.
Put his Word in your heart and treasure it. Meditate on it. Delight in it. Breathe it in deeply. Wallow around in it. Absorb it in through your pores.
By meditating on the Word you'll be getting to know the Word who is God.
The key to purity isn't found in focusing on God's commands as a list of rules, but in God Himself. Purity comes through seeking a pure relationship with Him. David says, “I seek YOU with all my heart”
My heart seeks God’s heart. I seek to understand the heart and mind that produced His commands. I seek to line up the direction of my heart with the clear direction of His heart.
The reason police officers ask drivers to walk a straight line is because a drunk person has difficulty keeping their mind focused on the right thing. They'll either focus on the officer's directions to walk "a straight line", and thus look down at their feet and the imaginary straight line, or they'll be looking all over the place at whatever is a momentary distraction. A person in their right mind knows to just focus on something in the distance, along the path you want to walk, and just begin walking.
The pathway to purity is the pathway to God.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12
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