CULTIVATE PURITY

Fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. Ephesians 5:3–6

One of the biggest challenges facing Christian families today is the culture of immorality that is so prevalent on every hand. As Hollywood entertainment continues to decline, so do the morals of the average Christian family. Add to that the influence of the Internet and the proliferation of electronic devices, and the decline increases exponentially. Statistics say that the average age of initial exposure to Internet porn is now eleven. On top of all this is the normalizing of adultery, homosexuality, and transgenderism in our culture. The fight for purity is a never-ending battle today. Yet purity is imperative for success in Christian homes.

The word “fornication” in Ephesians 5:3 refers to any immoral sin. It comes from the Greek word pornea, the root from which we get our English word “pornography.” “Uncleanness” in this same verse refers to moral impurity, which has a wide meaning, including immodesty and inappropriate jokes. Being unclean means living recklessly or unwisely. “Covetousness” refers to a greedy desire to have unnecessary and forbidden things. “Filthiness” in Ephesians 5:4 is obscenity. “Foolish talking” consists of silly conversations about inappropriate things. “Jesting” is simply the use of vulgarity.

Paul began his admonition in Ephesians 5:3–6 with a reminder that God’s standard is incredibly high, saying that these sinful things should not “be once named among you.” How in the world is that possible in our generation, when immorality and unclean things are found all around us?

We must be cognizant of God’s standard. God’s purpose in setting a high standard is not to make our lives difficult or make us look weird in comparison to the world around us. He is setting a standard to protect us from the evil effects of sin. The effects of sexual sin are always negative (read again, slowly and prayerfully). Sexual sins are deadly.

We must set standards regarding things that are wrong. Paul tells us to stay far away from sinful things. While practices vary from home to home, we all need biblical standards. What are yours? In my home, our family made a decision to unplug our television. So much of what is presented in TV sitcoms and commercials violates our beliefs, so we chose to do away with them. We evaluate every movie we watch. We judiciously guard every Internet-connected device by installing filtering and accountability software that we monitor. We even installed a system called “Clean Router” so we have yet another layer of protection against all the darkness of our generation. Every family must be diligent in pursuing purity.

We must remember that God’s Word calls us to be drastic. Jesus spoke about plucking out eyes and cutting off hands (see Matt. 5:29–30). That sounds drastic to me! I am convinced that no other generation has had to be as radical about purity as ours. In order to protect and preserve purity in our homes, we must be willing to make changes. We must be willing to delete potentially dangerous apps and alter our pastimes. We must be willing to say no to watching certain movies or giving our children smartphones. We must take steps to remove anything that will damage our homes and families and keep us from cultivating the kind of purity that will hinder godly living.

Action Points

1. Resist (see Eph. 5:7). Be willing to say no! Resist the temptations unique to our generation. What movies, programs, and apps might be endangering your family? Have the courage to say no to them. Resist the onslaught of darkness plaguing this generation.
2. Reprove (see Eph. 5:11). It is not enough to simply establish principles and determine to do right. You must be verbal in your home and social circles about your disagreement with the darkness. Have you spoken to your children and those around you? If not, commit to doing so. Reprove the errors so prevalent in our world on social media, in peer groups, and in your church.
3. Redeem (see Eph. 5:16). What is your family spending time watching and listening to? Much of the darkness of our generation not only darkens our hearts, but it also destroys our opportunities to invest in worthwhile things. Someone has wisely said that it is impossible to kill time without injuring eternity. Redeem the time, and don’t waste it with garbage.

This chapter was written by Evangelist Dave Young.

This chapter is taken from our book “Home Improvement- Keys To Building A Happy Home“. CLICK HERE to learn more about this book and to place your order.