INTENTIONAL CHRISTIANITY - PURITY

Titus 2:1-8; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; Mark 7:20-23

Sunday, January 9, 2005

Boy, what a subject to start out on for the New Year! Well, it's definitely one we all have to deal with, so
here goes!

1. How do you personally define purity? For a pretty good list of things that don’t pass the purity test,
look at Mark 7:20-22 and Galatians 5:19-21.

2. Self-control (Titus 1:8). How does the failure to control our wills, our tongues and our fleshly passions
(Romans 8:6; 8:8; James 1:26) reflect upon our relationship and witness for the Lord Christ Jesus?

3. As "mature" women in Christ, living out our daily lives can strongly influence and motivate younger
women in the body of Christ (Titus 2:3). Are you, or have you ever been a younger woman's spiritual
mentor. Describe your experience.

4. Hey, what's up with this keeping a good house stuff (Titus 2:5)?

5. What messages are we receiving through television, magazines, radio and the internet that have helped
shape the world’s thoughts on morality? What are some positive steps we can take to correct their negative
impact on our families? Do we have a Christian responsibility to let our voices be heard? How?

6. 1 Corinthians 6:16 states that when a man and a woman join their bodies, a spiritual "oneness" occurs
that brings deep and lasting consequences. Ephesians 5:32 gives us a beautiful picture of how “marital”
unions are closely related to how Christ and His church are “one body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul is quick
to point out that sexual sins are the only type of sin that we commit against our own bodies. What makes
this sin different? How is Christ in us effected?

7. 1 Corinthians 6:9-20 speaks of our responsibility to lead sexually pure lives. You have to realize that the
apostle Paul was speaking to Christian believers. The church was located in Corinth, a city well known for
its sexual promiscuity. The temple to Aphrodite alone had over 1,000 prostitutes and the Corinthian
believers were participating in all manner of sin with the temple prostitutes, including homosexuality!
Many of these believers were going right back into the very sins from which they had been saved and
delivered (1 Corinthians 6:11)! How had they misinterpreted their "freedom in Christ" (1 Corinthians
6:12)? See what Galatians 5:13 and 1 Peter 2:16 has to see about our Christian freedom.

8. What does 1 Corinthians 9-10 say about people who continue in their practice of such sins? Note the key
words here are "continue” and “practice." What is the difference between a Christian who sins (1 John
1:10) and someone who "practices" or “continues” sin? Can a person know the Lord and remain a habitual
sinner (1 John 3:6)? Is temptation sin?

9. What does Mark 7:20 tell us about how sin enters into someone's heart and life?

10. According to Titus 2:11, what enables us to say "No" to our fleshly desires.? If this is so, can any of us
boast if we are able to overcome sin?

11. In Christ Jesus “ye are washed, sanctified and justified!” (1 Corinthians 6:11) What is the spiritual
progression here? How are these words meant to encourage us in our daily walk with Christ?