Purity: What Does It Look Like in 2012? Guest Post by Shelley Hitz

Nothing else seems to quench my thirst like a nice cool glass of water on a hot day. As we talk about purity, let me start with an illustration involving two bottles of water.

Let’s say it is a hot day and you are really thirsty. I approach you and let you know that I have two bottles of water and offer you either one. The bottles (the containers) look the same. They have both been chilled, but you notice that one bottle has less water than the other. It has been opened! Which bottle of water would you choose? Most likely, you are going to reach for the unopened bottle, right?. Why would you most likely choose the unopened bottle? Well, for starters you have no idea where the other bottle has been. Someone could have already taken a drink out of the bottle. Maybe there is backwash. What if the person was sick with something contagious? Plus you get more water to quench your thirst with the unopened bottle.

Purity Matters

If purity matters with something as simple as a bottle of water, how much more important is sexual purity in our culture today? Sometimes I think we value the purity of our water even more than our sexual purity.

Why do I say that?

Look around at our media choices today. What we would have labeled as soft porn years ago is now plastered on magazine covers, billboards, music videos, television shows, video games and more. I believe sexual purity is not just in what we do, but also in what we take into our minds through our media choices. I know all too well the lure of sexual temptation, especially online. Years ago, I got caught in the trap of internet pornography. And it wasn’t the hard core stuff that hooked me. It was stuff that seemed innocent and that I could rationalize. But, the content was sexually provocative and was the bait that Satan used to hook me into a vicious cycle of porn addiction.

Ephesians 5:3 says, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.”

Wow…Not Even a Hint

Remember the water bottles? Let’s not give in to compromise in this area of sexual purity, but let’s be willing to take a stand for purity in all areas of our lives. Not out of a desire to be religious or legalistic, but out of a desire to please the Lord and honor Him in every area…even in our media choices.

“You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” I Corinthians 6:20

Shelley Hitz has been ministering alongside her husband, CJ, since 1998. They currently travel and speak to teens and adults around the country. Shelley’s main passion is to share God’s truth and the freedom in Christ she has found with others. She does this through her books, websites and speaking engagements. Shelley’s openness and vulnerability, as she shares her own story of hope and healing, will inspire and encourage you.

Shelley has been writing and publishing books since 2008 including the book she co-authored with S’ambrosia Curtis, “A Christian Woman’s Guide to Breaking Free From Pornography: It’s Not Just a Guy’s Problem.” During their book launch on 9/26/12 – 9/27/12, you can download a free Kindle copy and also enter to win over $450 worth of resources. Find out more at http://www.christianwomenandporn.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Womans-Guide-Breaking-Pornography/dp/061569389X