What if God were fickle? What if His love for you had limits? What if there came a point where God said, “that’s it! I’ve had enough of your sinful shenanigans; I’m done with you!”? Thankfully, that is not who God is, nor what He does.
Welcome to The Point of Purity Podcast. A weekly study filled to the brim with the all the tools from Scripture you will ever need to build a lasting life of Biblical purity.
Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at http://www.thepuritycoach.com
What if God were fickle? What if His love for you had limits? What if there came a point where God said, “that’s it! I’ve had enough of your sinful shenanigans; I’m done with you!”? Thankfully, that is not who God is, nor what He does.
Welcome to The Point of Purity Podcast. A weekly study filled to the brim with the all the tools from Scripture you will ever need to build a lasting life of Biblical purity.
Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at http://www.thepuritycoach.com
What if God were fickle? What if His love for you had limits? What if there came a point where God said, “that’s it! I’ve had enough of your sinful shenanigans; I’m done with you!”? Thankfully, that is not who God is, nor what He does.
Welcome to The Point of Purity Podcast. A weekly study filled to the brim with the all the tools from Scripture you will ever need to build a lasting life of Biblical purity.
Each episode is designed to help you discover how to skillfully handle the word of God as you choose to live in freedom!
I’m your host, Steve Etner, author, speaker, and purity coach for The Pure Man Ministry ... WELCOME to episode #113 as we talk about God’s “Love IS all we need.”
“According to your steadfast love remember me” (Psalm 25:7)
Think with me for a few moments about God’s “steadfast love.” As I asked in this week’s opener: What if God were fickle? What if His love for you had limits? What if there came a point where God said, “that’s it! I’ve had enough of your sinful shenanigans; I’m done with you!”? Thankfully, that is not who God is, nor what He does. He is “The Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6) Praise God He “abounds in steadfast love!” Can I get an “Amen!”?
“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (1 Chronicles 16:34)
I’m afraid that all too often we ignore this command and totally dismiss it out of hand. We are to daily thank God for his steadfast love! Daily! How are you doing with that?
How many times a day do you sin? How many times a day do you choose to turn your back on God in favor of King Me? (Give it your best guess – one or two? Half a dozen? Twenty? More than 50?) Now consider this: What does each and every sin you commit deserve? And how many times a day does God extend to you His great Mercy (not giving you what you do deserve), and pour out upon you His amazing Grace (graciously giving you what you don’t deserve), and lavish upon you His steadfast Love?
Let me repeat 1 Chronicles 16:34 “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”
So far, in this journey we’ve been going through together, we have discovered that we are positionally guilty and experientially shameful because we have chosen to turn our back on God and worship King Me instead. We have guilt and shame because we have willfully rejected His unlimited and Divine power in favor of our own frail and feeble weaknesses, all so we can enjoy the wicked pleasures of sin for a short season.
In spite of all of that, because of His great mercy, “(God has) granted (you) life and steadfast love, and (God’s) care has preserved (your) spirit.” (Job 10:12) God’s love for you reached the ultimate crescendo on the cross of Calvary. It was His steadfast love that motivated Him to offer His Son as the atoning sacrifice for your rebellion. It is His steadfast love that keeps you from becoming a greasy smear on the pavement right now.
“Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 106:1)
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’ Let the house of Aaron say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’ Let those who fear the Lord say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever’.” (Psalm 118:1-4)
Don’t miss this my friend, God’s love for you is steadfast. God’s love for you never falters. God’s love for you endures. God’s love for you stands true forever. Do you understand the depths of what we’re discovering here? God’s love for you is not dependent upon your purity. His love for you is not contingent upon your right behavior. God’s love for you is totally, completely, 100% unconditional. His love endures your sin. His love endures your fickleness, your selfishness, and endures your humanness. His steadfast love endures not just for a time but forever!
“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:10)
“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.” (Micah 7:18)
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Why should the steadfast love of God matter to you? Seriously. How has God’s steadfast love made a difference in your life? It is God’s steadfast love that you can trust in no matter your circumstances, no matter your choices, no matter your screw-ups! God not only practices steadfast love, He IS steadfast love. It’s part of His character. That is why His love for you is steadfast, not because He wants to, or chooses to, or even is forced to. It is because it is who He is.
“I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness ... that he has granted ... according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” (Isaiah 63:7)
This is why you can cry, “Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.” (Psalm 6:4) “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” (Psalm 51:1) “Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy turn to me. Hide not your face from your servant; for I am in distress; make haste to answer me. Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because of my enemies!” (Psalm 69:16-18)
“But you, O God my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me.” (Psalm 109:21-22)
As a result, “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied.” (Psalm 64:3-5a)
OK, now let’s look once again at Psalm 25 and notice that David pens the words, “For the sake of your goodness” (Psalm 25:7)
A few years ago, there was a popular chorus sung in many churches that said, “God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He’s so good to me.” The goodness of God is often sung about, spoken of, and even used in response to when good or bad things happen in our lives. You have probably expressed this truth yourself. Someone avoids a horrific accident due to car trouble or a delayed flight and we respond, “Isn’t God good!” Or a family member is blessed with a financial gift in a time of need, and we talk about how good God is.
Yes, God is indeed good. However, it’s not because He’s doing (or not doing) things for us but simply because that’s who He is!
“Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” (Mark 10:18)
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8)
God’s goodness, however, is something we tend to take for granted. We don’t fully understand it, so we don’t fully appreciate it. God doesn’t just do good things, He IS good. God’s goodness is part of His character. He cannot not be good. If He ceased to be good, He would cease to be God.
“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” (Psalm 145:9)
Let me remind you here of a question I asked you earlier. How many times already today have you sinned? How many times today have you chosen to reject God in favor of King Me? How many sins have you committed this week? This month? This year? During your lifetime? How many times have you deserved God’s anger, His wrath, His judgment, and His punishment? And how many times has God extended to you His grace, His mercy, His forgiveness, His steadfast love?
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:4-5)
Even in the midst of your battle for purity, how has God been good to you? Consider this: even though you have repeatedly turned your back on God, choosing to live for King Me instead, He has been good to you. Even though you have worshiped yourself over and over again, even though you don’t fully trust Him, “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.” (Psalm 25:8)
“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.” (Psalm 86:5)
You must understand though that the “goodness of God” is not necessarily limited to how we define “goodness.” When used of God, the word “good” refers to kindness, gentleness, generous, beneficial; but it also includes such truths as perfect, complete, and holy.
“Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 106:1; 107:1; and 1 Chronicles 16:34)
“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you.” (Psalm 31:19)
Even now, in the midst of your battle for purity, you can cry out to Him “Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.” (Psalm 69:16)
OK, we’re going to hit the pause button here until next week’s episode as we look forward to continuing this study.
If you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about our ministry, be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com
In fact, let me take just a moment and give you a glimpse into our ministry. You see, we do a whole lot more here at The Pure Man Ministry than just producing a weekly podcast. We have a free APP entitled “My Purity Coach.” This app is chocked full of powerful tools to help you in your walk of purity. You’ll find tons of Scripture. Audio and video lessons from the Bible. You listen to this podcast from the app. You can even watch the globally acclaimed video series called “The Chosen” from this app!
If you’re a subscriber to this podcast, then you’ve heard me talk about our “Point of Purity Program” – a 12 week, 1-on-1, Bible-Centered coaching program taking you deep into Scripture to teach you how to develop a lifelong strategic plan for sexual purity. I’ve also talked on this podcast about the various books I have written which are all available both on my website (ThePurityCoach.com) and on Amazon.
As a faith-based, donor-supported ministry, all of this (and so much more) is only made possible by our team of ministry partners who give financially to this ministry. Without compromise The Pure Man Ministry shows men and women how to have a continuous relationship with Jesus that is real and personal. To that end we need ongoing financial assistance from partners like you who are committed to providing hope and helping men and women across the globe win their personal battle against the beast of sexual impurity. I am personally inviting you to partner with us as we seek to impact our world by equipping and training men and women how-to live-in purity, godliness, and integrity through the study and application of God’s Word to their lives. To give your tax deductible gift to this ministry today, simply go to ThePurityCoach.com and click on the Donate button in the upper right corner. And thank you for partnering with us!
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So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, and Purity Coach Steve Etner reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.