The Point of Purity Podcast

Can You Do It? Yes You Can!

• Steve Etner • Season 4 • Episode 172

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As a Christian you have God dwelling within you (1 Corinthians 6:19). You can indeed do all things through Christ because He gives you the strength and ability to accomplish it (Philippians 4:13). This is precisely why Peter writes, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)
 
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As a Christian you have God (in the Person of the Holy Spirit) dwelling within you (1 Corinthians 6:19). You can indeed do all things through Christ because He gives you the strength and ability to accomplish it (Philippians 4:13). This is precisely why Peter writes, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)

Welcome to the Point of Purity Podcast! I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #172 . In this episode we continue our mini-series on Glorifying God as we discover how to remove the mask and truly live for Christ. This week’s Episode is entitled “Can You Do It? Yes, You Can!”

 

Through the divine power and strength that God gives you can say “no” to the sinful desires of the flesh. God’s grace instructs us “to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age.” (Titus 2:12) The very same power that parted the Red sea, shut the lion’s mouths, told a massive storm to be still, raised Lazarus AND Jesus from the dead, that same power is enabling you to deny the sinful desires of the flesh and instead walk out your faith in full obedience to the Heavenly Father.

You do not have to sin. You always have a choice. When you do sin, it’s because you have willingly chosen short-term “pleasure” over the eternal joy of living for God. When you choose to sin, you are choosing to willingly offer your body to sin instead of choosing to be a “living sacrifice.” (see Romans 12:1)

It’s hard to be the master of your body. Paul worded it well in Romans 7 when he said, “I have discovered this principle of life – that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” (Romans 7:21-24 NLT)

In Galatians 2:20 we read the familiar words, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (ESV) Notice Paul’s reference to the “life I live in the flesh.” This is huge. That life you live in the body is to be lived by faith. 

Remember Paul’s question in Romans 7:24? “Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” He goes on to answer his own question in verse 25. “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (NLT) Jesus and Him alone will give you everything you need to stand firm in the faith, resisting the temptation and live in victory.

You are not in this fight alone. The question you need to ask yourself is this: Do I believe that God can and will help me live in daily victory over the sinful desires of my flesh? Furthermore, do I really want Him to? All too often we yearn for God to simply wave His magic wand and make our temptations and sinful desires just vanish into thin air, making everything suddenly and miraculously better. Although God most certainly can do that, it’s not usually how He accomplishes His purpose and plan in your life.

Never forget that your mind plays a crucial role in living a life that glorifies God. To glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking. As I have said multiple times throughout this Podcast, whom you choose to worship determines what you choose to think about. What you choose to think about determines what you choose to do. And what you choose to do determines the consequences that will result. It all begins with your worship.

This is why you are not to even think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh (Romans 13:14). If you do, you’re like a fish playing around with the fisherman’s lure (James 1:14-15) thinking you won’t get caught – and even if you do, you’ll be able to wiggle your way off that deadly hook. However, when you daily choose to let the Holy Spirit guide your life, then you won’t be doing what the sinful flesh craves (Galatians 5:16)

To experience an extreme mind makeover requires a drastic change in your thinking. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NLT) Some Bible translations use the phrase “do not be conformed to this world.” To “conform” carries the idea of putting on a mask so as to appear to those around you as being something and someone you are not. When a Christian chooses to conform to this world, they are choosing to adjust their behavior to imitate the traits or features that are characteristic of the unsaved around them.

Why would any Christian ever want to do that? The truth is, it’s hard at times to be a Christian. Whether in the workplace, at school, in the neighborhood, or even around family, the unsaved can be harsh and cruel. One of the tactics Satan likes to use on us is getting us to believe that we need to act like the world to be able to fit into the world so that we can win the world for Christ. He wants to convince you that it’s a whole lot easier to put on the mask when you’re around the unsaved, acting like they do, talking like they do, laughing at the things they laugh at so that they will accept your “Christian witness” better – or (more truthfully) so that you don’t come under attack for your faith.

God strictly commands us to not copy the behavior and customs of this world. Don’t conform to their way of doing things. Don’t put on a mask, remove it instead. This command is written in the present tense, meaning the action being described – in this case, not conforming (not putting on a mask) – is taking place right now. Right now. And even right now. The action of keeping the mask off never ends, never takes a break. It’s never right to conform to the world.

So, what does that mean for you and me? We are not to pretend to be something we’re not. Stop putting on that mask when around the unsaved. Stop conforming to their pattern. Not now, not ten minutes from now, not today or tomorrow or next week. Not when the going is tough. Never are we to wear that worldly mask. When you choose to do the things the unsaved do, to act the way they act and talk the way they talk, you are doing so for the self-centered purpose of gaining man’s approval – looking good in the eyes of others.

Paul asks the question, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man?” He then goes on to declare, “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10 ESV) As a follower of Christ, your goal must always be to please God. Not others, not even yourself – God. “We make it our goal to please him.” (2 Corinthians 5:9 NIV’84) So, how are you doing with that? Is it your “goal” in life to please God in everything you think, say, and do? I’m not asking if it’s something you “desire.” I’m asking is it your goal. Is pleasing God your man purpose in life? Is that what motivates your choices, your worship, your thinking, and your doing? (1 Thessalonians 2:4)

“The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT) Because God sees your heart, and His purpose in your life is to refine you to be more like Christ (Romans 8:28-29), the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and prompts us to choose those things that bring Him glory. That which brings God glory also brings Him, and us, great delight, as well as a sense of peace, joy, hope, and confidence in Him. All in all, it is for our good and His glory that He sees our heart and tests it. Why then would we ever want to conform to something that isn’t pursuing our good and God’s glory?

Don’t conform to the pattern of this world. Don’t allow King Me to ever convince you it’s okay to put on a mask and pretend to be what you’re not just so that you can “enjoy” life. Especially since you’ve already tasted the goodness of God. As a child of God who is loved dearly by none other than the Almighty, Most Holy, Sovereign Creator of the Universe, you should be deeply motivated to “live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy’.” (1 Peter 1:14-16 NLT)

As a Christian you are not your own, you have been bought at a very high price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). You are “Teknon Theos” (Child of God). So, when you choose to conform to the world’s way of thinking and doing things, you are committing spiritual adultery. 

“You adulterous people, don’t know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4 NIV’84)

 

OK. Let’s hit the pause button until next week’s episode as we continue our miniseries on How to Glorify God. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about The Pure Man Ministry (what we do to help men across the globe find freedom and victory over sexual sin),, 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

One of those resources I have been highlighting for you here over the last few episodes is my book entitled “Extreme Mind Makeover: How to transform sinful thoughts and habits into patterns of life pleasing to God.” This book takes you on a journey through the Bible to examine what God has to say about how your thoughts, words, and actions influence and impact your heart. In fact – much of what you heard in today’s episode was taken directly from Chapter 7 of this book “Extreme Mind Makeover.” So go to our website, ThePurityCoach.com, and check out our resources page, or go directly to Amazon.com and purchase your copy of “Extreme Mind Makeover” today.

And if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes!

So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM 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.