God's Instruction Manual - #209

There is plenty of advice available out there to “help” in your struggle against sinful habits, but if it is not coming directly from God’s Word, it is dead counsel. It may help you identify the issues, but it is not helping you address the heart of the problem. Only God can reveal and heal your heart.

This is why we need God to guide us as we open Scripture and daily navigate through His inspired Word. Who better to be our personal guide than the Author of Scripture Himself?

Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at  http://www.thepuritycoach.com

Transcript

There is plenty of advice available out there to “help” in your struggle against sinful habits, but if it is not coming directly from God’s Word, it is dead counsel. It may help you identify the issues, but it is not helping you address the heart of the problem. Only God can reveal and heal your heart.

This is why we need God to guide us as we open Scripture and daily navigate through His inspired Word. Who better to be our personal guide than the Author of Scripture Himself?

Welcome to The Point of Purity Podcast. A powerful 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 and godliness. 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 #209 entitled “God’s Instruction Manual.”

The primary instrument God uses to teach you His perfect path is Scripture.

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 94:12, “Blessed is the man ...whom you teach out of your law.” 

This is why it is so vital that you and I are in God’s Word daily. It is as essential as breathing. I like to call Scripture my spiritual oxygen tank. I cannot live without it. Nor can I consistently live a life characterized by godliness without it.

Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s “word is a lamp to [our] feet and a light to [our] path.”

And Psalm 119:130 declares that it is “the teaching of [God’s] word [that] gives light; so even the simple can understand.”

Listen to what David writes in Psalm 19:7-11. “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.” 

2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” 

Do you have a teachable spirit? Are you ready to cry out as the Psalmist did in Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name”?

David asked God to “open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 119:18). 

What about you? As you daily choose to lift up your soul to God, and as you moment-by-moment choose to fully trust Him, are you asking Him to open your eyes, to show you His ways and teach you His paths? And then, are you investing the time daily to dig into your Bible to discover the paths He is wanting you to travel?

In Jeremiah 17:10 God says, “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind.” And Proverbs 17:3 tells us that “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.” 

Job 7:17-18 asks, “What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often? For you examine us every morning and test us every moment.” 

Imagine for a moment that you are a High School math teacher. You have just covered a section on using rational numbers, including integers, decimals, and fractions. You believe you have taught them well. Now it is time to see if your students have learned well. In order to determine that, you must test them. The results of the test will reveal not only what they have learned, but how well they can apply what they have learned.

I can remember how anxious I would feel at times when I knew a test was coming. No matter the class or subject matter, an upcoming test almost always left me uneasy. 

Now that I am older, and hopefully a bit wiser, I have begun to realize my pre-exam jitters revealed something important about me. More often than I care to admit, I would walk into the classroom with sweaty palms and pounding heart because I was utterly and completely unprepared. My condition was purely self-inflicted.

Now think about this: inherent within the request for God to teach you is an understanding that He will also test you. On the surface that can sound a bit intimidating, even scary. Being tested by God is often misunderstood. As a result, it can feel like a negative thing. Something to be dreaded and feared. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Psalm 11:5 states that “The Lord tests the righteous.” In Psalm 7:9 we read, “[God] tests the minds and hearts.” Jeremiah said of God,  “You know me, Lord; you see me and examine my heart’s attitude toward you.” (Jeremiah 12:3) And 1 Chronicles 29:17 says, “I know, my God, that you put the heart to the test and delight in uprightness.”

The purpose of God’s testing is not to show Him how well He has been teaching you, nor to reveal to Him how much you have learned. He already knows. 

The purpose of the testing that comes from God is to show you what you have learned and reveal your understanding and application of His truth and His way. The objective of God’s testing is to help you discover the practical application of the truth you have learned.

What an encouragement it is to “know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3). God wants you to succeed in the Christian life. He tests you to show you the real state of your faith and the condition of your heart.

1 Peter 1:7 explains it this way: “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

Deuteronomy 8:2 extends this challenge: “Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness ... humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to [reveal] whether or not you would obey his commands.”

When life is going smoothly, it is typically not obvious to you if your faith is weak, and God is not sitting on the throne of your heart. However, bring on the hard times, step onto a battlefield and your heart and your faith will be revealed for what they really are. We do not truly realize and recognize our weaknesses until we have a test placed in front of us. This is why David cries out in Psalm 139:23, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”

And in Psalm 26:2 he prays, “Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.” Job boldly declared (Job 23:10) “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” 

In Psalm 25:4 not only does David ask God to “show me your ways” and “teach me your paths”, but in verse 5 he also asks God to “guide me in your truth”. 

A guide is one who goes ahead of you, showing you the way, helping you navigate an unfamiliar place so you can reach your destination. A guide leads you by accompanying you as well as giving you directions along the way. A guide knows exactly where he is going, what lies around the next corner, and he knows how to best traverse the path.

Lifting your soul up to God and fully trusting Him daily is, in many ways, an unfamiliar place for you. Navigating your way up the path of purity, holiness, and godliness might seem overwhelming at times. After all, you are accustomed to following the whims and wishes of King Me.

1 Chronicles 10:13 tells us that King Saul “Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.” 

Saul sought guidance from someone who spoke to the dead. Is respectfully submit that you are doing the same thing when you seek counsel and guidance from someone or something that is not speaking to you God’s truth from God’s Word.

Hey, let’s face it, there is plenty of advice available out there to “help” you in your struggle against your sinful habits, but if it is not coming directly from Scripture, it is dead counsel. Oh, it may help you identify the issues, but it is not helping you address the heart of the problem. Only God can reveal and heal your heart.

God warns (Leviticus 19:31), “Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.” In other words, do not turn to something dead to find help in how to live. Do not seek counsel from the ungodly to try and discover how to live for God and be free from the beast. Turn to the beast-master, God Himself!

The fact is, King Me will always give you dead counsel. King Me tries to tell you, “Come, let me satisfy your need. Walk with me and I will show you wonderful and amazing pleasures that will make all your problems go away. Indulge. Play, have fun; it’s not like you’re doing anything wrong. Whom will it hurt?” King Me will typically give you evil guidance.

Listen to the words of the Old Testament book of Habakkuk 2:19. “What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols, ‘Wake up and save us!’ To speechless stone images you say, ‘Rise up and teach us!’ Can an idol tell you what to do? They may be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside.”

You need God to guide you as you open His Word and begin to navigate through His standards, principles, and precepts of godliness. Who better to be your personal guide than the Author of Scripture Himself?

Jesus said (John 16:13), “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are go come.” 

Psalm 25:9-10 tells us that “[God] leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” 

This is why David prays (Psalm 25:4-5), “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long”. 

When your “hope,” when your attention and focus is on God “all day long” you will see His ways, you will know His paths, and you will understand His truth.

Psalm 1:1-2 declares, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

When you are walking in someone’s counsel, you are choosing to act according to the advice and direction of another person. It’s important here that we understand it’s not wrong to seek counsel. Proverbs 13:10 tells us that “those who take advice are wise.” 

In fact, God’s Word tells us in Proverbs 12:15 that “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.” This is because (Proverbs 11:14) “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in the abundance of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 20:18 says, “Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice.” And Proverbs 24:6 tells us that “In abundance of counselors there is victory.”

This is why God instructs us in Proverbs 19:20 to “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.” It’s not wrong to seek counsel. Just be sure of the source. 

Good, right, and godly counsel will come only through God’s Word and through godly people who are in a right relationship with Him and speak to you His Truth from His Word. David declared in Psalm 119:24 “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.”

Why is it so vital that the counsel we receive is coming from Scripture? Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” 

And Psalm 119:105 says “[God’s] word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

This is because (2 Tim 3:16-17) “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 

In Psalm 1:1, David is warning against the “spiritual” counsel of the ungodly. Here’s why: counsel from the ungodly will always be ungodly counsel. It is not coming from God – nor is it centered around glorifying God. 

Never lose sight of fact that (2 Corinthians 4:4) “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” 

So, I ask you: How can an ungodly person “see clearly” to give you godly counsel and lead you in the right direction – down the path that will honor and glorify God? They cannot. The advice of the wicked, the counsel of the ungodly may sound good on the surface and may even have an element of truth woven into it and even make sense; but the intention of their heart will always be evil and anti-God. 

Listen to the heart of God in Jeremiah 23:22 as He says, “If they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.” 

Consider once again the words of Psalm 1:1 as David declares “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” 

David is clearly stating that the blessed person is the one who never conducts any part of his life according to the advice and direction of the one who is hostile to God. 

Let me quickly remind you (according to Job 21:14-16) that the ungodly “… say to God, ‘Go away. We want no part of you and your ways. Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey hm? What good will it do us to pray?’ (They think their prosperity is of their own doing,)”  

Now I ask you: do you really want an ungodly person giving you spiritual counsel? 

Proverbs 25:26 warns, “If the godly give in to the wicked, it’s like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.” 

Take a moment right now to reflect on your personal relationship with God. Are you choosing to faithfully seek out godly counsel and turn away from ungodly influences? Are you daily choosing to stand firm in your faith and continually grow in your walk with Christ? Are you choosing to delight in and meditate upon God's Word daily? And are you choosing to trust in the Lord with all your heart, walking in full surrender to His Lordship and Leadership in every part of your life?

Remember, this is a journey. Striving to be a person after God's own heart involves daily decisions and constant growth. It’s a commitment to letting God’s Word shape your thoughts, guide your actions, and influence your entire life.

OK, we’re going to hit the pause button here until next week’s episode as we look forward to continuing this study.

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 these powerful resources we are making available to you is my book called “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” You see, saying “No” to temptation and choosing to live an upright and godly life is a daily decision you must make. Every time you are faced with a temptation, you are also faced with a decision: Do I give in, or do I stand firm in my faith and fight it? Do I yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit and live to glorify God, or do I focus on King Me and give in to my fleshly desires?

This book “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory” presents, in a very clear and practical way, how to live a life that is holy and pure, how to say no to sin and live by the Spirit in a way that glorifies your creator, your Savior, your Heavenly Father. So, head on over to Amazon.com and purchase your copy of “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” 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 Steve Etner author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.