Where (NOT) to Draw the Line for Purity
My lovely older sister, Jordy, is a fantastic roll model to me and also a wonderful writer. She has taught me a lot over the years and I can always rely on her in times of need. She is 17 years old and almost finished high-school. She is in the process of writing and editing her first books! She also has a blog of her own and today's post is written by her. It's all about purity and where we are to (not) draw the line.
The story goes that when I was a toddler, mum watched me play at the edge of a cement area that gave way to dirt. She told me to stay on the cement. Naturally, I wanted to test the limits and see how close I could get to the dirt without trespassing mum's rule. I walked up to the dirt and put my foot near it, moving it to close in the millimetre gap.
This story probably doesn't even surprise you. We do this in life, too - not all the time, but we do tend towards it. The Bible tells us not to have sex before marriage. So what do we want to know?
"Okay, well then what can we do? What about snuggling? Dating? Kissing? What about..."
Have you ever played with candles before? You probably know the trick. You can move your finger smoothly over the tip of the flame and not get burnt. Sometimes you get a black streak on your finger, but it doesn't hurt.
One time I wanted to see just how slowly I could move my finger and get away unharmed. Guess what. I burnt myself! I really shouldn't have been playing with the candle in the first place. I should have been taking my dishes to the sink or wiping down the table.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
These Bible verses tell us to throw off the things that hinder and sin. That tells me that there are things that hinder us that aren't downright sin. I believe we can avoid these things by choosing not to hang out around the border of sin, but by instead busying ourselves with helpful projects.
We should focus on running the race marked out for us...
...not on finding how long we can let our finger linger over the flame...
...not on getting close to where the cement meets the dirt...
...not on determining the line where purity ends.
Have a look at Jordy's blog here...
Thank you for your kind words! May God be honoured in the post itself. x)
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