The Battle For Purity

Monday, August 18, 2025

Good morning, Lord

Father in Heaven, I seek You first-the knowledge of Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Fill my consciousness constantly and complete Your joy in me as I take up my cross and follow...In Jesus' name…

Memory verse:Jeremiah 15:19 ESV

Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.” 

Verse of the day: Philippians 1:21

21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Daily readings: Psalm 100-102 1 Corinthians 1 

The Battle For Purity

When Jesus tells us to strive for the narrow gate(Luke 13:24), He is telling us to battle for His purity.

In Matthew 5:29&30, Jesus starts with this: “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away...And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matt. 11:12)

This violence is not violence against God-it is our violence against our own sin. This is how serious Jesus wants us to take our battle for purity.

Jesus says to remove the right eye-leaving the left-cut of the right hand and leave the left. The left eye is left as well as the left hand to become involved in as much sin as before. The point is that removing an eye or a hand is not going to solve anything or that sin living in us cannot be controlled by maiming ourselves. The point is that the stakes are huge-we must do all we can to accomplish victory over sin.

The stakes are high-“It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.”

Yes, we believe in justification by grace alone through faith alone so I see in the words of Jesus that we make sure our hearts are right before God. Have we yielded our lives to His Lordship? Because if we have, we will do all we can in His power to achieve His purity in our lives.

Look in your mirror-your life laid out before God beside His purity and righteousness. Hear Jesus say:

33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”(Matthew 6:33)

Are we seeking His kingdom and His purity-first? If we are, everything else will be there-by God’s word-everything else will be added.

Tell God you want the cry of your heart to be for His purity in His kingdom.

...because He loves us, He will do it…

Father in Heaven,

Your name is all righteousness and Your kingdom my peace. Give me the desire to do Your will and give me today what You know I need to follow it. Forgive me for my sin of laziness. Lead me away from lethargy.

God of all purity,

In the name of Jesus,

Amen