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Parents, here is the information and follow up for you as we talk about purity in the vital preteen years that your child is in right now.
Purity: What Does It Mean?
The word pure means free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind. The thoughts and behavior of the people of God need to be pure. Think about the best kind of jewellery: pure gold. My ring is gold plated. How much does it cost for 1kg of gold? $32,000 Think about a bottle of water, you wouldn’t want it if it wasn’t pure.
Three Areas of Purity
Many believe their thoughts do not matter, so long as they do not actually practice evil deeds. But pure thoughts are essential to a pure life, because our thoughts determine what we say and do. Pure thoughts lead to pure words and pure deeds.
Pure Deeds
Luke 6:46; 1 John 5:3; James 1:21-25.
Pure Words
1 Peter 2:1; Matthew 12:34-37; James 3:2-8.
Pure Thoughts
Matthew 5:8; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Proverbs 4:23.
Study on Joseph
In the Old Testament, Joseph is an example of purity. He had pure thoughts. When Potiphar’s wife made sexual advances toward Joseph, he refused. The story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife is found in Genesis 39:7-9.
I think it would have been almost impossible for Joseph as a young man in his prime to say no to temptation without his love for God. With the extreme focus on sex and love in our culture, the same is true for us.
Some people, men and women, have a desire to be loved and are willing to give up their purity hoping to fulfil that need. The lies of our enemy Satan deceive us into believing that sex brings love, and we pay the price of guilt and disappointment.
Genesis 39:1-6a, Genesis 39:6b-10.
How did the temptation to sexual impurity come to Joseph?
What motivated Joseph not to succumb to this ongoing temptation (Genesis 39:8-9)?
Read Jesus’ words in John 14:15, 21. How do they relate to Joseph’s decision to remain pure?
Purity Takes Planning
Purity doesn’t just happen, and the heat of the moment is not the time to decide what your boundaries are.
Proverbs 14:15, 1 Corinthians 10:12 & Lamentations 3:40
Do you agree or disagree with the importance of “giving thought to your steps” and “examining your ways”?
Think of a personal situation or experience you were in that you shouldn’t have been. Did you have a plan beforehand to prevent you from getting there? How might a plan have helped you prevent it?
Highly Recommended Resources
Talking to our children about love, sex and relationships is an important part of being a parent, but it’s not easy. Family Life’s Passport2Purity is a resource that will help you provide a comfortable environment for open discussions with your pre-teen or teen about sex.
Find our more information about Passport2Purity here
A Chicken’s Guide to Talking Turkey with Your Kids about Sex
You’re already establishing a track record with your kid by how you listen, by what you say when you’re angry, and by how you treat your spouse. Parents sometimes ask, “When do I start talking to my child about sex?” The answer is, you’ve already started. As difficult as talking with your child about sex, peer pressure, and self-image may seem, you can do it-and you must. Your child’s future depends on it. Fortunately, you’ve got plenty of guidance and insight available in A Chicken’s Guide to Talking Turkey with Your Kids about Sex.
Find out more information here