He who has clean hands and a pure heart. . . . He shall receive a blessing from the Lord.
Psalm 24:4–5
No matter what you’ve done, purity is possible! If you fail to believe this, any hope of victory over lust and sexual sin is dead before you start.
In this pornographic age, temptations assault you on every side. But you do not have to be a slave to them. As a Christian, willfully consuming pornography (or taking part in any other sexual immorality) is a sin that you can—and must—have complete victory over.
God Says Sexual Purity Is Not Optional
Many well-meaning Christians shrug off pornography as a struggle that can never be overcome in this life. But this mindset is not in line with God’s Word.
According to Jesus, the Christ, looking with lust is a form of adultery (Matthew 5:28), a grievous offense against God and against people made in His image. The word pornography comes from the Greek porneia, a term for all kinds of sexual immorality. The Bible repeatedly says that sexual immorality (porneia) has no part in a Christian’s life:
But sexual immorality [porneia] or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. (Ephesians 5:3, NASB)
For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality [porneia]; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor. (1 Thessalonians 4:3–4)
Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality [porneia], impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. (Colossians 3:5)
Thankfully, sexual sin can be forgiven! You can turn away from sin and pray, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
The Spirit Empowers Us for Purity
Those who are born again in Christ by the Holy Spirit receive a new heart, and the Spirit dwells within them (Ezekiel 36:26–27; John 3:5–8; Romans 8:9–11). Sexual purity is possible in this life because God empowers believers, through the Spirit, “to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12).
When we are led by the Spirit, sinful desires lose their hold on us. The indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to live in purity:
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
Purity Is Freedom
In the Bible, purity means blamelessness before God in every area of life. However, this book will focus on sexual purity. Purity is often defined as the absence of immorality (e.g., avoiding sexual activity before marriage). While this is not wrong, it’s not the whole story.
Purity is freedom, not only from sin but also to God.
A pure life is free from lust and pornography, adultery and fornication, and every kind of sexual perversion. What’s more, a pure life is gloriously free to delight in God and experience life “more abundantly” (John 10:10 KJV) with love, joy, peace, and all the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23).
Jesus said the pure in heart are blessed, “for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). The blessing of purity is knowing God intimately and enjoying His presence (John 17:3). He is the only source of true life, full joy, and lasting pleasure (Psalm 16:11).
You Need a Plan to Safeguard Purity
Purity does not fall from the sky; it grows out of a lifestyle of accountability. And although accountability software like Accountable2You is a helpful tool in this area, sexual purity requires much more than an app on your phone.
You need to intentionally and proactively guard against sexual temptations in your pursuit of purity. This book offers a practical approach, distilled from the Bible’s teachings on sexual purity and accountability.
We call it the Purity Shield™.