Lesson *9 in Adorned, by Nancy Wolgemuth
We use locks, safes, fences, banks, and fresh, new passwords to keep our valuables secure. But what do we do to keep our purity secure? Have we given it as much thought? Do we set up protective measures so that it won’t be stolen?
As we have been making our way through this Titus 2, I see these verses having a waterfall effect.
The top of the fall is the instruction to teach the younger women.
Then each subject is addressed and one just trickles right into the next one.
In the previous study, we talked about being discreet. The word we used was sophron – from the Greek meaning sound mind. It’s thinking that is solid and based on the Word of God. The overflow of that kind of thinking leads us to our next characteristic – Discreet or pure.
Titus 2:5 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet (sophron), chaste – pure. One commentator says,
“Pure” refers primarily to moral purity, and, especially in this context, to sexual purity and marital faithfulness. Christian women as young wives are “to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly,
As older women, remember that we are modeling before the younger women each of these characteristics. As we teach them, we are giving them someone to walk through the journey of godly womanhood with them.
We must also understand that this life of purity involves more than preserving our marriage and sexual purity. This touches every area of our lives –
- `What we say – Prov 4:24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
- Our attitudes – Prov. 7:13-15
- What we wear – I Peter 3:3,4
Scripture tells us why we should be pure. I mean, what’s the big deal, anyway?
Titus 1:15-16 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Nancy Wolgemuth admonishes…
Unbelievers are slaves to their passions and lusts. Our world is full of this kind of living. It’s everywhere we look.Because it’s so prevalent, it’s easy to lose our shame of it. It’s easy to be casual about it, rather than being concerned. We’re used to it. If we’re not careful, we become desensitized to coarse language in books and movies, we overlook sinful conduct on television that we would never invite into our homes. What has happened is that we’ve opened the vault door of our purity and let thieves come in to take whatever they want. We can’t think that allowing this to go unguarded won’t have an affect on us.
If this concerns you, her book listed five practical ways that we can “safeguard” our purity. I’ll list them without any explanation here but if you want the details you can listen to the podcast I recorded on this chapter here.
- Choose discretion
- Value modesty
- Check your emotional attachments
- Guard your electronic communications
- Lean on your trusted female friendships
As a pastor’s wife, I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had people sit on our living room sofa and weep and say through their sobs, “I so regret what I’ve done. If only I had made a different choice!”
BUT I’ve never heard anyone ever say, “I so regret staying pure!” Never.
You won’t regret it, either. Not only will you have the joy and peace that purity brings, you will have a testimony to share to a younger woman and a watching world.
Guard your purity – so much is at stake.
Ask yourself which of the five safeguards you need to put into practice.
Refresh your purity by making it safe.
RefreshHer 