Purity

As I have often struggled to keep my mind pure from ungodly emotions and thoughts, I realized that sin is a three-step process. It begins with the desire, in the heart. That desire, however small, eventually forms thoughts in the mind. If those thoughts are entertained, the sin in the mind will break out in a physical action. This can be with any sin—anger, for example.

I realize this, as I constantly have to fight immoral thoughts. I cannot entertain these ungodly thoughts, for that would not only be a sin in itself, but it would also lead to an outward action. My problem lies in my heart. When, by God’s grace, I can suppress these evil thoughts, I often have the desire in the heart that lingers. It is not enough to shove the thoughts out of your mind—you must destroy the desire that is in the heart, or it will come back.

Yes, you must fight the action of sin. But you must also fight the thought of the action of sin. And, most importantly, you must fight the desire for the thought of the action of sin.

So, again, I challenge you, as I work on this myself, to fight sin with God’s help, all the way to the root—the desire in our hearts.

Luke