The Psalmist asks, in Psalm 119:9, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity?” The answer, “By living according to your word,” is the best answer available. It occurs to me that it’s not just young people who need to stay on the path of purity. Whatever your age, God is waiting for a church that is spotless and blameless.

In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul declares:

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

Ephesians 5:3 (NIV)

Since we know that Paul’s letter wasn’t to the young people at Ephesus, we can, and should, appropriate Psalm 119:9 for ourselves.

If you’re in doubt, then take a look at what Paul writes shortly after verse 3.

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Ephesians 5:5 (NIV)

Naturally, if we’re thinking about keeping young people pure, we’re assuming they are single and therefore prone to all sorts of sexual sin. Let’s move away from the idea that only young people are subject to this sort of temptation. Married people are also impacted by this sort of temptation.

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Hebrews 13:4 (NIV)

In this verse from Hebrews, the writer is talking about the marriage bed and the sanctity of marriage. The covenant between a man and a woman. In any case, where a marriage is not between a man and a woman, the marriage bed isn’t pure. In the same way, when we have sex outside of marriage, the marriage bed is also defiled. Bringing pornography into a marriage is also a defilement of the marriage bed.

We can see, once again, that the path of purity isn’t just for young single people.

Sometimes the greatest barrier to truth is not seeing the lie that covers it up.

One way we can see into the truth about sexual activity amongst older aged people is by reviewing the statistics on sexually transmitted disease (STD).

According to statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on October 8, 2019, the number of cases of gonorrhea rose 164 percent among Americans age 55 and older between 2014 and 2018, while cases of syphilis rose 120 percent in this population, and chlamydia rose 86 percent.

Everyday Health

If this is a problem in the world then it’s also a problem in the church.

Therefore, the struggle for purity, in our sex lives, and outside of our sex lives, is one we all face. Alcohol and drugs (although Alcohol is a drug too) are two things that can cause us to be impure if we allow them into our lives. There are, of course, others. Anything that turns us away from keeping a healthy body and mind would be such a thing.

Now that we understand that trying to remain pure is a problem for all Christians, we can rejoice because we have a solution.

Live according to God’s word. The problem with this solution is not knowing God’s word. How do you begin to know the word of God? We study it, read the Bible, pray for understanding, and listen to sermons. If you continue to read the next 7 verses of Psalm 119, you will see that it tells us how.

9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
12 Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

Psalm 119:9-16

Verse 9 poses the question with an answer.
Verses 10 through 16 are made up of causes, effects, and supplication.

Verse 10 Seek the Lord with all of your heart is an action. The prayer is for God to not allow you to stray from His commands.
Verse 11 is an effect of seeking the Lord with all of our hearts. When we read the Bible, we may not realize it, but the word goes into us and is always there for the Holy Spirit to bring to mind when it’s needed. The more we read the Bible, the more the word can permeate our being.
Verse 12 is an action or a by-product of seeking the Lord and learning His word. Praise. Then, there is the supplication that the Lord teaches His decrees.
Verse 13 is another action. We learn the word, and then we recount it. We speak it.
Verse 14 shows us the action of rejoicing in God’s word. We rejoice in His promises because they are worth more than anything else.
Verse 15 reveals that we need to think about God’s word. We ruminate on what it says and how to live by it.
Verse 16 is all about action. Once we know God’s word, we delight in it and will not neglect it. We’ll do what it says.

This is moot if you do not read the Bible and pray.

The Bible is a fountain of life for all who want to drink of it. Like the horse who might stubbornly refuse to drink from the trough before him, you can turn away from the water that gives you life, or you can dive right in and let the streams of living water flow in and through you. The choice is yours.

Do you know God? God knows you, and He loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, right now, and He wants you to know Him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so we could be free of guilt, be freed from death, and live eternally with Him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation today:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment, and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

Advertisement