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  CAN CHRISTIANS STAY PURE TODAY?
  by David Wilkerson
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Summary: Christians can stay pure in a corrupt world by remaining
faithful to God, praying, and reading the Bible, and by seeking
spiritual renewal through a new hunger for spiritual things.

Topics: "Spiritual Vigilance", "Purity"
Scripture References: Psalm 119:11, Matthew 5:14-16, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 6:10-11, Philippians 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Hebrews 12:1-2, James 4:7-8, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 John 2:15-17

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DESCRIPTION
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David Wilkerson addresses the challenge of maintaining purity as
Christians in a world rife with violence and immorality. He emphasizes
the importance of self-examination, urging believers to assess whether
they are allowing the wickedness of the age to influence their moral
values and spiritual lives. Wilkerson reminds the congregation that
throughout history, God has preserved a faithful remnant who remained
steadfast despite overwhelming temptation. He stresses that the decline
in faith and purity among Christians is largely due to neglecting prayer
and the Word of God. Ultimately, he encourages believers to seek a
renewed hunger for spiritual things and to shine as lights in a dark
world.

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CONTENT
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Is it possible for a Christian to stay clean and pure in a world filled
with violence, immorality, and corruption? Or is it inevitable that the
spirit of this age will wear down the saints of God and vex their souls?
It happened to Lot and his family in Sodom, and it is happening to
multitudes of Christians all around the world. The overwhelming
temptations of this evil generation have already caused numbers of
Christians to compromise and indulge in ungodly practices.

Truly honest Christians must take inventory and ask of themselves these
important questions, "Are my moral values changing? Is the wickedness of
this age seeping into my life? Am I being affected by the barrage of
sensuality I see all around me? Am I developing an appetite for worldly
things?"

Evil has always been present. The devil tried to tempt and deceive
David, Isaiah, Paul, and the people of God in every generation just as
forcefully as he seeks to devour God's people today. In spite of it all,
God has always had a remnant, people who remained true to the end. The
spirit of the age did not overwhelm them. In fact, they grew strong and
holy in the midst of persecution and evil.

This generation is becoming wicked and vile because it is losing its
faith in God -- and that faith is dissipating because the Bible is no
longer consumed as a life-giving force. Do not blame the devil -- our
backslidings are the result of one thing: lack of prayer and Bible
reading.

We need to be praying, "Oh, God, cause me to see how cold I have become.
Cause me to know how weak I am and put in me a new hunger for spiritual
things." Here is God's desire to all who live in the midst of
wickedness: "That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God
without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among
whom you shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15). Let your
light shine!

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/david-wilkerson/can-christians-stay-pure-today/
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