Can Christians Stay Pure Today?
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.
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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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!
Sermon Outline
- I. The Challenge of Staying Pure in a Corrupt World
- A. The inevitability of compromise in a wicked generation
- B. The importance of self-examination and inventory
- II. The Remnant of God's People
- A. The presence of evil throughout history
- B. The strength and holiness of God's people in the midst of persecution
- III. The Cause of Backsliding
- A. Lack of faith in God
- B. The result of neglecting prayer and Bible reading
- IV. The Call to Spiritual Renewal
- A. The need for a new hunger for spiritual things
- B. The desire to become blameless and harmless
Key Quotes
“Do not blame the devil -- our backslidings are the result of one thing: lack of prayer and Bible reading.” — David Wilkerson
“Let your light shine!” — David Wilkerson
“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” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Take inventory of your life and ask if you are compromising with the wickedness of this age.
- Make prayer and Bible reading a priority in your life to stay strong and holy.
- Seek spiritual renewal by developing a new hunger for spiritual things.