Moral Purity

Moral Purity

by Charles R. Swindoll

The foolishness of man ruins his way,

and his heart rages against the LORD.

Proverbs 19:3

It is impossible to come to terms with moral purity without dealing with some practical facts related to the body---our flesh-and-blood appetites that crave satisfaction.

Volumes are written about the mind, our emotional makeup, our "inner man," the soul, the spirit, and the spiritual dimension. But by comparison, very little is being said by evangelicals today about the physical body.

We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God. (Romans 12:1)

We are instructed not to yield any part of our bodies as instruments of unrighteousness to sin. (Romans 6:12-13)

Our bodies are actually "members of Christ"; they belong to Him. (1 Corinthians 6:15)

You see, these bodies of ours can easily lead us off course.

It isn't that the body itself is evil; it's just that it possesses any number of appetites that are ready to respond to the surrounding stimuli . . . all of which are terribly appealing and temporarily satisfying.