Yes,I know it's a touchie subject.This is not an everyday thought or goal,and it certainly isn't popular,for most of us.But I must confess, I've thought about it a lot. Purity.Holiness.Concepts so foreign and archaic that the general population have never spoken those words, unless they were talking about the nature of the drugs they are haggling about,or the condition of their t-shirt.Or, if it is discussed, it is only in a disparaging way,in the vein of being unutterably boring,like who do you think I am? The Pope? Or Mother Theresa? As if this ideal is beneath them.When in truth, it is a sad state of affairs, when such things as being a virgin, shall we say, is a topic only spoken of as a thing of the very young,the very ugly, or nerds.No, the current trends are to laugh at such things as the 40-year-old Virgin.Yet, a virgin is purity personified.A rare commodity in this present day.So rare, it is almost always a set up for a joke.Something depicted in movies as something to rue and be avoided at all costs, not just by men, but by women as well.Unbelievable,but true, that a person in their teens should be ashamed to admit to being pure and Virginal! This is the climate our culture has reached,in my lifetime.It used to be a scandal if a 16 year old girl wasn't a virgin, and now, it's a scandal if she is! Like it's a disease that must be cured! But as anyone would know if they take a bit of thought to the matter, impure or unholy behavior does not begin by itself.By the action.It begins, in the mind of man, in entertaining the unholy thoughts,and impure desires, unencumbered. It is furthered along by putting one's self in the position of the occasion of sin.Being alone with the wrong person.Dressing immodestly.Going to the wrong places,frequented by immoral types of individuals,and engaging in questionable activity.It's all so obvious,that I can almost hear you say, Oh, but Featherhead! We know all that. We thought you were going to tell us something new and different. Oh yeah? Well, if that is the case, then why do we have so many people every other day, on talk shows, saying oh, we didn't mean to fall in love, or to have an affair, it just happened! Had those people avoided the occasion of sin, it wouldn't have happened, would it? If Society didn't wink at skirts up to there,and cleavage down to there, believe me, there would be so much less of this mess going on.Ladies, you can get mad at me if you want to, but men know what I am saying is the truth.Your not just looking pretty and modern, you are stirring men's thoughts up with that sort of clothes.Gals, you can sit there and look innocent if you want to, but don't look now, your halo is slipping down over one eye. You may protest that this is just the fashion, but if you really sought purity and holiness, you'd be making an effort to find clothes that maintains a little mystery about your body,instead of showing off all you've got to the whole world. Call me names, I don't care. The truth is the truth.May as well admit to yourself at least, that you enjoy those looks from men, and we all know we like it when it is made known to us that others find us attractive. And this is not just exclusive to women.You men do it too.Why else would you wear tight pants,and those muscle shirts? Not because it's comfortable. Not when you bend over,and your face turns pink and red and purple because you can't breathe! What's the point of the clothing harangue? Vanity.Pride.One can't be very Holy, if pride is involved in the way you dress.I know this is not a topic upon which one wants to dwell, and yet it is an important part of a Christians everyday life.We are called to life lived in purity and holiness,and at the same time, so few seek after ways to bring it about. I was taught from little on, that when it comes to what to wear, it is very simple.It doesn't matter, as long as it is clean,neat and in good taste.The first two being self-explanatory, let's focus on good taste.Waist bands should be up around the waist,not down around the hips.Exposing the belly-button may be cute on Jennie, or on stage on Britney Spears, or a belly-dancer, but doesn't look right on a young, unmarried lady, on her way to church, school, work or the grocery store,or a date.(Oh, that's right...it's not dating anymore, it's hanging out.) Roll your eyes if you want to, but if it is in full view, it's touchable.A male comedian once noted, that if we women could read men's minds, we would never stop slapping them. Am I making any sense to you? The point is, being a decent woman in today's world, fraught with temptations so abundant,it is foolishness to leave yourself wide open to unwanted advances.Your outward appearance may not match your heart, but men go by what they see,so unless you dress in an appropriate fashion,typifying your faith in God,and his holiness, then you can expect to be treated as less than a lady.I know.I have been spotted as a lady by totally strange men,such as cab drivers and mechanics, and in every case, they have cleaned up their actions,speech and demeanor, and given me such respect,all unsolicited,that I was somewhat taken aback. How did you know? I would ask, when they would say, you are a lady, aren't you? One man came right out and said, you're a Christian lady aren't you? I'm not sure how he knew, because I don't even remember what I was wearing, other than I know I had on some new kicky black patent leather high heels,I had just bought and worn out of the store, blew the muffler on my car,and went straight to Midas. He was the mechanic that drove my car into the service bay.But in one minute, he had sized me up.Maybe it was the Christian radio station that I might have left on in the car, or perhaps it was one of those days when my Bible was perched next to the gear shift on the front seat,or it could have been that I was dressed up in a black pants suit,because I like to dress nice when I go shopping.No holy jeans, or ripped seams for me.Whatever the case,it only goes to prove that whatever you do, wherever you go, you are being observed, and those around you make assumptions on what they see. So. Step back a minute. What do they see when they look at you? You should see who and what you are. Do you? You are what you are.Of course, God sees past the outward appearance, into our hearts, that is what we are taught.And it is he who judges our purity and holiness,which is involved with the imputed righteousness granted us by our redeemer,Jesus Christ,by faith. And yet, some of that purity and holiness should be reflected in our outward appearance,and as I stated earlier on in this post,it all starts with our thoughts. What you stay your mind upon, will have an outward effect on what you do. Can you imagine yourself, keeping your thoughts on God,and his word,and not having some of that becoming a part of your lifestyle? If you considered this post to be of a different sort, as some sort of blueprint for you becoming pure and holy, then perhaps you will be disappointed.But I hope not. See, all I can do, is point out the truth as I see it,and point the way to the Lord, and it is then the Holy spirit, moving upon your heart, that brings about that purity and Holiness,within you.However, I don't think I am wrong in saying that it would be a step in the right direction for you to clean up your outward parts,bringing them into agreement with what is happening on the inside!
OUI?
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