How do you stay pure?

I’m going to give you a bit of practical advice, which is stay away from sex and drugs in movies and online.

This goes a long way believe it or not if you stay true to yourself and your own values.

Seems overly simple, but it works.

VMaeLove said:

My friends are not shallow. Our friendship would not end because I do not want to do these things. But I think it is difficult to spend time with them because I am not interested in party scenes.
One friend is interested in going to church with me. He was raised christian. But it is a hard situation.
My other friends are ok with my change in beliefs but they do not agree. We do talk about it some times.
I am sad to see us fall apart though. I do not see them a lot and when I do they think they have to act different which makes me feel bad when I know I should not. Or there are other people around who do not care and that is when I am tempted to do these things. I usually do leave or never go any way. I want to be stronger to be able to just say no every time but some times I think it is not so bad but I know that is a wrong way to think.
Thank you for the bible passages I will read more of it.

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I believe, these verses from Peter, speak directly to your situation.

1Pe 4:1-4
1) Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
2) That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
3) For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
4) Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

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God's Spirit will help you if you are born again to not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Because if He did not, He would not be a very good shepherd.
So walk in the Spirit and not after the flesh.

Galatians 5
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

We need to love Christ more than anyone else.
Being a Christian means enmity with the world.
The world is passing away and the lusts thereof, but he who does the will of God will live forever.

Matthew 10:35-38 New King James Version (NKJV)
35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

VMaeLove said:

Hey! I am looking for insite on my situation. I find it very hard to stay strong in christian thinking in my normal life because I feel surrounded by sin. At work and at home with tv and internet and in public like shopping it is ads and people talking. and the news talks about depressing things always. Some of my friends expect me to follow them doing drugs and sex and I do not want to do those things anymore but I also do not want to lose friendships. but they are disapointed when I do not. The temptations make me too tired to go out and having fun any more.
Even if I end all of my relationships I would still be surrounded by temptation at all times. I am wondering if there is bible verses you recommend or prayers I can say or some way to help keep my mind pure? I am thinking out loud only and hoping someone has dealt with this.

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I think you should think twice before hanging out with people who expect you to do drugs and have sex. We can hang out with unbelievers, but then they have to accept our choice of life. If you get tempted being with them, I don't think you should hang out with them.

True that sin is everywhere, but choosing good friends helps us staying away from sin. We are all living in a sinful world, but we can choose to not put ourselves into the worst temptations.

VMaeLove said:

Hey! I am looking for insite on my situation. I find it very hard to stay strong in christian thinking in my normal life because I feel surrounded by sin. At work and at home with tv and internet and in public like shopping it is ads and people talking. and the news talks about depressing things always. Some of my friends expect me to follow them doing drugs and sex and I do not want to do those things anymore but I also do not want to lose friendships. but they are disapointed when I do not. The temptations make me too tired to go out and having fun any more.
Even if I end all of my relationships I would still be surrounded by temptation at all times. I am wondering if there is bible verses you recommend or prayers I can say or some way to help keep my mind pure? I am thinking out loud only and hoping someone has dealt with this.

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Change jobs, cancel your TV and Internet service, stop watching the news, get new friends, and redefine what is your definition of fun. All these struggles are most likely signs that you are a new creation in Christ. Doesn't scripture ask, "For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14)?" Many Christians have this struggle as they are thrust into the Light through faith in Jesus Christ. My advice is to revisit what you believe about the Gospel and your identity in Christ. Ask the Lord to reveal to you those things you may be believing that are not true if anything. One of the first times God spoke to me was when He told me, "Stop hanging out with your friends." I could no longer be my old self in good conscience. I had to be true to who I had become in Christ. You will get peace about your friends; if they truly are your friends. They will understand and, if not, your absence may be a testimony no words could equal. Grace and Peace

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I think you are burdening yourself with so much weight. You might end up developing a lot of dos and don'ts in your life that might deny you the opportunities that come with life.
The scriptures say, "how can a young man keep his way pure? It is by living according to your word." Psalm 119: 9, Jesus while praying in John 17 he said sanctify them by your truth; Your word is truth. The word of God is the means by which you can guard yourself against the wiles of the devil.
Keep it as a tradition, meditate on it... Even if you will find yourself in the midst of those who hate God the word of God will keep you firm and no gate from hell will prevail.
Jesus ate with sinners but he never was compromised because he hid the word of God in his heart. Remember we are not tested or tempted against what we do not know but what we already are aware of and have the ability and authority to overcome.

This culture makes it difficult to stay pure, that's for sure; it blatantly promotes sin and immorality. I don't think there's any easy way to avoid it, it's just a constant daily battle.

If and when we're tempted, it does help to get away from the source of that temptation, such as by looking away or praising the Lord in the midst of it (recognizing Him as being greater). Asking Him for the grace / ability to resist helps as well, as does getting more into Scripture. Meditating on the word of God is compared to as adding oil to our lamps; the more oil we have and the closer to God we are, the easier it is to resist, as the things of the world have less grip on us.

Just some ideas. It also helps to realize that God loves us exactly as we are, even in the midst of sin or temptation. He does expect obedience, but it shouldn't become something legalistic. God recognizes that we're sinners by nature, and loves us at all times in both the good and the bad. Sanctification is a process, and while victory does require a battle at times, it also requires complete yielding and dependence, even confessing our weaknesses. Our main focus should be to know Him (John 17:3), and victory over sin is a byproduct of that.

VMaeLove said:

Hey! I am looking for insite on my situation. I find it very hard to stay strong in christian thinking in my normal life because I feel surrounded by sin. At work and at home with tv and internet and in public like shopping it is ads and people talking. and the news talks about depressing things always. Some of my friends expect me to follow them doing drugs and sex and I do not want to do those things anymore but I also do not want to lose friendships. but they are disapointed when I do not. The temptations make me too tired to go out and having fun any more.
Even if I end all of my relationships I would still be surrounded by temptation at all times. I am wondering if there is bible verses you recommend or prayers I can say or some way to help keep my mind pure? I am thinking out loud only and hoping someone has dealt with this.

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You're surrounded by temptations, you were born in sin. So correction.

You were born in sin, because you have a flesh that is sensitive to your will, other spirits,and all the sensations and emotions that come with that.Jesus died and gave us a chance to have the right spirit and mindset to overcome and be born again.So He took care of the heavy part. But as long as we are on this Earth with our flesh with possibilities to be influence, sin will always pose a threat and only death can fully conquer that.

So to answer that, to keep being in the right spirit you have to have a consistent game plan on how to overcome temptations. Alot of christians called theirselves marathoners running the race or soilders in the army of God, but often times we don't properly equip ourselves.We study up on the people doing well on earthly things, but what about those that have did well in preparing their spirit and mind? So observed how people in the Bible, specifically leaders like Kings, priests, or soldier have prepared theirselves. All the succesful ones had a strategy, and consulted God in all they do.Hope isn't a strategy.

They were all in short true disciples, coachable, willing and able to take action, and persistent.They did it with full trust in God and His promises. So be likewise and strategize. Strategizing and planning, building our faith, discipleship are not normally things people gravitate towards. We like to have fun, have less worries, but you have to do what is necessary to win. Not to encourage anything legalistic, Jesus fulfilled alot of steps people had to do in OT, BUT we have to make sure to hold ourselves accountable for the knowledge God gives us and the responsibility that rest on that.

Keep your heart full of love. Love never fails.

Man never gets close to success in problems like this without the help of God and the Holy Spirit. It might be something like this:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I ask for help in what I say, what I think about, and what I do in this short life. Let it be pleasing to you if this is your will. I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour forever. Amen