The young adults started on Video 2 this week and discussed the first part, on purity. We started off with an attempt to define purity. Everyone agreed that purity isn’t just an absence of sin in our lives. Neither is it about adhering to a laundry list of things to do for God that brings us purity. Rather, as Bill Johnson defines it, purity is representing God rightly. Ultimately, purity boils down to our relationship with God. It is God that makes us pure and our relationship with Him that keeps us pure.
It was at this point that Pastor Ben threw all of us off with the question - “Do you think God likes you?” For many of us, our immediate reaction was to introspect, examining ourselves, often times thinking about the ugly parts that God may not like. On the surface, it seems like a straightforward question. Yet, it forces us to confront our own understanding of God. Some of us may believe that God only likes perfect people and He likes us less due to our sins and blemishes.
I was prompted to think of who Jesus likes, and was brought to Luke 5:31-32. 'Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."' The context of this verse was Jesus calling Levi, a tax collector, to follow him while the Pharisees and teachers of the Law complained about Him sitting down and eating with a crowd of tax collectors. It was a good reminder that being righteous does not make Jesus like us more. Rather, He draws near when we acknowledge our weaknesses and dependency on Him.
In retrospect, purity to me then is a call to be in an exclusive relationship with God. The more time we spend with Him, the more we are able to reflect His character in our lives.
We ended the session by sharing what God likes about us. And in doing so, we began to appreciate how God made all of us uniquely and differently. This was followed by a time of prayer to encourage one another to embrace who God has made us to be, while walking in His destiny for our lives.
May the Holy Spirit illuminate His love for you, and open your eyes to how much God longs to draw near. God, fill us with your love, so that we may walk in power and purity.
Signing off,
RT1
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