TEXT: GENESIS 39:7-12

Our theme for the year is Choose Life. Our hope and prayer is that everyone will choose life. Specifically, we’d love to see you choose the Christ life. Proverbs 21:21 says, "Whoever pursues godliness and unfailing love will find life . . ." (NLT).

This is the fourth message in our teaching series: From Dream to Destiny [Source: Robert Morris]. Through a biblical study of Joseph’s life we’re learning how to step into the fullness of God’s purpose for our lives. God wants the dream He’s given you to become a reality. You have a special destiny. God has big plans for you. But in order for you to attain your destiny there are roadblocks to overcome, character issues to be addressed, and sinful actions and attitudes to be confessed. Or put differently, there are tests of the heart you have to pass in order to move from your dream to your destiny (cf. Proverbs 17:3).

The first test you have to pass is the pride test. The second test you have to pass is the pit test.

The third test you have to pass is the performance test. We learnt about that last week. And the fourth test you have to pass is the purity test. We’re going to learn about the purity test today.

Before we learn about the purity test there are two things you need to know about God’s tests:

1. You keep taking the tests over and over until you pass.

2. If you want to pass the tests, God will make it happen. ". . . God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished . . ." Philippians 1:6 (NLT).

Genesis 39:7-12 (NLT).

And about this time, Potiphar's wife began to desire him and invited him to sleep with her. But Joseph refused. "Look," he told her, "my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do! He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I ever do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God."

She kept putting pressure on him day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. One day, however, no one else was around when he was doing his work inside the house. She came and grabbed him by his shirt, demanding, "Sleep with me!" Joseph tore himself away, but as he did, his shirt came off. She was left holding it as he ran from the house.

We live in a society that’s saturated with sex and sensuality. Comedians joke about sex, novelists write about sex, networks broadcast sex, and the media glamorises sex. You can’t get away from it. Turn on the TV and there’s no telling what you might see. Scan the magazine rack in a bookstore and there’ll be pictures of scantily clad or nude women. There are bars and clubs with strippers, shops selling sex paraphanalia, on-line sex, phone sex and much more.

So who cares? Well, God certainly does. Why? Because morality has everything to do with character and character’s very important to God.And why is character important to God? Because character’s the foundation on which He builds our lives. It’s important to understand this. If a person’s immoral in one area of their life, they’ll be immoral in another.

Luke 16:10 says, "Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones" (NLT).

So if you want to move from your dream to your destiny you’ve got to understand what God has to say about sexual purity.

Now let’s consider three questions:

Impurity means "adulterated, dirty, unchaste," Oxford Dictionary.

It’s "everything that can defile our body or spirit" 2 Corinthians 7:1 (NLT).

Unlike pride, which begins in the heart and works from the inside out, impurity begins in the eye and works from the outside in. Look at what we’ve just read. Potiphar’s wife is looking around and she sees this handsome guy. Her looking leads to longing. In the ESV it says that Potiphar’s wife "cast her eyes on Joseph and said, ‘Lie with me’" Genesis 39:7. First the look - then lust.

Here’s another story from the Bible: "Late one afternoon David got out of bed after taking a nap and went for a stroll on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, ‘She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’ Then David sent for her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her . . ." 2 Samuel 11:2-4 (NLT).

First the look - then lust. The eyes can open the door to darkness. Impurity always starts with the eye, then moves to the heart. Matthew 6:23 says, ". . . an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness" (NLT).

Here are three things that impurity will do:

1. It will affect your faith. You may be able to put on a mask for the people around you but you can’t put on a mask with God. God’s sees right through our masks. Proverbs 28:9 says, "The prayers of a person who ignores the law are despised" (NLT). If you’re involved in any form of sexual impurity, God sees it for what it is - sin. And sin is a dividing wall between you and God.

2. It will affect your family. I believe the primary reason for sexual impurity today is because of sexual impurity in the past. Grandparents and parents are responsible for the sex soaked society that we live in. In Exodus 34:7 God says, ". . . I do not leave sin unpunished, but I punish the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations" (NLT). Young people, I confess the sin of my generation. I’m deeply sorry for our impurity. I’m deeply sorry for the disastrous inheritance you’ve received. But there’s good news. You can give your children a pure inheritance. You can make a difference. If you live lives that are pure, that’s what gets passed on. Your children will be pure. There’s a future and a hope for the next generation - but it’s in your hands.

3. It will affect your future. Listen. Satan will do everything in his power to tell you there are no real consequences to immorality. He’s lying! James 1:15_16 says that ". . . evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters" (NLT). Even if no-one else knows about your addiction to pornography or your adulterous relationship there are always two people who will know: you and God. And if God knows, you’re sunk. When there’s impurity in your life God will remove His favour and blessing from your life. That’s huge! Without the presence of God in your life you’ll never reach your destiny.

You will only pass the purity test if you do the following:

1. Run from anything impure. When Joseph was faced with an indecent proposal, he ran. Genesis 39:12 says that Potiphar’s wife ". . . came and grabbed him by his shirt, demanding, ‘Sleep with me!’ Joseph tore himself away, but as he did, his shirt came off. She was left holding it as he ran from the house" (NLT). When temptation becomes too great for you to walk away - run! Joseph ran away from temptation because he understood something most people in our society have forgotten - that sexual immorality is sin. God’s Word makes no bones about it. In 2 Timothy 2:22 God says, "Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust . . ." (NLT).

2. Stop doing anything impure. Listen. You must subdue your passion or it will subdue you! 1 John 2:15 says, "Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you . . ." (NLT). And Colossians 3:5 adds, "So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires . . ." (NLT). It doesn’t get any plainer than that. When it comes to sexual sin and impurity God says, "STOP!" Put it to death! Ask for His forgiveness. Why? Because "God’s terrible anger will come upon those who do such things" Colossians 3:6 (NLT).

3. Don’t look at anything impure. Here’s something practical we can all do - don’t look! Learn to look away. Don’t look at inappropriate sites on the internet. Don’t look at sexually explicit movies. Don’t watch seductive programmes on TV. And don’t look at pornographic films or pictures. Have you ever heard someone say, "I’m only looking, I won’t do anything." That’s such a crock! Looking leads to longing. If you want to be pure, if you want to move from your dream to your destiny, don’t look at anything impure. Promise God you’ll look away. Live by these mottos: Psalm 101:3 says, "I will not look at anything vile and vulgar" (NLT). Job 31:1 says, "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a young woman" (NLT).

4. Think about things that are pure. Meditate on God’s Word. Think about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:8 says, ". . . Fix your thoughts on what is true and honourable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise" (NLT).

There you have it. We live in a sensual society that constantly compromises us to sin. But we can pass the purity test if we ask the Lord to help us run from sin, stop doing anything that’s impure, don’t look at anything impure, and think about the things that are pure.

If we ask the Lord . . .

1 Corinthians 10:12 says, ". . . let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall" (ESV).

Without the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives we’ve failed the purity test before we’ve begun. Don’t think you can go it alone. You need all the help you can get in overcoming sexual impurity. Day in and day out you must fight the good fight. Sexual temptations aren’t a one off thing. Genesis 39:10 says that Potiphar’s wife ". . . kept putting pressure on him (Joseph) day after day . . ." (NLT). The only way Joseph won through was by trusting God every day. He never took a day off from trusting God and you can’t either. Make sure you pray for strength every day. Make sure you read God’s Word every day. And make sure you get help from others every day. If you’re married, ask your spouse to keep you accountable. If you’re single, ask a close friend or family member of the same gender to keep you accountable.

Now hear these words of life as we conclude: "Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people" Ephesians 5:3 (NLT). "God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin. Then each of you will control your body and live in holiness and honour - not in lustful passion as the pagans do, in their ignorance of God and his ways. Never cheat a Christian brother in this matter by taking his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. God has called us to be holy, not to live impure lives. Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human rules but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you" 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (NLT).

And this final promise: "God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God" Matthew 5:8 (NLT). Do you want to see God? Do you want to go from your dream to your destiny? I’m sure you do. So do what God wants you to do to pass the purity test . . . Amen.

(L. Murray)