Setting Captives Free The Way of Purity Course -- Days 11-20


God's grace is stronger than the pull of sin!

Setting Captives Free The Way of Purity Course Summary for Days 11-20

This summary can be printed out and reviewed daily as a reminder of the truths taught in this course.

Day 11 - Ongoing Freedom

Romans 12:1-2

Ephesians 5:8-10

Psalm 145:18

"The receiving of God's grace should prompt us to offer our bodies up to the Lord as a living sacrifice." This quote from the first line of today's lesson is so important. We have received a gift from God...His grace...in return we should offer ourselves up as living sacrifices for Him, to please Him with our bodies. It isn't an "Ok, God, here you go" with a big sigh of resignation...it is a "Wow! Thanks for saving me! I am going to sacrifice my body from my old sins to please you because I am so very thankful!" And it ends up benefitting us as well. So sacrifice yourself daily, as a great method of worship in thankfulness for His mercy and grace. Porn and sex chatting and masturbation only abused the body you were given. It was for wickedness in the flesh. Sacrifice it to Him and let your body be pleasing to God for Him to work through. Peoples' lives can be changed by His work through the new you!!

Day 12 - Radical Amputation

Mark 9:43-47

Ephesians 5:17-20

John 10:10

In order to be free, you must cut off ALL sources of pornography and sexual impurity from your life. Don't think that just playing with porn is not harmful. It is a path that takes you down eventually. Get rid of it all, throw it away! Have someone take control of your finances, have your spouse by your side during time on the internet, put a filter on your computer, give away your computer...do whatever it takes!

Day 13 - Setting Captives Free I

"Pornography, indeed all sin, makes us slaves. It deceives us so that as we partake of it we believe a lie. But Jesus came to break the power of sin, to release us from slavery to sin, to set the captives free! This is why Jesus came to earth." That is the actual summary from today's lesson. In addition it said, "So let us be clear, that with Jesus Christ freedom is not only possible, it is inevitable. We must beg Christ to do His work in our hearts, for when He does we will be free." Pornography is a world of deception and lies, and it has become your master. You must forsake that world and turn to Christ...turn to your new master and leave behind the chains of slavery to porn! Only Christ can set you free!

Day 14 - Setting Captives Free II

When you were addicted to porn (or any sin) you were: "in darkness, in deepest gloom, prisoners, suffering, in iron chains". Cry out to the Lord! Still falling? Cry out more! He will answer in His time. You need the bitterness of the addiction in order to see your need for a savior, for Jesus. We are powerless to beat sin. We NEED Jesus to help. We need to cry out. Remember Romans 10:13 -- For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved". Call to Jesus daily for help!

Day 15 - Setting Captives Free III

The best way to turn to Christ daily and to bring together the last few lessons is to read the Bible daily. Chew on, meditate on, scripture verses. Fill your life with the teachings of Jesus Christ. God reached down to us by coming down to be with us in the form of Jesus Christ. He died on the cross for us and teaches us from His words in the Bible. Feed on what He has given us! Here are a few more verses that call us to read:

2 Timothy 2:7 Psalm 1:2-3 Deuteronomy 8:3 John 6:48-51 Joshua 1:8 John 17:17 Jeremiah 15:16

Day 16 - Temptation

Temptation happens. And it often happens right after a high spiritual experience. It can also happen during a time of physical weakness (hunger, weakness, tiredness), or when you are alone. Expect temptation at these moments. You are not alone in this. Temptation is to lead you away from Christ and to disobey God. You may be tempted to doubt your relationship with God, your salvation, or your daily need for Christ. Be aware of thoughts that lead you to independence. Be aware of thoughts that tell you that porn leads to intimacy...you know this isn't true based on previous lessons, so don't believe the lies! To beat temptation, you must Refuse and Reply. Say no to the temptation and then get into the Scriptures and reread the verse(s) that apply. But get accountable and be sure the verses are not being used by Satan to lure you into sin ("All manner of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven among men", etc). Pray to be saved from the lures!

Day 17 - Return To The Lord

1 Corinthians 6:13-20

The verses above are pretty harsh to hear. It speaks of those that turn from God and involve themselves with lusts of the flesh, fornication and idolatry. If we fall to our temptations, we turn our backs to God and feed on the lusts that are trying to consume us. This is something God cannot stand. Over and over you are told what happens to those who deny God and worship other idols, or pair up with harlots. Our bodies are one in Christ. One body! If you are with a harlot, you are one with a harlot. But our longsuffering and loving Lord has always had a way back for us. If you return to the Lord, He will return to you. Guaranteed. If you fall prey to temptations, Refuse, Return, and Repent. Stop the sin, turn your back on it (thus towards God), and repent of your sinning. Ask for help and forgiveness! To counteract the strong verses above, here are the verses of mercy and grace that can and will cover you:

Malachi 3:7 Psalm 50:15 Isaiah 60:1-3 Zechariah 1:3-4 Matthew 11:28-30

Day 18 - Exclusive Drinking

What does it mean to drink the living water? "When you read the Scripture, ask God to apply it to your heart and to change your life by the reading of it. This is what it means to drink the living water." How do I know if I am drinking it? "It means rejoicing in the love, forgiveness and grace of God on a daily basis. It is discovering Christ fresh every day and being irresistibly drawn to him by what we discover. When we become happy in Him we need not look for happiness in pornography, food, or other sins." There are many fountains to drink from: family, sports, vacations, gambling, drugs, etc. If you put your faith in these things to fill you up and satisfy you, then you will find yourself falling. You need to rely only on the Bible and Jesus Christ. Feed on Him and Scripture daily and find happiness in Him. Only there can you enjoy the rest of your life without feeling the need to fill up on those things that will only bring you emptiness. "Nothing will supply the needs, and satisfy the desires of a soul, but water out of this rock Jesus Christ, this fountain opened. The pleasures of sense are puddle-water; spiritual delights are rock water, so pure, so clear, and so refreshing -- rivers of pleasure" (Matthew Henry).

Day 19 - Purity Precedes Power

There isn't much more to say than the title of today's lesson. It is so clear and so important! PURITY PRECEDES POWER! This is a "make it or break it" kind of lesson. You've read the lessons on how to win, but maybe you are not yet fully victorious. And you know the lesson on radical amputation is a hard one to swallow. But you will NOT have your power until you are walking pure. You must remove all seeds of sin in your life and walk in the freedom of purity! Don't wait until your strength is tested by holding onto sin seeds...besides it being wrong to test God, it is a sure way to fall. You cannot stand alone...your strength is in Christ alone and only He has the power to help you. Remove the seeds of sin now and you won't have to worry about them later! This is a no-brainer, isn't it?

Day 20 - Idolatry

Isaiah 30:9-26

Colossians 3:5

1 John 3:1-3

"Friends, doing pornography and masturbating is deceitful self-pleasing, rebellious idolatry and heart-adultery." See how masturbation and porn lead you away from God and how you are given over to idolatry. It may not seem like it, but you are going to porn and masturbation as those in the OT went to their idols. An idol is something you go to for fulfillment, something you worship. Think of what your lust is and how masturbation is only self-pleasing and you begin to see its idolatry. Also, remember how you feel when you are involved in them? You don't feel like being told it is sin, you are rebellious and don't want godly instruction. These are signs to you that it isn't good and you know it deep in your heart. If you continue, your life will come crashing down around you. Go re-read this lesson if you don't believe that. Read the testimonies. Watch for escapism and paranoia, two signs of habitual sin. The grace of God can save you from all of this. You will begin to detest porn and masturbation and give you the will to rid them from your life. And He will lead you into a life of light and freedom!