Lesson 9: Purity 109
- Read 1 Timothy 1:3–4 and say, As Paul attempted to strengthen
the Christian church at Ephesus he was concerned about the strong
pagan inf luence in Ephesian society, and the syncretism so common
in the Greek world. He was afraid that some of the Christians were
incorporating cultural traditions associated with the worship of
Artemis into Christian worship. He called the Christians to set them-
selves apart from the pagan culture that surrounded them so they
could approach God free from the idolatry that plagued so many
other belief systems. (Refer to 1 Tim. 4:1–5; Eph. 4:17)
Encourage Application
- Say, The psalmist calls us to worship a holy and majestic Creator.
In order to do this we must have pure motives and attitudes (a pure
heart), and practice right living (clean hands). Paul also called the
Christians at Ephesus to live their lives with purity of thoughts, atti-
tudes, and actions. This means that Christians should live in stark
contrast to the culture around them. People should be able to see a
difference in the way a Christian lives in comparison to the morals
and values of the world. Christians should seek to love all people, but
should not imitate the sinful lifestyle of others. Christians should also
deal honestly with their own sin, bringing it into the light of Jesus
where he can forgive and heal all things. - Challenge the class with the following questions from the Study
Guide:
- What are some things you can do to protect yourself from
impure thoughts and actions? - What can you do to prepare yourself for worship?
- What are some excuses we make for the impurity in our
lives?
- Discuss the “Pathways to Purity” listed in the Study Guide.
Encourage class members to choose at least one of the suggestions
they will commit to practicing in the coming week. Close with
prayer.