Jesus Christ is Lord of All

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The Purity of a Woman of God

After writing what is below, I am tempted to feel that the purpose for my life here on earth is complete since I have now conveyed the near full extent of my heart (but I know that He has much more to teach me). This writing regards the purity of a woman of God, and for the sake of their wives, daughters, and sisters in the Lord, men ought to read it as well. Please feel free to share.  

Dear Father,
        You alone are holy and pure. You know where my heart has been and I cannot write this. But You told me that You would completely purify me. I know that You will. You have given us Your Words. Please bless your daughters Lord. They are Yours and I commit them to You.
In Jesus Christ's Name,
Amen

     Dear daughters of my Father. I am compelled to write a summary of everything that God has taught me in the past several years about the purity of a woman of God. This is the first time that I am writing or sharing these things and I trust that God will help me portray this teaching clearly and in a way that you can all understand and relate to.

      First of all God has directly taught me most of these truths through His Word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Some of the things that I will be writing about concern matters that I have not personally dealt with. But I feel that God has used some minor or subtle events in my life to convict me and open my eyes to His purity and my impurity. Secondly my brother has been used by God to reveal to me the perspectives and struggles of men as well as many of the reciprocate issues that men face (he has been informed on some of the teachings regarding purity from people like Paul Washer, John Piper, Voddie Baucham, and others). Finally my conversations with many old and young women about their husbands and other men in their lives have opened my eyes to the necessary intersection between the Word of God and our personal hearts and lives.

I take on God's permission for woman-to-women teaching to address these truths:


I. My Lover is Mine and I am His
II. An Abomination that Causes Desolation
III. The Impurity of Fear
IV. She Who Lives for Pleasure is Dead Even While She Lives
V. You Cannot Serve Both Beauty and beauty
VI. True Love and Understanding for the Souls of Godly Men
VII. The Carnal Man's Response to a Godly Woman
VIII. The Peace that Surpasses Understanding and the WHR
IX. Do You Love Me More than These?
X. For All the Nations Have Drank the Maddening Wine of Her Adulteries
XI. The Prison of Feminism
XII. It is Better to Fall into the Hands of God
I. My Lover is Mine and I am His

      "Hagneia", the Greek word for purity, refers to a sinlessness of heart. If we think that we do not struggle with purity we are either unconverted, have a serious blind spot, are reversibly defeminized (with regard to female-specific impurity), or are exceedingly filled with the Spirit such that every word, thought, and action that we experience is filled with the undeniable love of Christ (and I want to be your friend :) )

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. I John 1:8

     I pray that by the end of this writing you will see that you do indeed struggle with impurity and desperately need God's salvation and mercy.

     We must first of all realize that apart from Christ, all of us have erred greatly in every way. We were not born innocent, pure, and unsensual. Rather we were "conceived in sin" and our sin gave birth to death. God tells us that "every inclination of the thoughts of the heart of a man is only evil all the time" and that our "feet are quick rush into evil". He asks us "Who can discern the heart?" for "the heart is desperately wicked beyond cure. Who can understand it?"

     We have often misunderstood our own hearts to the point where we do not see our own impurity and rather we glory in our shame and find deep inward pleasure in our sensuality. Almost everything that society has taught us about our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies concerning their feminine purposes is contrary to the Law of God. These teachings come from the world. These teachings are not external to us. They are our default way of living, that is, apart from God we will naturally resort to the immoral ways that are taught to us by the world. In fact, there is a sense in which our own evil hearts teach sensuality to us. Even in an environment of chastity and purity, we would be prone to falter and follow the winding path of lewdness. There are numerous stories of monks, nuns, Amish, priests...seemingly religious people committing spontaneous acts of immorality preceded by a long and tortuous path of self-idolatry and lusts of the flesh within the heart that  was hidden to the people around them.

      I will be using the word, "sensuality". The Greek word for sensuality is "aselgeia", meaning unbridled lust, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence, or wantonness. Sensuality refers to the lusts of the eyes, the cravings of sinful man, and the boasting of what we have and do.

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.I John 2

     God teaches us that it is the devotion of the inward man that will dictate behaviors. For "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" and as we "live by the Spirit we will not gratify the desires of the flesh". "Where our hearts are, there our treasure will be also". Impurity is a result of inordinate affections of the heart. When we follow the greatest command to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, we cannot be impure. Love for God washes impurity away.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. I  John 3

      As we acknowledge the great Love of Christ as He bore our sin on the cross, we will be filled with gratitude and love for Him that comes from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit pours the love of the Father into our hearts. As Jesus said about the immoral woman who gave her perfume in worship of her Savior "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

     A human’s description of the love of God cannot do justice. As Paul says, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord for whose sake I have lost all things". 

     There is a great reason for which Paul prays for the Ephesians "I pray that you being rooted and established in love may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and high and long and deep in the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God"

     There is a love of God that is able to us bind our hearts to Him and captivate us such that we will never turn away from Him. 

The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. Deut 30

   The love of God is life-changing and full of light and truth. It is able to inspire the most willing whole-hearted obedience within us. It able to cause us to run from the idols of our hearts and run to Him without looking back and without hesitation, doubt, fear, or reluctance. The force with which God's love draws His people's hearts to Him is undeniably strong and irresistibly compelling.

     The heart of the woman is made in such a way that she is drawn to her true and passionate lover. Many women may purpose in their hearts that they are attracted to handsome, charismatic, understanding, trustworthy, lucrative, brilliant, compassionate, etc. men. But when all these things are at some constant level, a woman desires the love of a man more than anything. Her husband can have all of these characteristics, but if he cannot touch her heart and convince her soul that his love for her is true and sincere, she cannot and will not be satisfied in him. Similarly a man courting a maiden often realizes with time that to win her heart, he must touch her heart. Many men have given up their lives to impress their beloved women only to find that the only action that acted in his favor was the conveying of his love to her.

     Once the desired love of the man is established in the woman's mind, she will, without previous contemplation, start to format her life around him. This tendency is stronger than any other in most or perhaps all women. She will speak to please him. She will strive to follow his lead in every realm where he seeks to lead her. She will even change her wardrobe, learn new skills, and give up old habits...to please him. Once he has captured her heart, SHE WILL WORSHIP HIM. He will be her highest joy. No longer is the love of her female companions sufficient for her soul. She needs a word from him, a lingering look in the eye, a command from him...something...anything...to let her know each day that HIS HEART IS HERS.

     The question, then, for us women is: WHO HAS CAPTURED YOUR HEART?

     Have you been bewitched by the things of this world, by worldly men, by faltering men of God, by ideals of feminism, by imaginary dreams....Have you been bewitched by the devil and demons?

     Or has the True King and Messiah betrothed you to His love forever? Have you been broken and bound to Him through His death and resurrection for you? Has His Holy Spirit given you such Water from His Fountain and such Bread of His Words that you worship Him day and night. Nothing else can satisfy you. Unless you have a Word from Him, a Hand of compassion, a tender Gaze...something...anything from Your Master, you will not survive. You obey Him in all areas because He is Your King. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS CAPTURED YOUR HEART. And in the capturing of your heart, He captures your heart for the men whom He has given you: your husband, father, and brothers.

     Most of us have not had our hearts captured by the King of Love. The extent to which we would expend our conscious thoughts on anything other than Him reveals who has captured our heart.

     When our heart is captured by God Himself, all we can think, dream, act, and speak upon is HIM. Love for the Master is one that affects every moment of our lives. We cannot live without Him.

     What shall we do since we have not known His love to the degree great enough to overwhelmingly conquer our heart? We know that whatever little love we have for Him is because He first loved us.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. Jer 29:13-14

     If we are on the side of Truth, on the side of pure true unfailing unconditional Love, if we have believed the Gospel...we will seek Him with all of our hearts and He will let Himself be found by us.

OUR ONLY HOPE OF OBEYING HIM IS LOVING HIM
THE ONLY HOPE OF LOVING HIM IS TO KNOW HIS LOVE
THE ONLY HOPE OF KNOWING HIS LOVE IS IF WE SEEK HIM WITH ALL OF OUR HEART

TRUST IN HIS GRACE AND THE POWER OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT WHO WILL REVEAL TO YOU THE LOVE OF THE FATHER

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

You will obey the one who has captured your heart…whoever he may be.

II. An Abomination that Causes Desolation

 “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. Dan 11:31-32

     The abomination that causes desolation refers to an idol (the abomination) that was placed in Temple of God: the very place where God choose to dwell on earth with His people. This abomination causes "shamem", the Hebrew word for desolation: appalling stunning horror.

     The idols that have captured our hearts often manifest themselves in "spiritual" or "godly" ways. May God help me explain this warning to you. 

     As we live our earthly lives and enter into the world's arena and even the house of God, devils and demons are seeking to steal, kill, and destroy our hearts. Their purpose is to contaminate true devotion to God in order to make us ineffective and to deceive our hearts. The devil seeks to steal God's glory.

“I am the LORD; that is my name! 
   I will not give my glory to another 
   or my praise to idols. Is 42:8


     The worst place that we can be in is to be ignorant of the impurity of our hearts (that leads the world astray) while seemingly worshiping God. WHERE IS YOUR HEART?!?  Who are you really worshiping in the house of God? We must exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool, for He alone is Holy.

How awesome is the LORD Most High, 
   the great King over all the earth! Ps 47:2


     Dear sisters, I am plainly trying to tell you that when we worship God we may be holding onto our sensuality and/or not giving Him the honor and reverence that is due Him. At all times in your day, examine your heart. We truly ought to be devoted to Him, particularly while worshiping. We are highly emotional beings and our heart must be bundled COMPLETELY in the Living God. 

     Examine the fruit of your worship. When you leave church or Bible studies, what do you think about? Who do you spend time with? Where do you go? What do you read? Who do you talk with? What do you talk about?

     Worship is meant to free our souls and lives that we may live pure and Godly lives for our King and Master. The abominations in our lives that cause desolation manifest themselves in several ways. Here are examples:

1. Women worship God (perhaps on stage) with a sensual dress and attitude bringing immoral longings or horrifying sorrow to the men of the church (I have heard perspectives from many men on this).

2. A woman may speak to a man about Godly matters with a heart that desires something from the man rather than out of a pure heart (there is a way to speak with a pure heart to a man about Godly things, but it comes with a deep humility, selflessness, brokenness, and understanding of the Spiritual atmosphere around you).

3. Dreaming about your earthly affairs while in the presence of God's people (we rather should have the attitude, "God, I am here for you, only for you. Please give me peace and self control!").
   
     I have heard it said that church is the greatest hour of idolatry because people gather, speak, and sing in the Name of God while their hearts are devoted to worldly things. 

For I endure scorn for your sake, 
   and shame covers my face. 
I am a stranger to my brothers, 
   an alien to my own mother’s sons; 
for zeal for your house consumes me, 
   and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.Ps 69:7-9



III. The Impurity of Fear

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
   God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. I John 4:16-18

     When we fear men, that is, when we are literally afraid of them, we can be sure that our hearts are very impure. God's intention for His daughters is for them to rely on His love for them at all times. 

     When we believe in our hearts that God is strong and that He is loving, there is absolutely nothing left to fear. His strength proves that He is able to protect us from harm and harmful men. His love demonstrates that He is working every event for our Spiritual benefit according to His good purpose as we love Him. (We must of course realize that Spiritual benefit refers to the conforming of ourselves to Jesus Christ. It is common for our Shepherd to do this through difficult circumstances and that is a whole book in itself.) 

     Thus when we fear men, we are either:
1. not believing that God loves us OR
2. not believing that God is perfect in strength

OR BOTH

     The disbelief of either of these two truths shows that someone else has captured our hearts. For certainly the Spirit that He put inside of us in One of power, love, and a sound mind. His Spirit is not a spirit of the fear of worldly men, circumstances, or things (creatures, knives, etc.). 

...like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. I Peter 3:6

     We fear for many different reasons:

1. We know the lustful evil in men's hearts and believe that the sting of their sin is more powerful than our God.
2. We know our own sinful hearts and fear men out of our own shame.
3. We do not love our brothers and see them as rivals or oppressors.
4. We are afraid of circumstances which threaten to shatter the idols of our hearts.
5. We are afraid of pain and distress as though our lives were not secure in our Shepherd's arms.
6. We are traumatized by some previous experience(s) and refuse to acknowledge God’s Sovereignty over the future.

“Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. I Peter 3:14-15

IF CHRIST IS THE LORD OF YOUR HEART YOU WILL HAVE PERFECT LOVE.
PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR.

IF YOU FEAR THE WORLD, THEN YOU HAVE NOT BEEN MADE PERFECT IN LOVE.
SOMEONE ELSE IS RULING YOUR HEART!


IV. She Who Lives for Pleasure is Dead Even While She Lives

But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. I Tim 5

     Many of us live for pleasure. Indeed the love of worldly pleasure is a root cause of impurity in both men and women. AND PRIDE IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE LOVE OF PLEASURE.

 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. Luke 8:14

     The love of pleasure reveals a heart that thinks highly of itself. Her heart believes that she is worthy and deserving of pleasure. This kind of attitude is in direct contradiction to our good response to the Gospel.

     As we come to Christ, we acknowledge that all of our deeds are worthless. We know that on our own we deserve death and destruction, pain and anguish, terror and Spiritual distress: separation from God forever. 

     As we are humbled and broken before God and acknowledge His great atoning sacrifice for our sin, we say aloud "How great is the love the Father has lavished on me that I should be called His daughter!" 

No longer do we feel:
1. emptiness
2. sorrow
3. self-sufficiency 
4. self-idolatry 
5. loneliness
6. unloved
7. bored

all of which lead to the seeking of pleasure.

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. I Peter 4:1-2

     We ought to arm ourselves with the attitude that because Christ suffered in His body, we ought to be willing to suffer with Him. This suffering may involve resisting the evil temptations of the heart or literally being persecuted verbally, Spiritually, or physically because of your devotion to Christ. Think about Corrie ten Boom in the Hiding Place, Ruth as she gleaned the fields of Boaz, and Sarah as she obeyed Abraham to leave everything and go the place that God would show them.

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. I Peter 4:7

     And lest we forget, we do not only forsake seeking selfish pleasure because it is wrong, but also because:

You have made known to me the path of life; 
   you will fill me with joy in your presence, 
   with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Ps 16:11


We are leaving behind the rubble and dross of earthly pleasure for the true everlasting satisfying pleasure and joy that comes from the Trinity.


V. You Cannot Serve Both Beauty and beauty

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matt 6:24

     Our worship of our own physical beauty is really a brainchild of the devotions of our heart. The worship of our own beauty includes:

1. spending extensive time, effort, and money on our hair, body, and clothing.
2. being dissatisfied or brokenhearted about some aspect of our appearance.
3. worrying or fretting about our appearance.
4. letting our physical appearance on a certain day (or at a certain instance) dictate our confidence level (we all have come to know by now that some days we are quite beautiful and other days we look much less so...we are mortal human beings).
5. pride over our own physical beauty

     All of these actions show that, again, our hearts are captured by the world and worldly men rather than God the Father. We know that a quiet, gentle, pure, and submissive heart is Beautiful to our Lord. If our hearts are captured by Him, then without even scheming we will tend to seek to be Beautiful in His eyes.

     To be Beautiful in the heavenly Father's eyes we must be clothed with the righteous Robe of Christ, the fine linen garments that were freely and mercifully given to us. The mind of Christ bestowed to us that ponders what is pure, true, noble, just...this mind is Beautiful to the Father. Our prayers are Beautiful rising like incense to His heavenly altar. Our humble and broken hearts are pleasing to Him. Our repentance is Beautiful to Him. 

The king is enthralled by your beauty; 
   honor him, for he is your Lord. Ps 45:11


     Sometimes we are tempted to think of Spiritual Beauty as a pleasant imagination that is worth having for morality’s sake. This is a lie. SPIRITUAL BEAUTY IS THE ONLY TRUE AND LASTING BEAUTY THAT THERE IS. The very inception and essence of Beauty is based on the holy perfection of the Father with all His loving and just attributes. The Hebrew word for Beauty, hadarah, refers to glory or holy adornment. The concept of Beauty was created to convey to us the glory and splendor of the Spiritual things. Earthly beauty is only a small picture of real Beauty…a very very small picture.

     Think of the most beautiful earthly thing that you have ever seen: perhaps a sunset, a flower, a waterfall, your child, your mom, etc. The smallest bit of heavenly Beauty is infinitely more breathtaking, captivating, and glorious. If you saw but a fraction of a glimpse of God’s Beauty, the purest earthly beauty would be appalling to you.

One thing I ask of the LORD, 
   this is what I seek: 
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD 
   all the days of my life, 
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD 
   and to seek him in his temple. Ps 24


What kind of Beauty is His, that we could gaze on It all the days of our life...all of eternity…and It be the only thing we asked for and sought after.

     Do you have faith in God's Beauty such that you would cover up your own beauty in hope that the greater beauty will be revealed? Converse with your Father about this.

     The world has taught use to "offer the parts of our bodies to immorality", but God teaches us to use the blessing of the body that He has given us to "redeem the time because the days are evil" and to offer them "as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is our Spiritual act of worship". 

     What are our bodies for? Think motherhood, even Spiritual motherhood (in the form of using our earthly bodies to serve, love, listen, and speak God's Word) to those who have yet to be saved and to those who are growing in the faith.


“Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
   all you who love her;
rejoice greatly with her,
   all you who mourn over her.
11 For you will nurse and be satisfied
   at her comforting breasts;
you will drink deeply
   and delight in her overflowing abundance.”
 12 For this is what the LORD says:
   “I will extend peace to her like a river,
   and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried on her arm
   and dandled on her knees.
13 As a mother comforts her child,
   so will I comfort you;
   and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” Is 66:10-13

VI. True Love and Understanding for the Souls of Godly Men

      The soul of a Godly man is like yours in many ways: it was lost and astray, but God found it and has captured him with His love, Fatherhood, support, and strength.

    He too, perhaps more than you, strives to be pure in his heart and to make his purpose be wholly to build the Kingdom of his Father and to walk in His Spirit. If you, a true daughter of the Lord, could look into his soul for an instant your heart would go out to him. You may even want to cover yourself up entirely so as not to promote his lust. You would be most tender and compassionate, submissive and supportive. Certainly, dear sister, if you are one with your husband, you are made to help him in a suitable way. Though you may not feel it now, you will find your deepest satisfaction and joy in marriage in meeting every Spiritual (and emotional/physical) need of his while trusting God to direct his soul. 

     One of the deceptions that many of my friends and acquaintances have fallen into is to be drawn in to a relationship with a man who is not a believer or who is a believer walking in the flesh. Obviously this man will have many problems in his life: perhaps other men have ill-treated him, perhaps he has experienced some injustice, perhaps he is emotionally needy and other men cannot help him in this way...ultimately his problem is that he needs to be convicted of his sin, repent, and be found by the Good Shepherd. These women are deceived into thinking that the man can be helped by her. This is far from the truth. If you could see that man's soul, you would know that the last thing on earth that he needs is a woman trying to help him. In his immaturity he will likely be drawn to her in fleshly ways and eventually destroy her and/or be destroyed by her. There is no good outcome for this. This man needs the heavenly Father and Godly MEN. Fair woman, run from him, and when your heart of pity and compassion goes out to him, cry out to your Father for him. HE DOES NOT NEED YOU. AND YOU DO NOT NEED HIM. 

    The prior experience can happen even to Godly married couples: for example when a wife of one man goes to the husband of another woman and they become emotionally close. 

With persuasive words she led him astray; 
   she seduced him with her smooth talk.  Prov 7:21


     I am trying to convey to you that you have more influence on a man than you know. And your choice to reveal your body is a choice to exercise tremendous ungodly power over the souls of men who are not wholeheartedly devoted to God and a choice that causes a great internal battle in the souls of God-fearing men. We ought to lay down our selfish desires to be noticed or to be like the world out of love for our brothers. If you could see his soul...IF ONLY YOU COULD SEE HIS SOUL, you would never dress that way again, dear sister. You would weep in brokenness over the harm you had done to him. 

     We should never seduce a man by any means: physically, emotionally, or even SPIRITUALLY. We may have the ability to do this...BUT WE SHOULD NOT...unless you hate your brother.

VII. The Carnal Man's Response to a Godly Woman

     A pure women who is following God will certainly be noticed in the world.

In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden. I Tim 5:25

I have observed the following responses in unbelieving men to Godly women:

1. Avoidance: The woman who walks in the Light is convicting to him. He knows that he can never get anything for himself that he may want from her. He may not even dare to look at her.

2. Respect: The woman he sees is not like the other women that he knows who crave his attention and admiration. He respects her purity and does not treat her in a common way. This woman may even have such men open doors for her and treat her better than they treat other women.

3. Desire: He wants this woman because he sees goodness in her. Her tenderness and compassion are beautiful to him. He can never find any other women with her purity and refinement. He can share his heart with her and she will listen. He may even start to fall in love with her after which there are only two outcomes if the woman continues to walk blamelessly before God:

* he will start to know the God in her by what she says and does and if he is against God, his heart will turn away from her
* he will start to know the God in her by what she says and does and come into the Light, repent, and turn to Christ. Christ will purify his heart and he will protect her from himself (ideally).

4. Hatred: This woman's moral purity offends him and he cannot stand her. He may ill-treat her or avoid her. 

     My dear sister, unless your heart is 100% pure before the Father and His Spirit has specifically prompted you to share Christ with an unbelieving man, God has completely captured your heart, and you have the armor of God on, you would be walking in fire to try to minister to him (a relationship with him is out of the question). And again, this warning is for married women as well.

Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. Dan 12:10

VIII. The Peace that Surpasses Understanding and the WHR

     Then our sons in their youth 
   will be like well-nurtured plants, 
and our daughters will be like pillars 
   carved to adorn a palace. Ps 144:12


     We know that we ought to gaze on the Beauty of the Lord and not idolize our own beauty. We also see that as immorality has increased, the physical beauty of women has disintegrated (for example, compare Victorian women to modern day supermodels). There is no tenderness, love, joy, or purity in the faces of modern day beauties. Rather there is a contrived, seductive, masked (with makeup) type of "beauty". Even the bodies of women are less graceful. Having studied the physiology and nutritional aspects, there is a concept that I will share with you (this is my own idea so take it or leave it).

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:4-7

     One of the most (if not the most) accurate marker of female beauty, fertility, and health is a low waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Studies have shown that stress, fear, and anxiety release hormones such as cortisol which increase abdominal fat. Similarly abdominal fat is associated with assertiveness and ambition (not the gentle and quiet spirit) in women. Nutritionally speaking, refined carbohydrates (white flour, white sugar, high-fructose corn-syrup) and environmental estrogens can increase abdominal fat.

            Even in God’s Law given to Moses, the women who was unfaithful to her husband was under a curse in which her abdomen would swell and her thighs would waste away. The result of this, among other much more disastrous consequences of this curse, was an increase in her WHR.

But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have defiled yourself by sleeping with a man other than your husband”— 21 here the priest is to put the woman under this curse of the oath—“may the LORD cause your people to curse and denounce you when he causes your thigh to waste away and your abdomen to swell.22 May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells and your thigh wastes away.” Num 5

    Thus if we look at this Spiritually, we could guess that the women (at least many of them, but there are exceptions) who fear the world rather than God, who are not gentle and quiet, who are unfaithful to their husbands, and who indulge in pleasure ("she who seeks pleasure") would have a higher WHR contributing to ill-health effects and a downgrading of God-given beauty.

     The beauty of the faces of modern day women is demolished by frivolities, vanities, and shallowness. If you were to look at the journals of century old women and modern day women, you would see a clear contrast in the depth of their hearts.

Wisdom brightens a man’s face
   and changes its hard appearance. Ecc 8:1


     The gentle and quiet spirit that comes from the Holy Spirit in you will shield you from the many types of evil greed in men and women around you. His peace "guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus". Indeed the woman who rushes to and fro, chattering mindlessly...without peace in her heart is making herself a target for other evil predators.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:7-10

IX. Do You Love Me More than These?

Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
   “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
   Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”John 21:15  

     With regard to purity, Jesus asks us, "Do you love Me more than:

1. your own earthly life?
2. your earthly longings?
3. your own physical beauty?
4. your own fears of the world?
5. your illicit desires?
6. your hatred for men (not loving them in a pure Godly way is hatred even if we do not realize this)?
7. SIN?

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.2 Cor 7:1


X. For All the Nations Have Drank the Maddening Wine of Her Adulteries

     We ought to have an accurate view of impurity, that is, we must realize how horrifying and disastrous it is. We must know that the final end of impurity is shame, death, fear, and destruction. 

 “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! 
   She has become a home for demons 
and a haunt for every evil spirit, 
   a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. 
3 For all the nations have drunk 
   the maddening wine of her adulteries. 
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, 
   and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” Rev 18


    The Day of the Lord is coming soon and all of the idols of the world and those who worship them (whether obviously or secretly in the heart) will be destroyed.

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.I Cor 6:9-11

     The people around you may not know your impurity, but God knows and He desires Truth in our inmost parts. Life is a fleeting vapor. It will all disappear. Soon there will be a new Heaven and a new earth. God tells us to "Kiss the Son lest we be cursed". Impurity, even a hint of it, is damning. True believers will be washed with "hyssop and they will be clean".

“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. Zech 13:1

We ought to tremble at His Words. We ought to tremble, dear sisters.

XI. The Prison of Feminism

     Since the curse of the woman given to Eve, ungodly women have dealt with the "desire for her husband" who would "rule over her" in many ways. One of these "coping mechanisms" is feminism. Feminism is at its root: a hatred for men and women alike.

     We must not think that we are free from feminism because we do not call ourselves "feminist". We are tempted by the devil often in subtle o more obvious ways to think that it is our right to rule over men. 

     The state in which women rule over men is actually a curse and a destroying punishment given to an ungodly nation. Thus you can imagine what disaster this brings to nations, society, and families.

Youths oppress my people, 
   women rule over them. 
O my people, your guides lead you astray; 
   they turn you from the path. Is 3:12


     When men falter or when they are more ignorant than we would desire, we are tempted to try to rule over them. We must realize that this attitude has destroyed the culture of America. Go through the (often dark) tunnel of willing loving obedience to our male authorities and He will bring us all into a glorious light of Spiritual blessing in Christ. Remember how the church submits to Christ, who loved her and gave Himself up for her. What if she had tried to rule over Christ? We would have been damned and fall under the same judgment as Lucifer. 

    Feminism is a prison that wounded women lock themselves into. We must pray for, love, and minister to these hurting women. And we should realize that everything we have is a gift from the Father. If we think that we are standing we ought to beware lest we fall under the same deception. 

XII. It is Better to Fall into the Hands of God

Even after God has spoken to us His Word of Command against impurity and He has revealed His loving glory to us, many of us have or will be deceived and fall away for a time (or eternally if we do not belong to Him).

Giving in to the temptations of impurity is like “sowing to please the sinful nature” and the result is a reaping of destruction. A man indeed will reap what he sows. God will discipline us and allow us to bear consequences. These consequences may include:

1.      being given over to Satan.
2.      Fear.
3.      Shame.
4.      destruction of our family.
5.      financial loss.
6.      disease/illness.

     The best thing for you to do after you have sinned is to run to God and stay there. Use His Word as a Sword against the devil’s lies. Whatever consequences exist, keep trusting God knowing that “with Him there is forgiveness, therefore He is feared” and that His “boundary lines for you have fallen in pleasant places”, “your lot is secure”, “He disciplines those whom He loves”, and He tells us that “If you repent I will restore you that you may serve Me”.

     When you are humble and broken, with a spirit of repentance within you, in a sense, you are nearer to Him than all of the “pure” women who have not yet seen the evil in their hearts.

“I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.” 2 Sam 24:14

     Fall into His Hands. Please, dear sister, fall into His Hands for His mercy, restoration, love, and compassion are very great.

In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. 5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. 6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain. Is 4






   

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