I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris Page B
Authors: Joshua Harris
Tags: Religión, General, Family & Relationships, Man-Woman Relationships, Spirituality, Love & Romance, Christian Theology, Dating (Social Customs), Relationships, Christian Life, Spiritual Growth, Love & Marriage, Christian Life - General, Dating (Social customs) - Religious aspects - Christianity
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wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.
"No!" I shouted, rushing to Him. All I could find to
A cleansed past: the room 107 say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.
He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and continued to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."
I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.
For sinners like you and me, there's good news: Christ paid our debt. He has covered our sin with His blood; He has forgotten the past. Purity starts today
"So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light" (romans
13:12). Admittedly some will have more to lay aside than others--more memories, more pain, more regrets. But the past needn't determine our future. We have choices right now about how well live. Will we set our hearts on God and walk in His paths? "Let us behave decently," the passage in Romans continues, "...n in sexual immorality and debauchery.. .r, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the
68 desires of the sinful nature" (romans 13:13-14).
Not one of us can stand completely pure before God. We are all sinners. But no matter how filthy the rags of our defilement may be, in a moment of true surrender the heart turned toward God loses its impurity. God clothes us in Christ's righteousness. He no longer sees our sin. He transfers Jesus' purity
I to us. So see yourself as God sees you--clothed in radiant white, pure, justified.
Maybe you have a particular memory that continues to hound you, a memory that makes you feel unworthy of God's love and forgiveness. Don't let the past beat you up. Forget it. Don't replay that moment or any others like it. If you've repented of all those behaviors, God has promised to remember them no more (hebrews 8:12). Move on. A lifetime of purity awaits you.
part three
BUILDING a New LIFESTYLE
chapter eight
Starting with a Clean Slate four important steps for getting on track with god's plan
Building well sometimes means first tearing down. Recently my dad and my younger brother Joel attended a birthday party for Stephen Taylor, one of Joel's best friends. It was a very special occasion. Stephen was turning thirteen, and his dad wanted to make Stephen's entrance into young adulthood memorable. Nice presents wouldn't suffice; Stephen's dad wanted to impart wisdom. To accomplish this he asked fathers to accompany their sons to the party and to bring a special gift--a tool that served them in their specific lines of work.
Each father gave his tool to Stephen along with its accompanying "life lesson" for the "toolbox" of principles Stephen would carry into life. The tools were as unique as the men who used them. My dad gave Stephen a quality writing pen and explained that a pen not only served him when he wrote his ideas but also represented his word when he signed an agreement.
During the gift giving, a father who was a professional home builder handed Stephen a small box. "Inside that box is the tool I
69 use most," he said. Stephen opened it and found a nail puller.
112 joshua harris
"My nail puller, simple as it might seem," the father explained, "is one of the most important tools I have." This father told the story of how once, while in the middle of building a wall, he discovered that it was crooked. Instead of halting the construction and undoing a little work to fix the wall, he decided to proceed, hoping that the problem would go away as he continued to build. However, the
"No!" I shouted, rushing to Him. All I could find to
A cleansed past: the room 107 say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.
He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and continued to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."
I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.
For sinners like you and me, there's good news: Christ paid our debt. He has covered our sin with His blood; He has forgotten the past. Purity starts today
"So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light" (romans
13:12). Admittedly some will have more to lay aside than others--more memories, more pain, more regrets. But the past needn't determine our future. We have choices right now about how well live. Will we set our hearts on God and walk in His paths? "Let us behave decently," the passage in Romans continues, "...n in sexual immorality and debauchery.. .r, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the
68 desires of the sinful nature" (romans 13:13-14).
Not one of us can stand completely pure before God. We are all sinners. But no matter how filthy the rags of our defilement may be, in a moment of true surrender the heart turned toward God loses its impurity. God clothes us in Christ's righteousness. He no longer sees our sin. He transfers Jesus' purity
I to us. So see yourself as God sees you--clothed in radiant white, pure, justified.
Maybe you have a particular memory that continues to hound you, a memory that makes you feel unworthy of God's love and forgiveness. Don't let the past beat you up. Forget it. Don't replay that moment or any others like it. If you've repented of all those behaviors, God has promised to remember them no more (hebrews 8:12). Move on. A lifetime of purity awaits you.
part three
BUILDING a New LIFESTYLE
chapter eight
Starting with a Clean Slate four important steps for getting on track with god's plan
Building well sometimes means first tearing down. Recently my dad and my younger brother Joel attended a birthday party for Stephen Taylor, one of Joel's best friends. It was a very special occasion. Stephen was turning thirteen, and his dad wanted to make Stephen's entrance into young adulthood memorable. Nice presents wouldn't suffice; Stephen's dad wanted to impart wisdom. To accomplish this he asked fathers to accompany their sons to the party and to bring a special gift--a tool that served them in their specific lines of work.
Each father gave his tool to Stephen along with its accompanying "life lesson" for the "toolbox" of principles Stephen would carry into life. The tools were as unique as the men who used them. My dad gave Stephen a quality writing pen and explained that a pen not only served him when he wrote his ideas but also represented his word when he signed an agreement.
During the gift giving, a father who was a professional home builder handed Stephen a small box. "Inside that box is the tool I
69 use most," he said. Stephen opened it and found a nail puller.
112 joshua harris
"My nail puller, simple as it might seem," the father explained, "is one of the most important tools I have." This father told the story of how once, while in the middle of building a wall, he discovered that it was crooked. Instead of halting the construction and undoing a little work to fix the wall, he decided to proceed, hoping that the problem would go away as he continued to build. However, the
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