Sexual sin is not new, it is not an enemy that is only just showing it’s ugly head. Sexual sin has plagues humanity from the beginning of time, only made more accessible now to children of horrifically young ages. So, what hope is there? What can the Christian do to arm themselves in the fight to be pure in heart?
This book is a starter. Not because there is anything particularly special or inspired in it, but because it’s one sinner pointing other sinners to Jesus. In this short book Kell opens up about his own past with sexual sin. I’ve read many books on sexual sin and purity over the years, many of them written by ‘squeaky clean Christians’ which aren’t that helpful. This one is not like that.
Kell writes, Pure in Heart, as a pastor who knows the struggle and consequences of sexual sin and he points you to the Bible to find forgiveness, to see hope and to walk through this live with Jesus.
Admittedly the book is not comprehensive, there were areas that I wish were written more about, but as a general introduction to the topic of sexual sin and purity, this is great!
Throughout this book Kell speaks about forgiveness, the glory of Christ, the temptations of sin and the hope that can only be found in the gospel. This book will encourage you, it will take you to Scripture and it will give strength for the fight.
I can definitely recommend this book as one of the few books on purity that doesn’t give you a whip to flog yourself harder, but a Bible that points you to grace. Check it out here. Instead of me going on and on about how much you need to buy this book, here are just a handful of the quotes that I pulled out of the book.
“I share all of this because I hope you will see that this book is not birthed out of a squeaky-clean study, much less an impeccable ivory tower. It comes from the wrestlings of a wanderer. It comes from someone God has graciously helped”
“Purity is an orientation of the faith-filled heart that flees the pleasures of sin and pursues the pleasures of God by the power of the Holy Spirit”
“Seeing God is a promise for the pure in heart—but seeing God is also the means by which our hearts are purified. The way to escape sin’s darkness is by beholding the light of the glory of Jesus. It is by seeing his beauty, power, majesty, holiness, and glory that we are transformed”
“A perverted view of sex, meanwhile, tempts us to see intimacy merely as a means of receiving pleasure. But God designed sexual intimacy as an opportunity to serve our spouse. Sex is about giving pleasure to another, not just taking pleasure for ourselves. We don’t use others to satisfy our fantasies, but to learn to patiently pursue and sacrificially care for the needs of the spouse God has given to us. We give of ourselves for their pleasure in a way that reflects God’s giving of himself for our pleasure”
“When our spiritual senses grow dull, we justify walking past Scripture’s warning signs. Before we know it, we are in quicksand, sinking deeper with each step. The longer we give ourselves to sin, the more we prefer it, and the weaker our resistance becomes. Eventually we become so deceived that we start thinking wrong is right, and right is wrong (Isa. 5:20–21). Just as beholding Jesus purifies our heart (1 John 2:28–3:3), so giving in to sin clouds our heart and pulls us farther from God”
“Love is not love. God is love, and any “love” that goes against his character or commands is a deadly imposter that steals life rather than gives it. Some view this as unloving and dangerously restrictive. They feel they have the right to define love and sex, but God alone has this right. And he calls the church to be a people set apart in purity so they can shine forth a reflection of his love to a watching world”
“Our affections are stirred toward what we feed them. You cannot stir eternal affections by sowing to earthly escapes”
“Though it’s never safe to sin, a healthy church will be a safe place to struggle. We’re not all sexually broken in the same way, but we all stand equally in need of grace. Learning to be vulnerable together can be scary”
“God did not fast-track Israel to the Promised Land. He took them on the slow train; one that exposed, corrected, and shaped them. He works in a similar way with us today”
*** I received this book from the publisher in exchange for honest reviews. This does not change the way I rate the book, my views are my own. ***
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