A reader sent me this message related to my book The Purity Principle:

Dearest Randy,

I am one of the thousands who have extremely benefitted from this book.

Ever since I became a Christian (almost 4 decades ago), I have been struggling with sexual lust. And it has been a wearisome battle.

Over the years, I have been devouring books just to take hold of a particular principle that can help when I go through those terrible episodes of temptations.

From John Owen’s Mortification of Sin to John White’s Eros Defiled and Eros Redeemed, I zealously poured over the pages of many, many books.

Then I came across your book The Purity Principle, and what’s encouraging is that your simple, yet profound canon: “Purity is always smart, impurity is always stupid.” It has helped me tremendously during episodes of temptations. And that the best way to battle sexual lust is by turning to and seeking a higher pleasure, that is, God Himself and the provisions He has given in marriage.

I’ve devoured your book, and I felt as if a heavy chain that has been fastened on me for so long has been unshackled.

I cannot thank you enough for this book. And I’m buying more of this book so that I may share it men who, like me, have been severely struggling with sexual lust.

Thank you so much and may the Lord continually bless your ministry.

This man discovered that when his thirst for joy is satisfied by Christ, sin becomes unattractive. This allows us to say no to the passing pleasures of immorality, not because we don’t want pleasure, but because we want true pleasure—a greater and lasting pleasure that can be found only in Christ. We don’t pursue purity for purity’s sake; but because we want to pursue Christ.

Jesus described seeing God as something wonderful, declaring “Blessed [happy] are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Commenting on this verse, Jonathan Edwards said, “It is a thing truly happifying to the soul of man to see God.” (Don’t you love the word happifying?)

While one day we will literally see Christ face to face, even now we can “see” Him as we pursue knowing Him. “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand” (Colossians 3:1, NLT).

We must choose between sexual fantasies and intimacy with God. We cannot have both. When we see that God offers joys and pleasures that sexual fantasies don’t, this is a breakthrough. But that breakthrough will come only when we pursue God, making Him the object of our quest—and when we realize that fantasies are only a cheap God-substitute. Running to them is running from God.

Garrett Kell, pastor at Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, gave a chapel message this fall at Cedarville University on the subject of purity. Garrett says, “[God] is worth everything, and He is better than anything sin can ever offer you. So friends, pursue purity to get God.”

This is a great message for every Christ follower, whatever their age:

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