Trust Christ to change you
“Let him ask in faith, with no doubting” (Jas. 1:6). Many who profess to be Christian simply do not believe Christ is able to deal with the baggage of their lives. They feel their temptations are too strong, their failures are too many, and their wounds are too deep, even for Christ.
If you do not believe Christ can change you, then you are not yet exercising faith in Him. Jesus said to His disciples, “Where is your faith?” You have faith, but you’re not exercising it. Faith in Christ is confidence in His ability to justify, forgive, and cleanse through the power of His shed blood. And faith is the means by which we receive good gifts from Christ. Progress in the Christian life begins with believing that Christ is able to change you.
Name and oppose particular sins in your life
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Confessing and cleansing are related. When you go after purity, you need to identify the sins from which you want to be purified. What are the big sins that lurk in your soul? If you cannot name two or three sins that you are currently seeking to overcome, you are probably not making significant progress in the pursuit of purity.
Immerse yourself in the Word of God
“Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word” (Eph. 5:25-26). The Scripture is like a bath. It has a purifying effect on you when you immerse yourself in it, by hearing it and putting it into practice. When you hide Scripture in your heart, it has a purifying effect in your life.
Where could you take a first step today?
