(1) Pure Hands – In other words, do not put your hand somewhere it does not belong! 1 Corinthians 7:1-4 says, “Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.” Paul gives wise counseling here for a man not to touch a woman, that is to say, in an inappropriate fashion. The reason is because as the touching begins to increase, or as some may call “heavy petting,” it can open the door for uncontrolled, immature passion, that is to say “lust”, and lead you to premarital or extramarital sex. Your hands must be pure. You know your limitations. Keep your hands in check.

(2) Pure Heart – Psalms 51:9-10 says, “Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” It takes God to create purity in you when lust has bound you. This Psalm was written by David as a psalm of repentance after committing sexual sins with Bathsheba and murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite. Even though his kingdom was in jeopardy, he cried out in repentance, and the Lord heard his cry and forgave him. He paid some serious consequences, but because he repented, he did not die from war, but rather had life. You have fallen into the same sins as David, but just know it is not over for you. You can be purified with a new, clean heart, but it can only come through repentance. This is the prayer you have to pray in order to defeat lust: “Lord, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Restore to me the wonders of your love!” (Psalms 51:10, 12)

(3) No Idolatry – Nazarites do not bow down to idols. Idols are anything that consumes most of your time. If it takes place of your worship to God, it is an idol, whether it be drugs, pornography, a television set or even work. Do not get me wrong; if you don’t work, you don’t eat. However, if work is knocking you totally out of the presence of God, you worship it. 2 Corinthians 6:15-16 says, “And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Too many have bowed their knee in worship to idols without even realizing it. Your actions will always show who you worship. When your life preaches a pure gospel, you serve the real God. When your daily walk is polluted with sexual sins, you are glorifying a false god that does not even exist. Instead of sex being a pleasurable act of love after marriage, it has become an idol of worship by multitudes! Many false gods and goddesses of the Old and New Testaments were glorified through adultery and fornication. Some examples include Baal and Ashteroth, which were overcome by Elijah on Mt. Carmel, and Diana of Ephesus, which was warring in Paul’s day. These idols were glorified through sexual sins, demonstrated through both male and female temple prostitution. When you forsake chastity and have sex outside of marriage, it is equal to the worship of these false idols. If you want a pure relationship with your partner and your God, then do not bow your knee to sexual immorality.

(4) No Lies – A Nazarite must refuse to lie, rather be in word or action. A relationship that is built completely on lies will never last. Eventually, the truth will unveil itself, and when it does, it will not be a pretty scene! To start off a pure relationship, you must be completely open and honest because hidden stuff can resurrect itself right out of the graveyard to come back and haunt you. Once you tell one lie, you have to tell another hundred lies to cover up your original one. At some point, the truth will come out. David is a primary example. His adulterous act with Bathsehba led to lies, betrayal and even murder. It was all-in-all a “chain reaction”.