Which other scriptures emphasize purity and self-control like Job 31:1? Job 31:1 — Purity Begins with a Covenant of the Eyes “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire upon a virgin?” Job’s pledge models intentional, pre-decided self-control. God’s Word revisits this same theme in many places: Old Testament Echoes of Purity • Psalm 101:3 — “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.” • Psalm 119:9 — “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word.” • Proverbs 4:23 — “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.” • Proverbs 5:21-23 — Solomon warns that “the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD.” • Proverbs 6:25 — “Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.” • Daniel 1:8 — “Daniel resolved not to defile himself” by Babylon’s delicacies, showing that purity often starts with a settled resolve. New Testament Calls to Guard the Heart, Mind, and Body • Matthew 5:27-30 — Jesus intensifies the Law: looking with lust is adultery of the heart, and radical steps are urged to avoid sin. • 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 — “Flee from sexual immorality… your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit… you are not your own.” • 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 — “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each of you learn to control his own body in holiness and honor.” • 2 Timothy 2:22 — “Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” • Philippians 4:8 — “Whatever is true… pure… lovely… think on these things.” • Colossians 3:5 — “Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.” • Galatians 5:16, 22-23 — “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh… the fruit of the Spirit is… self-control.” • Romans 13:13-14 — “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.” • 1 Peter 1:13-16 — “Prepare your minds for action, be sober-minded… be holy in all you do.” • James 1:14-15 — Desire, unchecked, “gives birth to sin,” reminding us to intercept temptation early. • 2 Corinthians 10:5 — “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” • Titus 2:11-12 — Grace “instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” • 2 Corinthians 7:1 — “Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Practical Threads Woven Through These Passages • Purity is proactive, not passive. Like Job, believers “make a covenant” ahead of temptation. • The heart, eyes, and mind are gateways; guarding them guards the whole person. • Self-control is empowered by the Holy Spirit, cultivated by intentional choices, and sustained by focusing on what is pure. • Holiness is both God’s will and our responsibility, lived out daily in thought, attitude, and action. |
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