The Purity Requirement

Man, do I have a word for you guys today!  I had not even planned to write this one, but I am happy to share it with you.  Sometimes God just slaps you upside the head with His Word…and I love it.  Today, we are going to be discussing purity.  I can already hear the collective sighs and groans because you probably think we will be discussing abstinence.  Well, save your breath because that’s not it…at least not today.  We’ll target that a different day. 

As always, I am going to start with a scripture to guide this post.  Psalms 12:6 says:

“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”

Now you may be asking, “How is she going to write a whole post on this verse?  Seems pretty straightforward to me.”  Well, let’s start this conversation with something most of us already know.  God is perfect in every way.  He is just, righteous, holy and ABSOLUTELY good.  There is no evil in Him.  James 1:17 says:

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

Psalms 92:15 says:

“To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”

So we know that He is holy and perfect, and out of His mouth comes words that are pure.  So pure, in fact, that they are like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified SEVEN times.  Why seven times?  According to my Perry Stone study Bible, seven represents completion and perfection.  In other words, you cannot find an imperfection, contaminant or pollutant in His words. 

Now, let me ask you something: What kind of words are coming out of your mouth?  Are your words in agreement with God’s Word?  If you don’t know, you don’t know the Word of God.  If you don’t know the Word of God, chances are your words are littered with contaminants.  “But Ana, I don’t swear.  I am squeaky clean.”  Well, it’s like my pastor said a couple weeks ago, “You may have stopped swearing, but you haven’t stopped cursing.”  Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).  Have you been speaking life to your circumstances or have you been cursing yourself and the people around you? 

Let’s give an example.  If you have been speaking words about yourself that completely contradict the fact that you have been fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14), then your mouth is filthy.  It is not humble to tell yourself and others that you are a no good piece of trash when God has carefully made you, has had a plan for you since the beginning of time and sent His only son to suffer and die for you.  You might as well spit in God’s direction.  If death and life are in the power of the tongue, your words are powerful.  They mean something and they shape the world around you.  More than that, they tell the condition of your heart.  Matthew 15:16-18 says:

“And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?  Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.”

What comes out of your mouth comes from your heart.  Jesus is saying that what goes into you gets digested and eventually comes out.  If your mouth is filthy and the words that you speak are not in agreement with God’s Word, know that it is a matter of the heart.  You have allowed something into your spirit that does not belong there.  What have you been watching, listening to, participating in?  Do not be fooled into thinking that things are innocent when they are not.  Do not think that you can participate and agree with evil and not have it corrupt your own soul.  Proverbs 4:23 says:

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

Know this: God requires purity to cultivate a relationship with Him and purity begins in the heart.  As Chuck Missler brilliantly said, “Your most important stewardship is your heart.”  It is so important to make sure your heart is pure before God because this is where sin begins.  Matthew 15:19-20 says:

“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”

If your heart is turned away from God, you cannot please Him.  You can try to justify all the dirty sins you want, but your relationship with God will only decay.  James 4:7-8 says:

“Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.  Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

I like how the NLT version says it:

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”

You cannot be of God and the world.  You CANNOT.  Psalms 24:3-5 says:

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?  or who shall stand in his holy place?  He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.  He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”

I do not think the Bible could be any more clear.  You need to know where your heart lies.  This is not a matter of being seen as a “good Christian” or “bad Christian”.  This is a battle for your own soul.  Do not think that just because you accepted Jesus Christ, you act however you want and ask for forgiveness later.  “Do what thou wilt” is not God’s way.  The so-called “freedom” over your body that the world is offering you, only leads to bondage.  2 Peter 2:19 says:

“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.”

I will wrap up the post with James 1:12-15:

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

God’s heart is pure, and therefore His words are pure.  He cannot be tempted with evil because there is no evil in Him.  When you are not seeking the Lord diligently, your heart starts to wander.  When your heart starts to wander, temptation can draw you away.  First, it starts as a thought, and as you give room for it, your thoughts will turn into actions.  And when it is all said and done, sin only leads to death.  Give it time and I believe a person can justify anything.  The Bible clearly outlines what is evil in His sight, and yet, you can hardly differentiate between a Christian and someone of the world these days.  How can we call ourselves Christians when we do not even fear the Lord?  How can we be comfortably living in sin?  Matthew 5:48 says:

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

I have grown up hearing that nobody is perfect.  This is true with the exception of Jesus Christ.  However, I have learned that you can be cleansed of your imperfections and choose to live a life without sin.  I’m not saying it is easy, but I am saying that it can be done.  When you choose to sacrifice yourself and live a life in submission to the God of your salvation, it can be done.  “Ana, that sounds terrible!  That’s not even living!” Well, first, reflect on the fact that you are depending on sin to bring you fulfillment. If you feel you can’t live without something you know is wrong, you need to identify the source of the issue. And the whole “everyone is doing it” argument will not go over well with God. If you know it is sin, you need to work on getting it out of your life. Romans 6:6 says:

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  For he that is dead is freed from sin.  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him…”

I look at it this way: either you are serving God or you are serving your own flesh, and therefore the kingdom of darkness.  There is no in-between.  The Word says that if we offer bodies as a living sacrifice, we will find life.  God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19), so don’t knock it until you try it.  I think you’ll be surprised at what you find at the other end.  I’m not there yet, but man am I excited to get there.  The more I choose God, the more He reveals to me.  I think we can all agree that after living a life indulging in sin, you don’t like who looks back at you in the mirror.  What do you have to lose by choosing to live without it?  It certainly won’t be your soul.

Now, don’t despair my brothers and sisters in Christ. God’s Word is enough to renew your mind and purify your hearts (Romans 12:2). If you read this post today and sincerely want your heart to be right before God, pick up your Bible and recite, out loud, Psalms 51. Start and end your days by making decisions that make God your first priority. Read and study your Bible. Give your burdens to the Lord and start worshipping Him. Approach His throne with a heart of Thanksgiving and praise. Tell Him how much you love Him. He is worthy of all these things and more. This message I share with you because I want you to experience God’s love fully. It is the best way to live.

That was a lengthy one my friends, but I hope it brings you clarity.  Be blessed and be about your Father’s business!