Purity
The 1828 American Dictionary of
the English Language by Noah Webster defines purity as:
1.
Cleanness; freedom
from foulness or dirt; as the purity of a garment.
2.
Freedom from guilt
or the defilement of sin; innocence; as purity of heart or life.
3.
Chastity; freedom
from contamination by illicit sexual connection.
4.
Freedom from any
sinister or improper views; as the purity of motives or designs.
Whether you are married or single you
can still be pure. Our culture teaches that purity is just waiting to have sex
till marriage and that’s where purity ends; but this is not the truth that God
tells us in Scripture. First off, God
does say to wait to have sex until marriage, but guarding your eyes (by what
you watch), your ears (with what you listen too), and your friends (you become
like your friends) is just as important. You see there is this thing called the
Spirit of the Law. This phrase is based on Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:27-28;
verse twenty-seven says that the law (rule) is not to commit adultery—this is
referring to physically committing adultery—but Jesus raised this law to the
spirit (verse 28), which means that if man even desirously fantasizes (lusts)
about a woman, then he is guilty of committing adultery with her. We can sum
this concept up in two words, thoughts
and motive. From these, we can understand that waiting till marriage to have “sex” also includes not entertaining the
wrong thoughts and motives (God knows what our hearts are). This
realization makes us pause, and that’s good because we realize all the more how
short we fall and why we need Christ’s cross to make us clean. We also realize
that we have a battle on our hands—a purity battle.
Secondly, marriage is pure; it is not impure. When you are married and have
“had sex” you have not lost your purity along with your virginity. The reason
being if you obediently follow the Lord, aren’t you pure? Yes!
Thirdly, your purity is not just
sexual, rather spiritual; it involves all sin and righteousness—much larger
in scale than mere sexual purity. Purity is the righteous, pure and holy
standard of God that is measured against your life: whether you lie or tell the
truth, steal or give, cheat or aid, lust or love, etc . . . The implications of
your purity are huge, but to be completely pure is really as simple as
believing in Jesus so much that you daily carry your cross and follow Him. Upon believing in Christ, we are instantly
made pure (His righteousness becomes our righteousness); and given
the capability to remain pure (that is, the ability walk in the Spirit).
“For as the heaven is high above the earth, so
great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our
transgressions from us.”
Psalm 103:11-12 KJV
