WHAT IS PURITY?
The world often confuses virginity with purity and use the two words interchangeably. This neglects the significance of the spiritual meaning of purity. However, purity is far more than the state of being “sexually untouched.” Abstaining from sexual activities outside of marriage is a good thing and it is God’s desire for us to live in this state of purity, but as children of God, we must look at it on a much deeper level.
Just like there are a lot of sexually untouched virgins who are impure in God’s eyes, there are a lot of individuals who are no longer virgins and are pure in God’s eyes through their obedience to His word. So, what makes someone pure in God’s eyes? Is it the amount of sexual experiences they have or have not had? NO IT IS NOT. True purity is the godly state of mind that produces true repentance of past sins. It will allow you to lead a life where your thoughts are subject to God, your body has been sanctified to be used for His glory, and your soul has the indwelling of God’s spirit reigning supreme.
“Lord I have hid your word in my heart that I might not sin against thee. How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” -Psalm 119:1,9
True purity leads us to live every day in a mind-set that says yes to God and no to the flesh. To be pure is to think pure, act pure, and live pure.
GOD’S CALL TO BE PURE
God calls us to be pure, holy and set apart. We must keep in the forefront of our minds that God calls us to a higher standard of purity than the world does.
“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1: 16
Your state of purity is determined by the spiritual state of your heart (Which is your mind). The bible says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) You are the spiritual heart that is within you. You can be considered impure in God’s eyes because of your willingness to entertain lustful and impure thoughts. This means we must seek to not only keep our bodies in a state of holiness but most importantly, our minds. Why? Because purity STARTS there. We must have a strong desire to eliminate anything that spiritually pollutes our mind; whether, it be what we watch, listen to, or allow our bodies to participate in. If our minds aren’t pure, it is impossible to live in a state of purity.
A person doesn’t just haphazardly have voluntary sexual intercourse with someone who is not their spouse because their body told them to do so. No, the act started with a lustful thought of the individual towards the other person and then a yielding to the lustful thought took place within the mind and heart. The manifestation of the sin became evident in the act of the flesh. Whether it be fornication, adultery, pornography, masturbation, etc,…all sexual sins start in the heart. If we want to seek to obey God’s call to be pure, we must start by having pure thoughts within our heart. Spiritual obedience of one’s heart to God will lead to the physical obedience of the body to God.
ENCOURAGEMENT TO STAY PURE
I want to encourage us all, including myself, to strive to stay pure within our mind, body, and soul. Remember, the key to abstaining from any sin is self-discipline, and the key to mastering self-discipline is making your LOVE for God and your desire to please God supreme over any and everything else in your life.
“For it is God’s will that you should be sanctified; that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans who do not know God. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” -1 Thessalonians 4:3-5,7
Staying in a state of purity is POSSIBLE. Overcoming and fighting temptations that lead to sexual sin is possible. How? By being sober and alert to what God’s word says regarding the matter. Having a fervent and daily commitment to be obedient to God’s word will make all spiritually good things that He requires of us is possible.
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”-Phil 4:13
If you make God the center of your life, the joy of your life, and the reason for your life you can and will overcome. If you have already made the mistake of spiritually falling and committing the physical act of sex outside of marriage or any other form of sexual immorality, it is not too late for you to change! For Christians, God lets us know if we repent, confess, and have a sincere heart towards doing right God is just to forgive. Let us fill our hearts with the word so that we can keep ourselves pure in the Lord’s sight. Whether you are single, dating, engaged, or married remember these words of the Lord:
“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” -Matthew 5:8
If we want to see God in peace and make Heaven our home, we must seek to be pure.
Be Encouraged!
With love,
Ashley Moneet
Fearless.Faithful.Following
