Purity for Spiritual Renewal
If we are to experience a spiritual renewal in our lives and in the church, there must be purity. We will see from scripture how this is demanded, how it is possible and what part we play in the purifying process.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we are filled with power and made holy – pure!
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8 (ESV)
Pentecost ushered in the fulfillment of that promise. When Peter testified to the Jerusalem Council, he recognized the purity that God imparted on that day. In this passage, Peter is comparing their Pentecost experience with the experience of Cornelius and his family when the Holy Spirit was poured out on them in Acts 10.
And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Acts 15:8–9 (ESV)
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8 (ESV)
It would help us to start with a biblical definition of purity. It is complete devotion to God, with no conflicting loyalties or mixture of motives, without hypocrisy.
When our hearts are clean, we are in harmony with the nature and character of God – this allows us to see Him in a spiritual sense and ultimately in the most profound face to face way that we can imagine!
Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the LORD
and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Psalm 24:3–5 (ESV)
The idea and importance of purity permeates God’s Word. Since he is holy, it is his expectation and demand that his people are holy as well! And we can be holy. We can be pure!
God’s part in our purity
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
I will turn my hand against you
and will smelt away your dross as with lye
and remove all your alloy. Isaiah 1:18, 25 (ESV)
First, we have the promise given in Isaiah and then in Malachi. Our sin will be purged and removed and our impurities will be eliminated.
But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Malachi 3:2–3 (ESV)
A cleansing by God will be thorough and not altogether pleasant. The prophet likens it to a launderer’s soap – harsh but effective – and a refiner’s fire! Often the impurities in our lives must be removed by a process that separates us from things we have grown accustomed to!
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25–27 (ESV)
Second, we see that it is the work of Jesus that makes our purification, our holiness, possible. His sacrifice was motivated by love and his intention was that we, the church, would be radiant, without stain, wrinkle or blemish, holy and blameless. We cannot believe in these words from the Bible and still cling to the notion that we cannot be pure and holy!
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Hebrews 9:13–14 (ESV)
His sacrifice not only cleanses us from the inside out, it saves us from death and allows us to serve God in relationship and harmony with him and each other.
Our part
Whenever we desire God to do a great work in our lives, it starts with prayer! And so it is with our need and hope of purity.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 (ESV)
Our most vital communication with God is prayer. Our cleansing will happen when we express that need to God! He, alone, can do a cleansing work within us!
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:21–22 (ESV)
We must recognize and dedicate ourselves to longer be involved or engaged in common work. We cleanse ourselves by prayer, devotion, discipline and obedience. It is essential that we turn our back on evil desires and instead pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. This is done within the context of fellowship and prayer.
James gives us another perspective about our part.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8 (ESV)
We are to come near to God and, when we do, he responds in kind. We draw near to God through prayer, listening, reading and studying the Word and worship. It is important that we are humble enough to confess our sins and our errors and repent. To purify our hearts, we ask God to purge the worldliness out of us and help have a single-minded devotion to God.
Some results of personal purity
Peter explains one result of being purified.
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart. 1 Peter 1:22 (ESV)
Purification comes from being obedient to the truth of God. We must embrace the promise and the call. It is then up to us to respond.
Once purified our love for each other is sincere, genuine and real; we also have a capacity to love even deeper!
Our responsibility
We have a responsibility to continue to live a holy and pure life.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
What our we thinking? What do our minds dwell on? Discipline, devotion, prayer – all are essential in keeping our minds pure.
Just a couple more thoughts from a very significant scripture in 1 John.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 1 John 3:1–6 (ESV)
We are children of God and are being made into the image of Christ. Our hope and our faith are key to personal transformation and purity. Jesus has taken away our sins and as we live in him, we cease all habitual sin. We can be are pure of heart and conduct.
A new reality
This new reality is emphasized in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Ephesians 5:3–5 (ESV)
Our conduct is transformed by God’s presence and power! At the same time, we use the discipline God gives us to ensure our conduct is Christ-like!
We know that God is love. His love is powerful. It is transformational. He shares it with his people without measure! He purifies us by faith so we can experience his love even more!
The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5 (ESV)
The command referred to here is to follow the truth and not myths and false doctrines. We must be grounded in the Word of God. When we have a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith, we experience love perfectly
In summary, what, then does it mean to live a life of purity?
- We are surrendered to God.
- We pray and maintain a good relationship with him.
- We exercise our hope and faith in all the promises of God.
- We exercise discipline to be obedient and live a life of holiness.
- We allow the love of God to flood our lives and overflow onto all those around us!
Your turn
What do you need to do next? I pray that you are fully devoted to purity and holiness as you follow Jesus.