“… Be an example to the believers … in purity … ” (1 Tim. 4:12).
At first glance, purity may seem the same as holiness, which we discussed last week. But they are not the same. Holiness means to be set apart, whereas purity is how you conduct yourself because you’re consecrated. Purity is the by-product of holiness.
We can walk in purity when we allow our hearts to be pierced by truth:
“For the word of God is alive, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).
God’s Word is not merely letters on paper. It’s alive! It is so sharp it can separate the soul from the spirit and, in the process, reveal our hidden thoughts and attitudes. So as holy people, let’s urge each other onward toward the mark God sets before us, rather than compromising His standards.
” … Do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God?” (James 4:4).
Never before has the call to purity been more pressing or difficult. Yet compromise is difficult too. When we walk with one foot in both worlds, we experience struggle because our hearts are divided. Keep in mind, your actions will follow the direction set by your heart.
There is an urgent cry in the spirit for us to awaken to righteousness. How do we do this? We use the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, to sever every entanglement tethering our hearts to this fallen world.
This week, invite the Holy Spirit to examine your heart and motives by the light of His Word. Ask the Great Physician to remove the precious from the vile. Let us be a people who embrace the Word of truth and turn aside from the standards of this world—so that we can set an example of purity for God’s glory!
Adapted from Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry: Why Women Lose When They Give In (Thomas Nelson, 2002) by Lisa Bevere.
