“Let no one despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12 (HCSB)
It seems we’ve been transported to Sodom & Gomorrah 2.0. Is this the same universe we lived in a decade ago? What would have caused a public outcry then is simply accepted as part of the way it is today! Purity is under attack! In fact, talking about purity can now be seen as socially offensive. How did we ever come to a place where purity was seen as unacceptable, wrong and perhaps even evil?
Purity is defined as being undiluted or unmixed. Another way to put it is purity is freedom from anything that contaminates. Pure gold has been refined to the degree that all dross has been removed. Pure water is 100% clean, not 99%. Who would drink pure water with even a drop of contaminates in it? I wouldn’t knowingly! Purity is a desirable condition for precious metals, for water, and for our lives. The bottom line is, purity watered down is not purity at all!
Impurity, therefore refers to that which is not pure. The Apostle Paul included impurity with other works of the flesh, such as sexual immorality, sensuality, etc. (2 Corinthians 12:21, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 4:19, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5). He told us that God has not called us to impurity but to holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7). Jesus told us that the pure will see God (Matthew 5:8). King David wrote that a pure heart is a requirement to climb the holy hill of the Lord (Psalm 24:3-4). By the way, seeing God and climbing His hill brings reward… the blessing of God (Psalm 24:5). And in this hour, God is looking for people who will walk in purity, seeking His face!
Nevertheless, the enemy is pushing on us, immorality, impurity, all under the guise of love. Apparently, if it’s “love,” it’s okay to rape, abuse and enslave. If it’s love, supposedly, an adult can have sex with a child and it’s acceptable. The enemy is attempting to normalize perversion, confusion and pedophilia, all under the name of love! Btw, to normalize is to make a value or behavior that is socially or morally unacceptable as acceptable. This normalization of impurity has definitely happened in the recent years! Still the cost of impurity is sickness and disease, loss of innocence, abortion, even mutilation, and more. Remember the devil comes to kill steal and destroy and impurity is one of the ways he does it!
But the Bible talks about love in a much different way! It’s not about what I feel or get out of a relationship, but what I can give! God shows us what love is. He loved us so much that He gave His Son (John 3:16). He demonstrated His love to us that while we were sinners, and enemies, He died for us (Romans 5:8).
Cry out for the truth and benefits about purity to be made known, especially within the Church of our city. Pray for your pastor to desire purity and teach on it with conviction. Btw, a little bit of pornography is impurity, and it destroys love, as well as lives and families! Pray that pornography would no longer be tolerated in your church, at all! Not even a drop of it! Pray for your congregation to desire purity, and for conviction of every impure place in their lives and hearts. Pray for parents to fight for the purity of their children. Pray that the normalization of impurity would be reversed in our nation, and seen as an evil, a destroyer of culture and society. Pray that once more, true godly purity and love would be seen and desired by the Church, and become appealing to the world!
