Godly Pursuits: Purity

I want to begin a series on Godly Pursuits. This should last the rest of the month. The first pursuit I want to discuss is Purity.

When we hear the word purity, we think of cleanliness, of something being untouched, or in it's natural form. We also think of virginity. And yes, a virgin is considered pure, but are virgins (or married people that have only slept with each other) the only pure ones?

This is something that I struggled with for a long time after I was raped. I felt unclean and impure. This is a common reaction among rape victims. You shower, you scrub, you take layers of skin off, but you still can't clean the filth that is covering you because it is a filth that touches the soul.

Lots of people also look at prostitutes, and people that choose to sleep with lots of partners as unclean/impure. And yes, it isn't God's way for us to have multiple sex partners. But, does that mean that we are forever blemished? Am I a "Humpty Dumpty" because after my rape I chose to have sex with a man that is not my husband, that I don't even know where he lives now? Because I made that decision more than once?

I used to think that I was forever tarnished. The truth is that God's standard is sex only with your spouse, and that we only marry once in our lifetimes (He did design us for long life, so being a widow/widower was not in His original plan). If we go outside that plan, we are tarnished, but just like buffing can make an old pot gleam again, God can take the tarnish away from our lives.

God forgives, and God purifies. Once we sincerely confess our sins, HE is faithful and will forgive our sins! In the eyes of holy God, we are pure once more! Once we are polished, we need to strive to remain clean, there needs to be upkeep. But, we can be pure once more.

But, what does a pure life look like? The word is thrown around so much, that it is almost meaningless in today's society. Purity doesn't mean that we are backwards, that we don't have fun, that we are "weird". It means that we have chosen a higher standard of living. Purity is all about choice. I choose what I will do. I choose how I will act. I choose to say NO to some things that the world may think is benign, but that I know isn't.

Abstinence can be a part of a pure life, but purity and abstinence are not synonyms. Purity is bigger than just sex. Using sex the wrong way is just one way to sin. But, it isn't the only sin. Lying, stealing, killing, idolotry, selfishness, pride, etc. they are all sins, and they are all equal in cost. They all tarnish our lives, add in impurities.

God wants us to pursue purity in all its forms. God wants us to use sex right, if we do, it is amazing! God wants us to keep our bodies/HIS temple clean. God wants us be vigilant in what we choose to watch, listen to, read. Our goal should be to realize that God is always with us, always watching, and we need to live knowing this. Purity is not one thing, it is a way of life and it is indeed a godly pursuit.

We choose to live a pure life-pure in action and thought not so that we can look down on others and say "Oh just look at THAT sinner!" but so that we can reflect Christ. We live pure so that we can show others there is a better way, and it isn't backward, it is MORE fun, because it comes with less guilt and less heartache.

Face it, sleeping with multiple partners may be orgasmic in the moment, but even the world recognizes that it comes at a high price, that we give a part of ourselves to all our partners, and most won't cherish the gift. The sex part of purity, once it is tarnished can be cleaned, but it doesn't shine quite as brightly. Yes, God forgives, but He also allows consequences. Living a pure life is the best way to avoid those consequences.

We are pure in what we say because it is easier. It is easier to remember the truth than a bunch of lies, so why lie? It is easier to keep our eyes from looking at impure images than trying to hide our "hobby" from the world. Purity is a godly pursuit because it is living right, and it is EASIER! If we truly live God's way, pursue His path, we will not always find it stress free, it will not be all mountain top experiences, but it in the long run, it is easier to do the right thing than keep track and try to hide a myriad of sins.

So, pursue purity and see how better life is!

-JLK-