The Importance of Purity

Maintaining a pure life is not an issue of legalism, deadening conformity to rigid standards, or an attempt to conform to traditional mores. Some see God as the God of the "big stick," Who is waiting to catch them in some indiscretion so He can clout them. Actually, that is not so. Our Father is a loving Father Who may find reason to chasten His children but always for their growth and advantage.

To maintain purity is to remove any unwise, ungodly, and/or unwholesome debris or clutter from our lives. The best analogy I can think of is the hard drive of a computer. If a maintenance program is not regularly administered to the computer, it will accumulate an assortment of hurtful clutter and debris which will slow it down, produce annoying or defeating conflicts, or possibly compromise important files.

There are many types of issues in one's life that can be harmful or defeating. These fall under two basic categories: (1) continuing wrong and destructive practices and attitudes, and (2) the memory residue of one's involvement in such practices.

Whether they are current practices or the memory of past practices, they contaminate and defile our lives, causing:

1. A sense of estrangement from the Father. Our involvement in things and attitudes that are contrary to the will and desires of the Father will grieve the Holy Spirit producing a sense of estrangement and alienation between us and the Father.

2. A door of opportunity for Satan. Satan is the master of temptation as exemplified by his encounter with Jesus. He knows when he can enflame our emotions or excite our desires; he has the potential of enslaving us to his wishes.

3. Guilt and condemnation within ourselves. Some of the most destructive devices the enemy fosters in us are the feelings of guilt. He promotes impure activity on the one hand and accusations on the other, thus producing shame, guilt, and condemnation.

4. The temptation to involve oneself in further indiscretion. The memory of past indiscretions will rise up on occasions serving as an enticement to further failure.

5. A diminished devotional life. It is certain that one cannot maintain and intense and faithful fellowship with the Father if his life practices continue in paths of moral failure.

6. Loss of anointing. We have to look no further than Samson in the Old Testament to see an example of the loss of anointing due to moral indifference and failure.

7. Little desire to witness. One cannot have a passion to share Christ when, in his inner man, he has ongoing moral conflicts.

8. The loss of desire for spiritual things. Passion consumed on the desires of the flesh and the world will result in a loss of spiritual hunger.

9. The possibility of a tarnished reputation. A very tragic and inevitable result of moral failure will be the loss of reputation credibility as a believer often having the effect of destroying an otherwise effective ministry.

One should address the problematic issues in his life as a matter of personal necessity and priority. Realizing the consequences of failing to address those issues (and others), it is imperative that we set aside quality time regularly to do some "spiritual housecleaning.” The advantages are important and qualify for one's ongoing attention.

It takes time, desire, and commitment for one to maintain a wholesome walk with Christ. Just walking through this world produces contamination. Jesus illustrated this when He said: “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.'' (John 13:10). What He referred to was the dust that accumulated on their feet as they walked the dusty roads of Palestine. The dust represented any form of defilement. This illustrated that even though one has been cleansed by the blood, there is the defiling accumulation that occurs as one has daily exposure to the world, thus resulting in the consequent necessity of regular purification from the worldly defilement. This comes as one, in his devotional time, makes it an ongoing practice of asking the Holy Spirit to search his heart, revealing any thing that would hinder his relationship with the Father that he may deal with it.

The need is always present and the blessings are great.

Jeff

• Jefferson H. and Norma R. Floyd, CO-directors • Jubilee International • P. O. Box 572 • Noblesville, IN 46061