Purity

When Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12 he lists five traits by which Timothy is to show himself, "an example of those who believe." The last of these is purity. Purity seems entirely at home in this group, it rolls off the tongue as if it were created to be a part of this list. It is because it fits so naturally that it doesn't usually attract much attention. Ask yourself, what is purity? Chances are most people have an idea, but have never really thought about how it applies to their lives.

Purity as a concept can be found throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament the idea is closely related to that of cleansing oneself. If one became defiled or unclean in some way he was not pleasing to God, and had to take very specific measures to purify himself. Very often the cleansing involved the sacrifice of an animal and the sprinkling of its blood to make atonement (note Leviticus 16:12-19). Theses sacrifices helped to serve as a graphic reminder to the children of Israel that the consequence of sin was death and blood must be shed for its atonement.

Under the New Testament we no longer carry on this system of physical sacrifice. Unfortunately that can lead many people to forget that the price of sin is still death. The difference is we no longer sacrifice bulls and goats because Christ became the perfect sacrifice for sin, for all time (Heb. 10:10-12). It is still true that as each person has sinned, to atone for that sin they must wash their robes in the "blood of the Lamb." (Rev 7:14) This idea of an unblemished garment will be a good mental image in helping us picture the concept of purity. When are "washed" at our baptism we arise with a clean slate without spot or blemish. Each time we sin we stain our "garment" and must once again be cleansed through repentance and the forgiveness of God.

As Paul instructs Timothy to hold his "purity" as an example, it is a broad and sweeping charge. Purity means to live without the "stain" of worldliness. At every level that sin can enter into our lives we must maintain "purity." For the Christian purity is not limited to the realm of physical things, but rather it stretches from the things we do to the things we think, even to the underlying goals for which we live. As Timothy works to live a pure life he carries on the calling of every Christian, to be like Christ, who Himself was pure. (1 John 3:3).

But how does purity come into play in young people's lives today? Where can we see purity in our own lives? Can we see impurity? How does our purity become an example? These are the questions that we now turn our attention to. In so doing we can measure ourselves against Paul's exhortation to Timothy.

In Mark 7:18-20 the Lord says that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him, but rather what comes out. It is impossible for person to live a godly life if they are only doing it on the outside. If we profess love for our brothers and sisters and inwardly hold them in contempt or disdain we have not kept ourselves pure before God. Purity of thought is not just saying or doing the right thing, it is living the right thing (Matt 5:21-22, 27-28). If we could read your mind, would we be surprised by what was in your heart, or would it be what we expected from knowing you and what God expects from you?

In Luke 11:4 Jesus prays to God to "lead us not into temptation." While the world appears to be running blindly towards temptation with both arms wide open, God's children are still expected to flee temptation. As we deal with sin in our own lives we must not only stay away from it, but from every "form of evil." (1 Thess 5:22) As those who understand the price that had to be paid for each spot and stain on our garments we should be wary of even approaching sin. As society argues for relativity we must never let it move us closer to the pit that is sin.

When purity is looked at in this light it becomes apparent that it is not something that will happen by accident. It requires sacrifice, determination, and a strength which can only come from a solid faith in God. As Paul charges Timothy to hold his purity as an example, he is challenging him to wear his garment spotless and gleaming before the world and that means Timothy is going to stand out. It means that we are going to stand out. We will be tempted, as Timothy no doubt was, to rub some dirt on that garment so we don't stick out so badly. Before you do, think about a God who loves you who is going to have to clean it with His very blood.