Discipleship in action - Purity (Sermon in FFMC on 22/5/16)
Discipleship in action – Purity Introduction P urity can mean: 1. freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes. 2. physical chastity; virginity. 3. freedom from any admixture or modifying addition. 5. ceremonial or ritual cleanness. The person who is in right relationship with God is to live a life of purity. Again and again in Scripture, we are told to have a pure heart (Matt. 5:8; 1 Tim. 1:5; Heb. 9:14; Jas. 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22). In the original languages purity renders the Hebrew tahowr , zak, bar (ritually clean, purified in the Pentateuch. Flawless. “Clean animals,” “pure gold”) or Greek hagnos, atharos (chaste, clear, clean) (cf. the linen cloth wrapping Jesus’ body (Mt 27:59) Understanding this helps us to understand that the concept of purity is closely related to holiness and righteousness. It has to do with sinlessness. There are both external and internal aspects to these concepts. You can have an outer appearance of purity, r