Discipleship in action - Purity (Sermon in FFMC on 22/5/16)

Discipleship in action – Purity

Introduction

Purity 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, righteousness or holiness, but there is an inner state from which the outer appearance should spring.

The concept of purity is not exclusive to Christianity. In Buddhism. the personality of the practitioner is changed so that all moral and character defilements and defects (such as anger, ignorance and lust) are wiped away and Nirvana can be obtained. Observing cleanliness of the soul, the clothes, and the surroundings is obligatory upon every Muslim, and this is considered as one of the pillars of Islam.

Purity, then, is a condition that reflects the holiness of God. The Christian disciple is no longer to have ritual purity, but is called to a state of the inner man and of outward behaviour that is blameless.

Biblical truths about purity

Christian purity is different from the way the world sees purity because of what the Bible teaches about it. The truths the Bible teach us gives us the difference between the purity of a Christian disciple and the purity of a follower of another religion, or even an atheist.

Our behaviour springs from our motivations, which come from our convictions, which come from truths. Christian purity must be based on the foundation of Scripture.

1. Every true Christian is pure

Every Christian is cleansed by the blood of Christ (“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” Heb 9:14). His blood cleanses from sin (1 John 1:7).  in a once-for-all way, superior to the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament, cleansing not only externally, but changing us from the inside. When we are born again, we receive a new nature and new desires. John can even say,"No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God."1 Jn 3.9. The new birth is a supernatural, amazing work of God. It is the start of a new spiritual life that is cleansed from the old and made new. "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision" of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses." Co 2:13. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" 1 Co 5:17.

2. Every true Christian desires to be pure

Just as we are born once with physical desires, we are born again with spiritual desires. If you truly are a child of God, then you are pure, and if you truly are a child of God, you will want to be pure. The desire to be pure is a sign of regeneration.

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 
Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, (1 Jn 2:3-4).Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation - if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Pe 2:2-3). So , just as babies long for milk by their nature from birth, we will long for spiritual things if we are truly born again. If anyone feels contented with his or her spiritual state and has no desire to keep growing in holiness, this is a good indication that that person may not be truly saved. The truth is that responding to an altar call or saying the sinners prayer does not save. These are external acts, not internal change. One internal change that confirms our salvation is when we desire purity.

If we are truly born again, we will not cleanse ourselves with gritted teeth. There will be true joy and fulfillment in the process of becoming holy because our spiritual appetites will be satiated. We will fail in our efforts if sin gives us greater joy than holiness. No one forces us to sin! We sin because we believe the lie that we will get greater pleasure with sin than with holiness. But cleanness of heart should and must bring us pleasure. In other words, nothing helps you turn from false pleasures of the flesh better than the true pleasures found in God. If you are truly born again, you will find pleasure in purity and you will seek to maximize your pleasure in all God is and has to give you.

The inner once-for-all cleansing we have through the blood of Christ and the inward transformation of our desires towards holiness distinguish Christian purity from every other religion. Christianity is not about "must" or "must not", but about " cannot" and "don't want to"! If these were absent, we are left with a civics or moral lesson, not a Bible-based sermon. This is our glory and our joy. Christ died to purchase freedom from our old selves and sin.

3. Every true Christian is called to be pure.

The Bible is full of commands for us to be pure. If the kind of purity God desires of us was achieved once and for all, there would be no need for these commands. There would be no need for obedience and discipline and effort in our spiritual life. I observe that it is not usual to speak about being pure in Protestant circles. We feel free from the compulsion to be morally pure because we understand that we are saved by grace and not by works. Some even teach that we do not need to repent (cf. Mt 6:12 and 1 Jn 1:9) since we are already cleansed by Jesus’ blood.

But we are told to “work out (not work for) our salvation with fear and trembling” (Ph 2:12). “For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor” (1 Th 4:3-4). Faith without works is dead (Js 2:17)- in other words, the kind of faith that really saves is the kind that manifests in a both desire to be holy, a consciousness of sin, and a life of righteousness.

Jesus said,   “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean.” (Jn 13:10). Even though we have been fully justified (declared righteous) once for all by faith, we must now be sanctified in day to day living in the power of God. We are delivered from the penalty of sin in our justification, from the power of sin in our sanctification, and from the presence of sin when we are finally glorified. Paul tells the sinning Corinthian church, “Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened, for Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed” (1 Co 5:7)

Every Christian must work towards increasing holiness, “without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). We work at holiness, so that we can become that which we really are.

4. We become pure through the power of the Spirit working through our obedience to the Word

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me”. (Ps 51:10)

“Work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to work according to His good pleasure” (Ph 2:12).

 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” (Ps 119:9)

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth’ (Jn 17:17)

We do not become pure by wishing to be pure. We need to discipline our thoughts and actions and speech according to what God reveals to us of His will in Scripture. It follows that we cannot be pure if we do not know the Bible. It also follows that effort is required – not just the effort to read and memorize the Bible, but the effort to apply it even though the inclination of our sinful hearts and our fallen culture tell us to do otherwise. Paul says, “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Co 9:27)

Purity is obtained through the power of God working through human willingness. God works through His word by the power of the Spirit to effect change when we see the beauty of His person and His commands in Scripture and we obey.

5. There are reasons why we seek to be pure.

Why study to get full marks when you know you will pass?

Only a bad and lazy student will have this attitude. What kind of school will allow someone with this attitude to pass? What sort of doctor do you want to take care of you? The kind that studied hard as a medical student or the kind that got a free pass to graduate?

The kind of student that passes has the desire to study for full marks.

Out of love

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (Jn 14:15). Do you love the Lord? If you do, you will want to be pure. Love is not commandment-keeping, but commandment-keeping is the evidence of love.

To see God

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Mat 5:8). Everyone will ‘see God’. But this promise is that we can enjoy intimate fellowship with Him and be unashamed in His presence. To find that in His “presence is fullness of joy” (Ps:16:11)

“strive for holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14).

To be like our Heavenly Father

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Pe 1:15-16)

And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:3)
We always say, “like father like son”.  We show whose we are when we are pure.

To please God

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.  (1 Th 4:1).

His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. (Psalms 147:10-11)

The Supreme Creator of the Universe declares that He can be pleased by our actions. This is a wonderful truth!

To serve well

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honourable use, some for dishonourable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonourable, he will be a vessel for honourable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 Ti 2:20-22)

If you are unclean, you are useless, not ready for good work /ministry.

To avoid hell

For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Eph 5:5)

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning (1 Jn 5:18)

Anyone who consistently lives and impure life is unsaved. I do not mean that a Christian does not sin. A true Christian, however, will always struggle against sin. A true Christian will be ashamed of his or her sin. A true Christian will want to be holy.

6. Aspects of purity

How are we to be pure?

•       Heart (2 Ti 2:22) from which love arises (1 Ti 1:5). We are to “flee youthful lusts, pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace”. Avoid temptation. Don’t put yourself in situations that cause you to easily compromise your faith. Don’t mix with the wrong company. Be accountable to others in a small group.

•       Conscience (1 Ti 3:9, 2 Ti 1:3). We should be free of conscious sin.

•       Wisdom (Js 3:17). The rationale, thought processes, motivations, principles we have must be examined in the light of scripture.

•       Thought life – whatever is true, honourable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise (Phil 4 :8). What do you daydream about?

•       Speech Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth (Eph 4:29). Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt (Col 4:6). We are quick to sin by gossiping, telling white lies (and some black ones)

•       Respectful and pure conduct of wives. (1 Pe 3:2)

•       Religious activity (Js 1:27). We should be doing acts that cause people to give glory to God (Mt 5:16)

•       Behaviour in spousal relationships. Wives are to win unbelieving husbands by their

Conclusion

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Ps 51:10)

We can never become pure by our own effort. From the beginning when God justified us and we were born again, to the end when we die or Christ returns, we will need the holy power of His Holy Spirit to make us holy. It is God that will help us to become what we really are

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