100% Pure

 

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." I John 3:1-2

 

Purity.  This is a word that is almost obsolete when it comes to values.  It is used frequently  with regards to cleansers, detergents and food items.  These are things that our culture values purity in.  But having a person live a pure life is something that is barely tolerated.  Being a virgin is no longer a source of  pride, but rather a point for ridicule.  This shows how far we have slipped from the ideals of the Bible.

Brides used to don beautiful white gowns as a symbol of purity on their wedding day.  But fashionistas have reclassified it and made it about wearing white to symbolize joy.  Purity is a Biblical concept, and as such, is a timeless classic!  Purity means to be without mixture.  Something pure is 100% what is claims to be.  There are no  "additives" to water down the genuine article.  If we are to be pure, then we must rid ourselves of anything that waters down our passion for Jesus or our witness to others.  We cannot allow worldly influences to taint the purity and reverence of our hearts and minds.

When we ask Jesus to cleanse us of our sins, he washes it away, leaving us pure, righteous, holy and blameless in his sight.  Jesus values purity and we must put a premium on it as well.  Purity is so much more than urging unmarried people to abstain from sexual involvements.  Purity is needed in the marriage bed, it is needed in our wardrobe, in our movie and reading choices, and it is needed in our motives for all that we do. 

Being pure is about holiness, being set apart and devoted to God.  No matter what ugliness your life has held in the past, God can cleanse you and leave you as pure as the driven snow!  Embrace purity. Our Example is dedicated to being pure and we must be as well.

Dear Lord, forgive and cleanse me of anything that dilutes your Spirit inside of me.  Help me to live with undivided emotions and heart.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Pure Light

“To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.”  Titus 1:15

 

Dictionary.com defines pure as:  “Free from anything of a different, inferior or contaminating kind.”  So what would that entail for a person to be described as pure?  It means that as a born-again child of God, we do not have a mixture of carnality, worldliness or evil mixed with the Spirit of Christ who dwells in us.  It means that we keep ourselves from influences that corrupt or pollute our spirit.  Sounds easy enough, right?!

If you have been around the block for even a week, you know that it is a most difficult process to keep your soul and mind pure while living in such a corrupt society.  Even one generation ago the overall morality of our culture was at a much higher standard than it is now.  The truest gauge is probably found in our media- what we see on TV, in print, and what we hear in lyrics.  As they say, we are going down like a lead balloon.  It is difficult to unplug from these influences, even if the only contact you have with the world is at the grocery store, school and work.

But we were not left on earth to withdraw and unplug.  We were left to share the good news, lead others to Christ and be salt and light!  So how do we remain pure in the middle of everything impure?  I have heard many an inspiring message on the analogy of the Christian to the eagle.  At the end of the day, the eagle cleans its wings, carefully removing all the trash and filth that it has acquired through its journey through the environment that day.  Likewise, we must take time each day to repent, confess and purify our hearts and minds.  We must submit ourselves to the “washing of the water with the Word”, by staying steadfast in the Bible.

Because sexual immorality, coarse jesting and immodesty have become so prevalent, we have our work cut out for us to help guard the purity of the hearts of our children.  Our society is completely sexualized.  If we do not take a stand, be different and stand for what is right, who will?  How will a lost and dying world ever see Jesus in us if we look and act like everyone else?

Dear Lord, create a pure heart in me.  Wash away all that is corrupt and help me stand out as light in the darkness. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Home Makeover; Heart Edition

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  Psalm 51:10

 

A pure heart.  What a tall order.  In the heart, lust is conceived.  In the heart, hate is conceived.  In the heart, murder is conceived.  The heart is a virtual hot bed of negative emotions.  But this does not have to be.

Jesus desires to take up residence within our hearts.  He wants to come in and do a major overhaul.  He wants to wash away all that is evil. All that defiles.  He desires to restructure our heart so that it becomes a dwelling where He, in His holiness, can dwell.

If we invite Jesus to come in and live in our hearts, it is our duty to allow him full access.  We must allow him to furnish our heart for His comfort.  We will have to take the lustful pictures off of the wall.  We will have to take the violent pictures off of the wall.  We will have to remove lying, slander and gossip. 

Jesus cannot be comfortable around sin.  It is our duty to allow Him to make any renovations that is required.  Becoming sanctified, that is what the Bible calls it.  Sanctification is a cooperative effort between us and God.  First, we ask Him to save and cleanse us, and He credits us as righteous- because of what Jesus has done for us.  But after that, we have a duty work in conjunction with the Holy Spirit to let go of the evil tendencies in our hearts and to be transformed into His likeness.

Dear Lord, create a pure heart in me. Show me the changes that you require of me and give me the grace to obey.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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