Purple

INTRODUCTION

The world is full of colour. Flowers, trees and animals all display beautiful colours. Human beings have hair colour and skin colour. Rainbows add a splash of colour to the sky. The Bible mentions many different colours. One of them is purple.

1. PURPLE SPEAKS OF HUMILIATION

John 19:5 "Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe".

Because of our sins we deserve to be humiliated. But Jesus took our place. Acts 8:33 "In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth".

2. PURPLE SPEAKS OF ABOMINATION

Revelation 17:4 "the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH".

This woman represents false religion. There are 150 major world religions. All but one are false. Which one is true? Biblical Christianity. Everything else is abominable in God’s sight.

3. PURPLE SPEAKS OF TRANSFORMATION

Acts 16:14 "a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul".

Lydia was the first European Christian. She was saved at Philippi which is in modern-day Greece. She was a wealthy woman who traded in purple cloth. Jesus can save wealthy people and make them a great blessing to His church.

4. PURPLE SPEAKS OF RETRIBUTION

Luke 16:19 "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day...the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments".

Stop, poor sinner! stop and think

Before you farther go!

Will you sport upon the brink

Of everlasting woe?

Once again I charge you, stop!

For, unless you warning take,

Ere you are aware, you drop

Into the burning lake!