Spotless Series

A 2nd grade Sunday School teacher was giving a lesson on being pure. To help get the class thinking, she was having them finish famous sayings. She would give the first part, and then the kids would volunteer to finish.

“A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the “ (bush!)

“A rolling stone gathers no…” (moss!)

“Cleanliness is next to…” a little boy raised his hand, “Impossible !” I was recently reminded of that.

We just returned yesterday with our daughter and grandkids, after spending a week with them helping them as they move. Moving is messy. Moving with twins…whew! Usually, there are some things in life that matter to you: clean dishes, clean socks, a clean towel, food that hasn’t been chewed by someone else. But at some point, you quit worrying about some of those things. I think that point is reached when twins are born.

Babies are an interesting study in purity. There are few things as innocent and pristine as a little baby, and few things that make life messier. But the more I think about it, that’s a lot like what we’re supposed to be. As followers of Jesus, we’re supposed to somehow live in the middle of a messy world and yet not be just like it. We have to be involved in it. In fact, to follow the example of Jesus, we have to jump right into the middle of it. But at the same time, we’re supposed to steer clear of the dirt. We’re supposed to pull people from the flames and come back not burned. We’re supposed to remain pure while living in a very impure environment.

That’s a challenging thing to do, isn’t it? Too often, the numbers show very little difference between people on the outside and the inside of Church when it comes to the subject of purity. But my mind keeps going back to how basic this is to being a follower of Jesus.

James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James is talking about purity. Not about ritual. Not image management. Not just the things we do that everyone sees. But about being people who in God’s eyes are pure in a stained world.

The Old Testament was full of ritual, but there was a point to it. Was there a reason the Israelites weren't supposed to weave wool and linen together? Was there a reason they weren't to plow with an ox and a donkey together? Was there a reason they were to ceremonially cleanse themselves; to not eat certain foods?

It was more than just external. There was a lesson in all of it: They were to have a purity about them. Then Jesus came along and made it clear that God’s great concern is what’s going on inside us, not just the external things:

Mark 7 (v15) Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'" . . . (v20-23) "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'"

As He began the Sermon on the Mount Jesus would say, “Blessed, oh how happy, are the pure in heart - the person whose heart is clean, undivided, given wholly to God. They will see God.” I’d like to see God. Would you?

Purity is an issue that we need imbedded into our hearts. Remember, we’re what Jesus gets. Eph 5 says that, "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."

Jesus gave Himself so that He would have us as a pure bride.

As we talk about this subject of purity, there's a danger – a danger that we'll make it into law and ritual rather than heart and genuine worship and imitation of Christ. I know the world is goofing this up. In fact, the world itself is goofed up – it’s stained. So, it makes sense that purity matters if we’re going to land on our feet.

Really, why does it matter? I’m glad you asked that!

It's a Salvation Issue

It matters because my salvation depends on this issue! So does yours!

Colossians 3:5-6

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.