WEEK THREE: ADDRESSING PURITY CULTURE

Back in 2020 when COVID-19 broke lose, sanitation and cleanliness became a priority for everyone. We were told to wash frequently, to cover our nose and mouth with a mask, to wipe down everything that came into our home with a disinfecting wipe or to quarantine it for 72 hours to make sure that it was not contaminated with the virus. In essence, we were trying to create a pure environment that would ensure that we wouldn’t get sick, and no one was exempt. Unfortunately, it takes a crisis for us to realize how important purity is when it comes to our health. If it is important to our physical health, then how much more important is it to our spiritual health, especially when it comes to our relationships.

However, we live in a world where staying pure is becoming more and more difficult because we are bombarded with provocative images in commercials, on the internet, in lyrics from the songs we listen to, and in the entertainment we participate in. Then as our inhibitions are lowered, we are tempted to compromise what we believe. Romance, love, and sex become casual, and relationships become easily discarded…or worse, they become tools of manipulation to satisfy our desires.

Purity may not something that is often talked about within the Church currently, but it is something that God’s Word is very clear about. He gives us clear boundaries for sexual relationships within marriage. (Genesis 2:24-25) In Proverbs 2:10-11 it says, “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you.” (NKJV) This is telling us that we need to learn to live skillfully, not swayed by every little pull on us, understanding what is happening and using God’s wisdom and word to keep us centered and preserved. But what if purity is already lost? What if we’ve stepped outside of God’s plan of purity? Well, there is good news!

When God redeems us, he doesn’t just redeem our soul; he redeems all of us. Our faults and failures, our guilt and our shame are wiped away and we get a clean slate before God. He doesn’t hold past sin and indiscretion against us. We are made new. So, even if you have missed the mark when it comes to purity in the past, don’t let the enemy try to define you by that. You are accepted by God. Put aside your old ways and walk in the newfound purity offered you through Jesus. You are whole in Jesus, and you can begin fresh and new as you follow him.