Purity

     We live in a society where “love” and “relationships” are worshipped, where we allow pictures of women on the front of magazines to become our standard of beauty, and where our minds are constantly bombarded by immorality all around us.  Purity has become nearly a lost virtue in today’s world, and even for many Christians it seems to have become a false reality.  Yet just because the society we live in does not honor and uphold purity does not mean that God has forgotten about it as well.  Purity is a mindset that will ultimately be reflected in our actions and decisions, from the choice to remain sexually pure all the way down to how we act and dress and the secret thoughts we have.  God has called every Christian to come out from the world and be different, and it is up to young Christians today to “set an example for the believers in . . . purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)

     Most people use the word purity interchangeably with virginity, but in reality purity is so much more than that; virginity is only one of its many aspects.  Because teenagers are desperate to be loved and accepted, they often feel that the only way to obtain that sense of security is through a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship – which often leads to sexual activity.  One of my friends – and eighth grader at the time – once said to me, “I’m not desperate yet.  But if I don’t have a girlfriend by sophomore year, then I’ll be desperate.”  Unless a person makes a conscious choice to remain completely sexually pure until they are married, it is easy to waver back and forth in their beliefs and give into temptation when the opportunity arises.  Answers in Genesis has shown that over fifty percent of evangelical high school students believe that premarital sex is okay.  Because most Christian teenagers are hesitant about fully committing themselves to sexual purity, this can lead to a life filled with more hurt and shame than they ever imagined.  We need to realize that God will honor our commitment to sexual purity and the rewards of waiting for marriage will be so much greater than anything this world has to offer.

     The purity of our hearts is also reflected in the way we act and dress.  Our actions represent what is really inside our hearts, which means that in order for our actions to be pure, we need to have our hearts in the right place.  When we choose to act in ways that are contrary to God’s Word, this creates the impression that purity and integrity are not our highest priority in life.  The way we dress also reflects what is inside our hearts.  In The Modesty Survey, one 16-year-old young man wrote, “If a girl dresses modestly, it shows me that she is leaving it to God to choose her husband for her, so therefore there is no need to 'advertise'.  If a girl dresses immodestly, however, then that shows me that she has not given everything to God, and is trying to attract guys to her in order to find a husband that way.”  As 1 Timothy 2:9-10 says, “I . . . want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety . . . appropriate for women who . . . worship God.”

     One aspect of purity which most people overlook is the purity of our thought life, or emotional purity.  As the author of “I Kissed Dating Goodbye”, Joshua Harris said, “Purity starts in the heart and is expressed in a lifestyle that avoids settings of temptation and compromise.”  This kind of purity is only between a person and God, and because it is not as noticeable on the outside, most people feel that it is not as important.  Yet emotional purity is at least as important as virginity, if not more, because a person’s actions are the overflow of their thoughts.  Even if a person is completely sexually pure on the outside, they can be just as guilty as someone who has had premarital sex because they have sinned in their heart by allowing lustful thoughts into their minds.  The key to staying emotionally pure is found in Psalm 119:9; “How can a young man keep his way pure?  By living according to your word.”

     In a world where purity is seen as being old-fashioned and out-of-date, it is up to young Christians to set an example for those around them by living lives of purity.  We have been called by God to be different and to live separate from this world; every person must hold himself accountable to God for their actions and thoughts.  While God does not promise that a life of purity will be easy, He does promise that He is greater than any temptation we may face in this life and that the rewards of waiting for marriage will be so much greater than the temporary pleasures of this world.