Pure

Is there anything pure left in this world? Perhaps this sounds cynical? Hear me out! For something to be pure it must be free from any adulterant, anything that taints, impairs, or infects. Something pure it must be clear, simple, faultless, perfect, and blameless. Being pure means to be genuine, unmingled, unmixed, undiluted, fair, true, immaculate, stainless, and spotless.

By definition, I can assure you, nothing in my life or about my life is pure. Nothing about me is unadulterated or untainted. Just by turning on my television I become subjected to the adulterated/tainted ways of this world. If you don't believe this, turn on your television! Better yet, don't!!! Even if you turned on your television to watch the news, you will find murder and molestation, teft, greed, addiction, and slander. What is so pure about any of these things?

Again, my life isn't pure. It is far from simple, clear, faultless or perfection. Will I ever be considered blameless? As much as I might pretend or wish, I am not blameless. Even my good intentions can damage someone. Perhaps you think this is pessimistic as well. Consider, have you ever offended someone or hurt someone by accident or when trying to do good or to be helpful? It happens. This world is not pure and the effects of sin ripples.

This world is mingled, mixed, diluted, unfair, untrue, stained, and spotted. Why do you think our Lord called Israel to be separated from other nations? He called them to purity: to worship Him alone and to have the pure life that comes only by being fully saturated in God and unmingled with the rest of the world.

Why would God call His people to do the impossible? All people live in this world. Who can be separated from it? Maybe that is the point! We can't be pure! Nothing about our lives or this world is blameless nor can be pure. Only God is pure and makes things blameless.

"And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-if indeed you continue in faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel." Colossians 1:21-23

"He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him." Ephesians 1:4

"Do all things without grumbling and disputing; so that yo uwill prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life." Philippians 2:14-16

Notice: before Jesus we (everyone of us) were estranged and opossed to God in mind and behavior. Our desire to do our own thing rather than God's will, separated us from Him and made us unfriendly toward God. Yet what did God do? Did God say to his beloved creation, "Okay, suffer. I didn't want you anyway! Burn."

On the contrary, he continued to love all of us, his very enemies. "He demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 He could not wait until we stopped sinning to bring us back to him as friends and family. It couldn't happen. It is not possible for us to make ourselves pure, blamesless, holy, unspotted, untainted, unadulterated.

If you find yourself to be in midst of this adulterated world, living a life hostile toward God; know that He has done all you need to become blameless and pure before him. You don't have to live as an enemy of God any longer. You don't have to be tainted. You don't have to burn with the ways of this world nor eternally in the next. God doesn't want to throw you into the fire. He wants to keep you.

Christ died for you. Christ died for me. Only Christ can present you and I blameless before God. Only Christ empowers us to to live by faith and steadfast until His return. Only Christ shows us how to be blameless and pure, for he is blameless and pure. For this reason, we must talk to Him daily, study his life so that we can immitate it. We must read the word of God. It is a living word that will teach us to be pure. "The wisdom from above is first pure, then peacable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy." James 3:17

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and don not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Retore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit." Psalm 51:10-13

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8