Pure

Over the last few months the word that has come up often, over and over, in my quiet time has been the word PURE. It has seeped from my quiet time into my every day, moment by moment living. As I have studied it, it has also become a kind of filter that guards my mind, heart and the words that I allow to leave my mouth as well.

The prayer I have prayed the most – from the moment I rise, until the moment I lay my head on the pillow, goes something along the lines of this:

“God help me to be pure. Would the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing and honoring in your sight. Would the intent of my heart, all my motivations, the thoughts that I think, everything that I say – would it all be consecrated, sanctified, set apart and pure because I want to see your face, I want to see your tangible presence moving in every aspect  of my life – I want to see You.”

The word pure is mentioned approximately 100 times in the Bible depending upon what version you are reading. It is laced throughout the Old Testament and the New. God’s desire from the beginning of time until now is that we would be in fellowship and community with Him. 

Why? Because He made every single human from the beginning of time with innate and immeasurable value and He LOVES us. He claims you, He claims me – and He longs to be known and claimed by us in return.

We belong to each other.

He desires for us to experience the fullest version of ourselves and a deep, intimate relationship with Him. That requires our purity. For us to be in the presence of a Holy God – we need to be holy too.

I recognize that there is a complex relationship between the finished work of Christ to once and for all purify us and secure our eternity and the process of personally embracing purity which cultivates intimacy with God. The tension is real.

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

Over and over again we see God lovingly pursuing His people. In the Old Testament He asked the Israelites to be holy – to purify themselves, to sacrifice a lamb when they fell short – the blood of the lamb would cover their sins. Then the God of the Universe sent His Son to be our covering – our righteousness when we could not attain holiness in our human flesh – the Lamb that would give His life for the sins of the world.  In the New Testament He is still asking us to strive for holiness – to run a good race- to fight a good fight, to be pure. We now find ourselves striving in our human pursuit but lavished with the most beautiful gift in the world – we are always covered... ALWAYS COVERED by the blood of the Lamb when we fall short. We now always have access to God through Jesus.  

 He is holy and pure – for us to be in His presence we need to be covered in righteousness. That is why from the beginning of time, he longs for us to be set apart, to look like Him – not like the world – His desire is to draw us close and bring us near. His desire for our purity is for our own good.

There are so many times in scripture where He asks us to be pure with the promise of Himself, His goodness and our best. Take some time to read the passages below and take note of the truths we can count on as we pursue purity.

• Psalm 73:1
• 1 John 3: 2 & 3
• Titus 1:15
• James 4:8
• 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 & 7:1
• 1 John 1:7 

He is faithful – even when we are faithless. He always promises Himself to His people – over and over again. I don’t know about you, but I want to respond to His faithfulness with faithfulness of my own. I want to press in towards Him, to be pure, and to see His face. I want to see Him do wonderous things.

That requires our pursuit of Him – of holiness, righteousness and purity. To look like Him means we look different than the world, it’s painful, it can be lonely, but friend, it is SO WORTH IT.

Get yourself ready girl!!!! Evaluate the state of your heart. Confess your sin. Seek holiness and righteousness in the depths of your soul. Be pure.

“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3:5

He is still in the business of wonders.