PANTING FOR GOD’S PURITY

“Flee also youthful lusts; but PURSUE righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a PURE HEART” – 2 Timothy 2:22

Panting for Perfection is PANTING for GOD’S PURITY: “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a PURE HEART” (2 Timothy 2:22). The pursuit of righteousness, faith, love, and peace is meaningful only on the platform of purity. Pursuing purity is a reality for every believer in Christ. What seems impossible with man is possible with God; hence He says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt. 5:8).

Purity, at its core, is about honouring the Lord with our spirit, soul, and body. It’s about what we expose our hearts and minds to daily. It is as much about what we admit through our eyes and ears as what we do with our bodies. Job covenanted with his eyes to not look lustfully on a woman (Job 31:1). Purity is about digging deeper into our relationship with God through faith in Jesus, and inviting the Holy Spirit to lead us moment-by-moment. It’s not about a set of rules. It’s not about feeling better than others. Those who try to tout their purity are proud. Purity includes, but transcends overcoming sexual immorality. God's purpose is to align us with His pure Heart and thoughts. Through meditation in His Word, we can develop an attitude and willingness to pursue purity of heart, soul, and body.  This attitude of the heart results in a lifestyle change!

With eternity in view, we must make active decisions daily to commit ourselves to pursue purity: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1Jh.3:2-3). Though in reality we often fall short of God’s standard for our lives, and are prone to wander away from the One we claim to love, we can pant for His purity: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psa.139:23-24). God answers our prayers by revealing the sins in our lives, not to condemn us, but to help us. He confronts us with our sin to make room for confession and cleansing.

Confession of sin: the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin so we can confess and be able to come clean. Although sin in our lives does not break our relationship with God, it hinders our fellowship with Him: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psa. 66: 18). Sin could cause our prayer life to dry up, joy to fizzle, worship to be sterile; and Bible study barren. Concealing sin instead of confessing and turning from it creates a chasm.

Cleansing from sin: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jh.1:8-9). Forgiveness and cleansing follows confession.  The word “confess” (“homologeo” in the original Greek), means, “to say the same thing.” When we stop making excuses for our sin and just call it what it is – what God calls it – sin, we are forgiven and cleansed!

Consecration, Commitment, and Consistency must follow confession and cleansing! Walking in purity requires a daily plan, with the heart attitude of humility, reminding one daily that apart from Christ, we can do nothing (Phi. 2:3-8). Learning to turn away from lustful thoughts requires the daily discipline of replacing old thoughts and sinful patterns with new and God-honouring ones. Such plan must include devotion in God’s word and building relationships that enhance accountability and fellowship: “How can a young man stay on the PATH of PURITY? By living according to your word.” (Psalm 119:9, NIV).