What do you think of when you think of purity? Some think of modesty, some of staying sexually pure. Others might think of purity as having to follow useless rules someone made up in order to oppress us and ruin our fun. I tend to think of staying pure for my future husband. Everyone seems to have their own take on what it means to be pure and most of the time, people get it wrong because most of the time when people think of purity the last place they think to look to understand it is the Bible. Because of that we tend to totally miss God’s intention for us and we tend to miss that there is not one kind of purity, but actually three kinds of purity. Each are just as important and just as needed in our lives as Christian women.
Let’s just jump into it shall we?
1: Purity of the body. The Bible talks a good deal about the importance of being physically pure, Proverbs 31:5, 1 Corinthians: 6:18, Hebrews 13:4, Colossians 3:5, 2 Timothy 2:22 to name a few. Our bodies are precious and wonderful things, created by God to be perfectly and wonderfully made. Made for our husbands just like our husbands are made for us. Physical touch is meant to be something that is beautiful, something that makes two become one. Throwing one’s body to first this guy then that one makes touch lose its natural beauty. And it’s certainly not what God meant when He called us to purity.
2: Purity of the mind. This is just as important as purity of the body and something I hate to say I’ve failed in. I think that in a lot of ways purity of the body and mind are the same thing. Matthew 5:28 says “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:8 says “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” 1 Peter 5:8 says “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Have you ever gone to a movie and thought that the leading actor was cute? Or noticed how handsome the new guy at church is? Or had your eyes and mind focus in on some random guy you pass in the store who not only looked good but smelled great? Noticing is one thing but keeping on thinking about it is something else entirely. What happens when you can’t get this cute guy off your mind? When he starts to consume your thoughts? When you start to daydream about him? Endlessly? There’s nothing wrong with thinking a young man is attractive. God made our eyes and He made guys handsome. But when attraction leads you to lust, you are sinning. Allowing yourself to fall into this slippery trap is just as bad as if you had given yourself away to this man. Because, really, you have.
3: Lastly, I would say that purity of love. Our relationship with our husband should be pure, even when he’s still our future husband. Even when we haven’t even met him. Our relationship with him is meant by the Lord to be undefiled in any way. Proverbs 31: 12 says that “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” How is it possible to not do him evil if you are giving yourself away in mind or body to another. Genesis 2:24 says “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Yes, this only applies to us after we have taken our vows and gotten married but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t something that we should strive for one day. It should be on your mind simply because it helps make all the waiting and the effort to remain pure for him worthwhile.
We’re made to be pure in body, heart and mind, and then later pure in marriage. Throwing ourselves around by giving away our bodies or our minds might bring brief happiness and exciting butterflies. Purity in marriage is something that two Christian people seeking to honor God through their marriage begin to accomplish even before they say “I do.”
I intend to discuss this topic more in a future post, so stick around.
What are your thoughts on this post?
What has your journey to understanding purity like?
Would you add anything to this?
Feel free to comment your answer. Just please be kind in the way you do it.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
God bless,
Tatiana
More Precious Than Jewels 