PURSUING PURITY by IFUNANYA NWAFOR

PURSUING PURITY

By Ifunanya Ikechukwu (KTF PH)

Purity is a state of being pure {cleanness}. Purity is linked with guiltlessness, blamelessness and innocence. It is also related to patience, kindness, love and speech. What does the bible say about purity?

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

If being pure in heart will make us the children of God to see Him, then why can’t we pursue it? Just like the heart of a child is free and forgiving, so should we be, more so now that we claim to be ‘Children of God’.

Purity transcends virtually all parts of human life, let’s view some of them.

    Purity of heart:

Just like in Matt. 5:8, God places so much value in being pure in heart. Purity of the heart requires us to be free from any form of defilement of sin. In being pure, we must be vigilant, disciplined and have a clear vision into what is needful to maintain a good record of cleanness. We must endeavour to examine ourselves consciously and cautiously to be sure that we are on the right track. Once there is a hole in the heart as a result of sin, we must do all we can to repair it by purging ourselves clean with the blood of Jesus with total repentance. When a fruit fly or apple maggot fly gets to a fresh apple it injects via a tube in its body, eggs that produce maggots into the apple and with time as the fruits ripens for consumption, these maggots can be seen in the fruit. That’s practically how sin gets into the heart and then at maturity it damages our sweet taste and destroys us. Our thoughts become corrupt. Nothing clean comes out of a heart with holes, so we must learn to act like King David who always prayed for purging every now and then.

    Purity of speech

As children of God, we should conduct ourselves in a way that reflects the glory of God. We are not to be gossips, faultfinders and false accusers. Read Psalms 19:14. Our speech should be seasoned with salt and by reading the scriptures we will be able to answer every one in rightness of heart and thoughts. Words have a great effect on the people being spoken to and even on us the speakers. Your words should build and motivate others. To kill with the sword is painful, no doubt, but to kill with the tongue is worse than with the sword. (watch out for a comprehensive teaching on words)

    Purity in Appearance

A Christian is the bible that unbelievers read just like Apostle Paul said, “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men…” 2Cor. 3:2. So we ought to present ourselves as clean vessels and not agents of seduction dressing provocatively or seductively like people of the world. Our dressing has a lot of impression that it leaves in the heart of people and it goes from negative to positive. Is your dressing dropping a good message in the heart of people or the opposite? Someone who is a slut who engages only in lustful activities is known to dress destructively, pulling men and women down with their dressing. Negative dressing only promotes evil and invites trouble and unnecessary glances and lusts. Prov. 31:30. Why we hear in our society so many sexual harassment and assault stories is because ladies and men don’t care to dress well. I see no reason why a child of God from a good home should keep dreadlocks, pierce his ears or relax his/her hair. It is a shame and that’s why you are addressed the way you are dressed! In society now different styles of dressing are in vogue they range from low-waist, hot bosom, bum-shorts, tattered jeans with holes, tight fitting shirts, sagging, mini & micro-mini skirts, low-cut blouses, etc. Because of these modes of dressing, many have been used, abused, raped and even killed. These dressings have gotten into the younger generation such that now many of them have started having sex at an early age because of what they’ve seen on TV. Many have deceived themselves to think that God looks at the heart and not the physical outward appearance which is true but not true in the context that they use it in. the same God that created the inside made the outside, it is from the inside that the outward comes to play, meaning, what you have inside surely is what you will display. When Adam & Eve sinned against God and their eyes were opened to the fact that they were naked, God made tunics and covered them from their nakedness from their necks to their knees. As God’s children we should maintain proper dressing as proof of who we are. (to be continued tomorrow)