Happy New Year Friends! I know it has been a few weeks since I have posted my last blog. I would really like to post something weekly, but that is not practical for me in this season of life. I am simply doing my best to be obedient and take note of Holy Spirit whispers that form each blog.
The process for me writing a blog so far usually begins with a biblical thought or a specific verse that really takes hold of my mind and heart. I will write that down in my journal and then spider-web other corresponding Bible verses. As I marinate on those, I am eventually compelled to begin writing.
The verse that I have been mediating on is from 2 Corinthians 7:1-
“Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, we should wash ourselves clean from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, making our sanctification complete in the fear of God” (HCSB).
There is SO much to unpack in that verse. The NKJV version says it this way: “…let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” In this verse we also see the theme of this blog: holiness.
Immediately, my first thought is that clearly this is a choice I either do or do not make. The Bible would not tell me to do something if it was not possible to do through the enabling of the Holy Spirit. We know we are not saved by works of our own doing, but walking worthy of Christ does require effort on our end.
The words that stuck out to me were “wash”, “clean”, and “impurity.” Then I fixated on the word impurity which led me to purity. Next, I began to make a list of topical scriptures pertaining to purity. Here are some that I wrote down.
Psalm 12:6 – The words of the Lord are pure words…
1 Corinthians 11:3 – But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted from a complete and pure devotion to Christ.
Philippians 1:19 – …so that you can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ.
1 Timothy 1:5 – Now the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart…
1 Timothy 4:12 – …you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
1 Timothy 5:22b – Keep yourselves pure.
2 Timothy 2:22 – …call on the lord from a pure heart.
1 Peter 1:22 – By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves…
2 Peter 3:1 – …I awaken your pure understanding with a reminder…
Titus 1:15 – To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their minds and conscience are defiled.
Titus 2:5 – …to be sensible, pure…
1 John 3:3 – And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure.
I listed these verses in order from the Old Testament to the New Testament and while this is not an exhaustive list of scripture on purity, it gives me plenty to chew on. I love how the order of this list begins with “the Lord’s words are pure” and ends with “everyone who has hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure.” Simply put, we purify ourselves by hoping in Christ. I could not have planned for the list to begin and end so beautifully and cohesively. That is evidence of the beauty of scripture.
Further evidence of this beauty is that as I was writing that last sentence Matthew 10:16 popped into my mind: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (ESV). I immediately wondered if the Holy Spirit dropped that into my mind because the word “pure” would be found in any of the translations, but come to find out, it wasn’t. Then I thought, I wonder what the original Greek word/meaning is for “innocent” in that verse. A quick google search and a few clicks later I discovered that the Greek definition said, “innocent, pure, unmixed, blameless.” I laughed out loud to learn that PURE was in that lineup! Jesus was speaking to His disciples in Matthew 10:16 and giving them instructions on how to live in a purity, comparing it to an innocent dove. I love all the imagery He gives here. Sheep are dependent on their shepherd for survival and as a Christian, I am dependent on The Good Shepherd’s guidance for my survival in this life. Jesus’ instructions to the disciples on how to live life are also instructions to us. In Rick Renner’s Sparking Gems book he says this, “Knowing when to act is as important as knowing when to lay low.” This requires discernment. As I wrote that, Philippians 1:9 popped into my head: “And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment…” (HCSB). As I read the next verse, I once again laughed out loud because it says: “…so that you can determine what really matters and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ…” (1:10 HCSB, emphasis mine). I then added that verse to the above list. If Paul was praying this over the church of Philippi back in the A.D. 60s, how much more should I be praying this over my family and myself today?
There is a day coming when our Lord Jesus Christ will return and scripture is abundantly clear that while salvation alone is a gift and cannot be obtained by our own works, we must put effort in maintaining a standard of purity. The Apostle Peter also gives instruction on how to live in purity saying, “make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (2 Peter 1:5-7 HCSB). Peter tells us that we must make an effort so that we can escape “the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4 HCSB). If we do not make an effort to be pure, we will get swept away with the evil desires of this world. We are to be in the world but not of the world (John 17:16). When I googled that verse, I really liked what the AI Overview said about it: The phrase “in the world but not of the world” means being physically present in the world while not being fully engaged with its material aspects. It also means living by a different set of values than those commonly held. Those “different set of values” are found in the Word of God. Peter reminds us that it is through Jesus’ divine power that “has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him” (2 Peter 1:3 HCSB). How do we obtain knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord? We read His word. When we are filled with the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, His words and thoughts begin to shape our thoughts. We begin to filter our lifestyle choices based on what He says.
What does living a life of purity look like for me you may wonder? It is simple in my opinion. First and foremost, I begin everyday reading the Bible. During this time, I read more than praying and listening to worship music. My pastor says hearing what God has to say to me (reading the Bible) is far more important than what I have to say to Him (prayer). Now he is in no way downplaying praying or worshipping on our knees. But I completely agree with him that most of my quiet time should be reading His words to me. Whenever I need an answer or direction to a time sensitive prayer request, I begin my quiet time on my knees in worship. In my heart I want to lift up His sovereignty and majesty before I lift up my need. I know who my Father is- He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and I will approach the throne boldly after acknowledging His sovereignty. After my quiet time with the Lord, it is homeschooling time. I have shared that my priority in this season of life is to steward my girls’ education by homeschooling them. And the first thing on the school agenda is to read scripture and discuss its meaning and application. That usually takes a few hours. Then the rest of the day during the work week is homemaking: budgeting, cleaning, cooking, etc. When I have free time to enjoy a leisure activity, it is most often spent reading a book on biblical teaching. There was a time I would watch worthless and idle television, but I have lost that appetite. When I do watch television, it usually is a sermon or biblical documentary. Now, I do still enjoy an occasional romantic movie, but it must be CLEAN. No cursing, no provocative or suggestive content. You can find that easily on the Pure Flix app. Another great option to rewatch (because it never gets old) is The Chosen TV series. It’s also a great visual aid to my girls when I want to give them an idea of some of the beloved Bible stories.
Most of the time I spend outside the home is at my church serving in some capacity. I am very involved in both our Jewish Ministries and Women’s Ministries; serving fills my cup. I enjoy that time fellowshipping with other believers as we encourage one another.
Once every couple of months I will work a corporate event. This could be assisting with event registration to doing whatever the client needs assistance with. No event is a cookie-cutter event. This is really the only time I’m out of my “Jesus bubble”, but I’m not silent about Jesus. Now do I start preaching to my co-workers? Absolutely not. However, as the event progresses, and the inevitable small talk begins about our interests, I share that while I primarily homeschool, I have leadership responsibilities at my church. I specifically word it “leadership responsibilities” so that they know I am the kind of Christian that is invested in the church and that I do not merely show up to check off my weekly attendance box. If they show interest and ask questions, I do not hesitate to share my love for Christ, but I do so in a professional manner without being weird or awkward. No one likes that. If they do not share the same interest, I do not push the topic. However, sometimes a “hot topic” can get brought up and I am not ashamed to kindly share some biblical truth on the matter. I am not out to “save” anyone on the spot, but rather be a light because my conversation may be what the Lord uses to stir their heart to seek after Him.
Any additional ounce of time that I can squeeze out is usually spent video chatting with a friend or meeting up for coffee. Just last night I spent two hours chatting with a new friend about our lives. We laughed and shared similarities and annoyances. After the chat I thanked the Lord for this new friendship because it is extra special as we share so much in common.
I know I live in a “Jesus bubble” and do not have to deal with much of the outside world in this season, but I know it will go by fast. And when I begin to work more, I will encounter more of the world and be even more equipped to be a light to the world.
I will also mention that homemaking means I handle most of the phone calls to all the utility companies that no one ever likes to make. I dread when it is time to renew the electricity plan or switch car insurances because the current policy’s renewal premium skyrockets (that happened recently). Each phone call takes close to an hour while I patiently wait for the representatives’ feedback. Living a lifestyle of purity causes me to see these calls as ministry opportunities. I am often thanked for being incredibly patient which then gives me the opening to say, “Well, if I can’t be patient, then I have bigger problems. According to the Bible, if I lack patience, I lack love because patience is the first thing love is.” Regardless of their response, my goal is to be a light to them. One time I was calling to get a refund from a phone provider as they mischarged me and I mentioned I was pregnant. The gentleman responded, “Mazel Tov!” I immediately asked, “Oh, are you Jewish?” and he said his dad was. I then asked if he had heard of the TV series The Chosen and suggested he should check it out because I really enjoyed how it gives insight to the Jewish culture. I don’t remember it being awkward and I hope he checked out the show or at least got stirred about Jesus. I have more stories like this than I care to admit but having to make these calls are simply another way to evangelize.
I give an insight to my life not to boast how “pure” I am, but to share that living a lifestyle of purity in Christ is simple. After all, the gospel is simple. I have no appetite for the worldly activities such as partying, watching whatever, gossiping, hyper consuming- all the things the world says we need to partake in to experience happiness and fulfillment. Afterall, we all know they lead to emptiness. Paul speaks of this in Galatians 6:14, “Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died” (HCSB). That means if I have surrendered my life to the cross, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NLT). I believe Jesus died for my sin and I know He has not dealt with me according to what my previous sinful life deserves (Psalm 103:10). Christ gave himself for me and His love is a love I cannot comprehend, as the psalmist says: “This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it” (Psalm 139:6 CSB). I may not be able to fully grasp the wonder of God’s love for me, but I wholeheartedly surrender to it. And when we repent and surrender to Jesus’ sacrificial and atoning death for our sins, something supernatural happens. We are made pure from our sins.
Yesterday it snowed here in Texas for the first time in years. As the beauty of the snow fell, my heart was overwhelmed by Isaiah 1:18- “Come, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are scarlet, they will be as white as snow” (CSB). The white snow reminded me of purity. I can live a life of purity because of my belief in the finished work of the cross. And because of the cross, Christ lives in me, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), enabling me to live a life of purity in a world full of impurity. Do you remember the last verse in the above list about purity? 1 John 3:3 says, “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure. Friends, come, and let’s settle this: “since we have such promises, we should wash ourselves clean from every impurity…” (1 Corinthians 7:1 HCSB). Let’s wash ourselves clean and live in purity.
As Paul prayed, so I will pray over you “that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11 CSB, emphasis mine).
Amen.