Purity is a word that comes up every now and then in our daily lives. We all want to have pure water to drink — ensuring it is free of disease and contaminants. There is talk of pure gold or gemstones in jewelry, pure air for breathing, and chemicals for cleaning. We also sometimes direct that thought inwardly and wonder what it might mean to be a pure person. For anyone of faith, there are direct, clear answers as to what it means to be a pure person and live a pure life. You will find answers in the Bible, and understanding purity can help you live a fruitful life.

A Pure Life Free of Sin

The only way to be pure in the eyes of God is to be free of any sin. Unfortunately, we are not the living son of God, so we all have sinned. Our lives are not free from it; thus, we cannot be pure on our own.

Even more troubling, because we are impure, our sins separate us from God and all of the wonderful things he would like to give us. Unless we can be freed from our sins, we can never be pure, and this gulf can never be overcome.

As it says in Ephesians 5:5, “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”

A Cleansed Soul Means a Pure Life

This puts all of us in a tough spot. We have to be pure to get into the kingdom of God, but we cannot be pure because of our sins, and we have all sinned. What is a sinner to do?

Embrace the grace of Christ. Live a life that God wants us to live.

God gave us an out through the sacrifice of his son on the cross.

There is only one path to purity, and that is redemption through Christ’s sacrifice. The entire purpose of his sacrifice was to cleanse us of our sins, and when you accept the gift of that sacrifice, you are made pure.

In fact, this is the very symbolism that is depicted in a baptism. Through our faith in Jesus, we are cleansed of our sins and made pure again.

It’s not something we can do on our own, but God made it possible for us. You can see this in Titus 3:5, “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”

Continued Purity Through Fruitful Living

Once we accept the gift of Christ’s sacrifice, what next? Sure, it might make us pure, but even the best among us stumble back into sin every now and then. How do we stay pure?

The first hint was provided in Titus 3:5. We can get washing through the renewal of the Holy Spirit. In other words, we have to draw close to God.

The Bible is essentially a road map that tells us how to draw close to God. It gives us commandments and advice, and keeping to all of it to the best of our ability will help us stay close to God, and through that relationship, we will be kept pure.

There are many passages in scripture that talk about remaining pure and keeping a good relationship with God. Perhaps James 4:8 is the most direct, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

We can always purify our hearts again by obeying God and his commandments and drawing near to him. That’s really what this is all about.

All Purity Comes From God

It really boils down to the fact that God is the source of true purity. If we are close to him, we will live a pure life. We need the sacrifice of Christ to establish that relationship, but with it, God can keep us clean and protect our relationship with Him.

On our end, all we have to do is obey Him. He will take care of the rest. Do that, and we can look in hope to the endless rewards that come with faith and a relationship with the almighty.

A final bit of scripture really tells the most important part of the story. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8