By Scott MacLeod & Matthew Stark
 
“…Make every effort to live a pure and blameless life”
(2 Peter 3:14).

So what's the big deal about purity?  Why should we get pure?  Why a Pure Life Revolution? Why should we have a passion for purity?
 
To begin with, we know Jesus is coming back for a pure and spotless Bride.  Therefore, it is inevitable that there will be a purity movement to sweep the Church before the return of the King.  There must be a returning to the basic fundamentals like purity and holiness, if we are ever going to see the church walk in her full potential. A global purity movement has begun, and the hearts of God's people are being kindled with a burning passion for purity. From this point on, this purifying flame will only grow hotter in the heart of the true Bride.

Purity precedes power. To be conductors of God’s power flowing through us, we must keep ourselves from becoming corroded with sinful desires and ambitions. The Bible tells us in Matthew 11:12, “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” This violence resembles desperation. It expresses the earnestness that we must have in getting rid of sin and all the powers of the enemy working in our lives. We must not compromise on these standards of holiness that God has given us in His Word. Living a life defined by God’s model of purity is a powerful offensive weapon that we have in our arsenal.

Becoming pure is what the Bible describes as the process of sanctification.  Every believer in Christ Jesus goes through this purifying process and will continue to do so until he or she is conformed into the image of Jesus. The Lord is faithful to complete the work that He started in us, and we must be willing to allow ourselves to go through this process.
 
“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:16, NIV).

 
So how do we become pure? One of the primary ways is by obeying God's Word, which is Truth. “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth…” (1 Peter 1:22, NIV); Jesus said, “Sanctify (purify) them by the truth; your word is truth”  (John 17:17, NIV). Obedience is vital to our thriving as “Children of Light.”

We must also wash ourselves in the “water of the Word” (Ephesians 5:26). We must have a desire to know Him and to fall in love with the Word He has given us. The Word is a lamp to our feet; it keeps us from falling and slipping when we know it and apply it to our lives.

One of the greatest battles waged against man is the one inside of himself. This battle usually takes place in the mind. We must continually take our thoughts captive and bring them into obedience. We must secure upon ourselves the helmet of salvation and the mind of Christ, so that day by day we can continually renew our minds – washed by the Blood of Christ.

One of the most frequently missing characteristics of the modern day Christian is the fruit of self-control. Self discipline and taking responsibility for our actions is a must. Too often we want to blame everyone else, including the devil, for the reason we are, the way that we are. We must rid ourselves of this victimized mentality and learn to exercise this fruit of the Spirit if we are going to become pure.

Why should we be pure?  The two primary reasons we have found are: 1) Because it is God’s will for us, and 2) because there is no joy like a clean conscience before God. 
 
“Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” (Psalm 32:2, NLT). 

God desires that we walk in unbroken communion with Him. Sin is an arrogant intruder that steals from and spoils the magnificent love relationship with God for which we were created. He paid dearly to redeem us from that which separates us. 
 
Our sin was dealt with on the Cross so that we could be fully reconciled to God.  Jesus came to deliver us from the curse of sin, which, if left unchecked, leads to nothing less than natural and eternal death. The “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23, NIV.) God has made full provision for each of us to become holy and pure through the washing of the blood of Jesus and the sanctifying work of His Holy Spirit. Our modern world tries to tell us differently, but God’s Word shoots exceedingly straight when it comes to purity...
 
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.  For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, NIV).

In the Kingdom of Heaven, purity precedes genuine authority. Purity is the rarest heavenly commodity found on earth, and yet it is what the human heart longs for. Whether they know it or not, entire cities and even nations are literally aching for it. Once we Get Real, we can Get Pure!
 
Let's begin to pray this 21-word prayer together until we see it become a reality:

Jesus, I plead Your blood over my sins and the sins of my nation. God, make me pure and save America.