Tuesday, January 22, 2008

What is Impurity

Well, here I am again, continuing the Sin List series. In just a couple of more posts and I will finally hit the 600 post mark. That's a lot of Quiet Times. Still, it should be more, but I'm not going to beat myself up too much over it. One thing I do know, the past can not be undone, but the future is spotless.
Today, the topic is "impurity".
I'm sure you've heard the story about someone watching a silversmith one day as he was melting silver. The silversmith told them that you must get the exact temperature because if you make it too hot, you’ll ruin it. They then asked him “How do you know when you have the right temperature?” The silversmith replied “When you see your reflection in the silver, the temperature is right.”

That's about being pure.

Ephesians 5:1-7
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

So, when the Bible says there should not be any kind of impurity... what does it mean? I mean, I know that impurity is being impure, but what does that entail?

Impurity: akaqarsia (pronounced: ak-ath-ar-see'-ah):
  • uncleanness, physical, in a moral sense: the impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living; of impure motives.

It is a physical uncleanness. Let's say, I lust after a woman at the grocery store, I become unclean. If I go out of my way to look at someone, say while I am driving in my car... that is impure motives, whether I succeed at looking at that person or not. That's good to know, because I have often wondered about whether the desire to sin and not doing it was sin. In this case, it is. Johnny Out.

It may take me a while to actually climb back up into the 90 percentile, but the challenge is definitely welcome. I think that this is more and more attainable all the time.

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