“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Wisdom is the righteous application of knowledge. It is something which comes from God, and therefore should be a matter of prayer for to receive this gift. James gives us some of the attributes of wisdom.
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17-18)
As we consider the goals that James lists of wisdom, we first come to purity. Purity is the absolute nature of God. It is to be holy, free of sin and blameless in thought, word, and action. Sound like a tall order? It should, because none is good but God alone (Luke 18:19). Yet, Jesus said that we are to be holy. It is clear through Scripture that purity is our goal, though we will never achieve it on our own; we are simply declared holy as Christians because of God’s grace and our covenant relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” (Romans 6:1) Of course not. Then we must conclude that purity or holiness is to be our goal. With this understanding we begin to truly comprehend what sin is. The Greek word for sin is harmatia, which is from an archery term which literally means, “to miss the mark.”
So when we miss our mark of holiness, we sin. Though sin is our reality, holiness is to be our goal. So I, as a hearlder of God’s message, send out a call for purity. We must, therefore, examine ourselves in this Christian walk. Where do we measure up; where do we fall short.
We have all been in the world at one time and have sought out its pleasures and distractions. And Satan had offered plenty to occupy ourselves outside of Christ, but as Christians, we have been called out of the world.
“Be no longer conformed to this world, but be transformed, by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:1)
As partakers in the world, Satan was lying to us in offering false solutions to the painful void that God’s absence caused in our lives. Illicit and causal sex, pornography, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and gluttony are examples of these false solutions that turned out only to be anesthetics to the problem. Anesthetics only numb the pain for a time. Only a cure will solve the problem of pain.
Praise be to the Lord, that our cure came in Jesus Christ! Should then, the migraine sufferer who finds the neurological cure, continue to seek a Tylenol? Or should the host of a cancer who now is in remission continue his chemotherapy? Then I submit, that the Christian sanctified by the blood of Jesus should no longer seek the supposed remedies of the world.
“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." 1 Peter 1:13-16
If these words are true, then we ought to examine ourselves. Have we put the things of the world behind us? And, let me make clear that this should be an introspection. The Bible says that we are to “work out our OWN salvation, with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) And Jesus made it clear in His Sermon on the Mount discourse that we are to look at ourselves before we judge others. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)
When we do look at ourselves, we should judge our thoughts, words, and actions based upon God’s glory and presence. Is what we are doing glorifying God or ourselves? And, if Jesus were by your side, would you read that book, watch that show, or sing that song? If God were a guest in your home, would you invite him in a toast, blow smoke in His face, or stuff yours?
If your answer is ever no, then remember: “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." (Ephesians 2:22) God is no mere companion or houseguest; He resides within us. He is not only watching, but participating. What sorts of things are we exposing Him to? This should give you a whole new perspective in your quest for holiness.
I urge you to make purity a matter of your prayers. Pray that God will lead you to the answers you seek: should I or shouldn’t I? Pray that God will also give you strength to make those changes which He convicts you to tackle. Pray that God will mold and shape you into the mature Christian that you should be. And also pray for one another. If it comes to your attention that a brother or sister is struggling, pray with them and on your own. We are here to help one another as we all have the same uniting goal: eternal life.
My own introspection has led me to see that I should take care of my body better and be more careful of what and how much I eat. I covet your prayers as I labor to improve in these things and lose my excess weight.
May God bless you all as I leave you with these words.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice.” (Philippians 4:8-9)
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