Purity, moral and spiritual (2)

Ron Marsiglio Jr.

Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Moral and spiritual purity is demanded by God of his people. God calls his people to be holy, just as he is holy.

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1- Divine purity

The purity of God

Habakkuk 1:13 ESV

13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

The purity of Jesus Christ

1 John 3:3 ESV

And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

2- Fellowship with God demands purity

Ps 24:3–4; Mt 5:8

God’s people are to live pure lives

Colossians 3:5 ESV

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

See also Le 18:30; Job 31:1; Ps 51:10; 1 Co 5:7–8 Yeast is a symbol of sin; 1 Co 6:15–20; 1 Th 4:3; Tt 1:15; Tt 2:5; Heb 13:4; Jas 1:27; Jas 4:8

Purity is unobtainable by human effort

Because of the sinful human nature

Job 14:4 ESV

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.

Because of the tendency to idolatry

Hosea 8:5 ESV

I have spurned your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence?

Because of self-deception

Proverbs 30:12 ESV

There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.

Because of an unwillingness to be cleansed

Ezekiel 24:13 ESV

On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, you shall not be cleansed anymore till I have satisfied my fury upon you.

Symbols of purification from sin

Psalm 51:7 ESV

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

See also Is 6:6 fire; Mk 1:4 water baptism; 2 Co 11:2 virginity; 2 Pe 3:14 spotlessness

God promises to purify his people

Ezekiel 36:25 ESV

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

Purification through Jesus Christ

Through pardon offered in his death

Hebrews 9:14 ESV

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Through his word

John 15:3 ESV

Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

Through his presence in resisting temptation

James 4:7–8 ESV

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Through hope built on his promises

Titus 2:12–13 ESV

training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Purification through judgment

In the OT

Leviticus 18:28 ESV

lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.

See also Dt 13:5; Dt 17:7; Dt 17:12; Jdg 20:13; Mal 3:2–4

In the NT

1 Corinthians 5:13 ESV

God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Symbols of purity

Whiteness

Daniel 7:9 ESV

See also Ps 51:7; Is 1:18; Mt 17:2; Mt 28:3; Mk 16:5; Jn 20:12; Re 1:14

Light

1 John 1:7 ESV

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

See also Job 25:5; Eze 1:27; 2 Co 6:14; Eph 5:8–9

Washing

Psalm 26:6 ESV

I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O Lord,

Fire

Daniel 7:9–10 ESV

“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.