99 44/100% Pure (Bulletin article for January 15)
Have you ever noticed the way advertisers are able to turn something around on us? For example, many food companies tell us about items that are “97% fat free.” What does that really mean? It really means that 3% of that food is completely made up of fat! By using the larger number, however, we are drawn away from that fact.
The Ivory soap company advertised for many years about their soap that was “99 44/100% pure.” What does that mean? It means that over 1/2 of 1 percent of that bar of soap was made up of impurities (and they were “cleaning” your skin!).
In truth, the Ivory soap ads were not true. Something is either pure or it is not. We are told often in the Bible that we are to be pure. The Bible never says, “Be almost pure,” or “be 99 44/100% pure.” We are to be completely pure.
What does “pure” mean? If you look it up in the dictionary, you will find something like this: “free from any adulterant; free from anything harmful” (Webster’s New World Dictionary, emphasis added). Notice there is no room for impurities in something that is pure.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). Notice that Jesus did not put the emphasis on an outward-only purity; instead, He said that we must be pure from the inside-out. But, how do we do that?
While the answer to that question may sound too simplistic, it is, nevertheless, the truth. We remain pure in our hearts by not filling them with sinful things. We need to avoid the very appearance of evil (First Thessalonians 5:22).
Why do we often preach against sinful television shows, music and movies? Because those images and words fill our minds with things that are impure.
Why do Christians oppose the plague of pornography that is so prevalent in our society today? One reason is because it causes impure thoughts.
Why is it not right for a Christian who is not married to dance (such as at the PROM)? Because the thoughts that are present in the mind are not pure.
Many think, “It’s just a thought, no one will ever know about it.” It might be true that another person may never find out what we are thinking, but God knows. Our lack of purity can have a grave impact on our lives. Paul told Timothy to “pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (Second Timothy 2:22). If we do not have a pure heart, we are not able to call on the Lord.
Finally, we must remember that everything we do, including our thoughts, will be judged. Solomon wrote that God would judge even “every secret thing” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Let’s keep our hearts 100% pure.
