God’s need for our purity
Have you ever wondered why God forbids sexual sin? It’s not considered a crime in our modern liberal society because apparently, it doesn’t hurt anybody. Furthermore, why is there a need for the Lord’s people to be pure not only in deed but even in their thoughts?
We need to remember that there are three purposes for the creation of mankind:
1. To reflect and express God’s image and glory, including His nature and His ways
Jesus was the first of mankind to get this right: Colossians 1:15 tells us that He is the visible image of the invisible God, but many people seem to think that Jesus is the only person who will ever be the living image of God. This was never God’s intention, for example, when He purposed to make man, He said “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness..” Was that just for a bit of spontaneous fun, or do we see an intentional plan coming into fulfilment through reading these words? Bear in mind that it would not be recorded in scripture if there was no significance behind it. Read on, and you will see that one of the main revelations of the Bible is to show us that God’s original purpose for mankind is for us to become the visible manifestation of an invisible God. Not just a reflection of His glory, as Lucifer might have been at his peak, but an actual container of God, a vessel mingled with Him and married to Him. In John 12:24, Jesus says “Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Here He refers to Himself as the first grain of wheat, and to us as His reproduction after He sows Himself into the earth through death and resurrection as the living Spirit of God in us. When appearing to Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9:4, Jesus refers to His humble gathering of persecuted believers as “Me”. We are now His body, and He lives in us as the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3:17-18).
2. To be His bride, His counterpart
When God said “It is not good for man to be alone”, we tend to think only about ourselves in this matter. However, much of the seeds sown in Genesis are also types and pointers to Christ. In 1 Cor 15:45, we see that Adam, the first man was a type of Christ (the last Adam). Therefore, when God said that it was not good for Adam to be alone, He was opening up a subtle hint about Himself. At the time, Adam would have had animal companions and burden bearers, just as the Father and the Son would have had the angels. But for Adam, no suitable helper was found (Gen 2:20). Was God unable to make an animal that was suitable? Did God make a mistake? Perhaps God actually wished to show us how He feels, in His own longing for a companion of His own kind? No companion fully satisfies you until you find one of your own species, so when Adam exclaims “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” that is a picture of what the Father wishes for His Son. God as the Son (typified by Isaac) has a longing for a companion too, and the Father (typified by Abraham) longs to betroth Him, while the Spirit (typified by Eliezar) seeks out and sanctifies the chosen vessels for this purpose. Here’s another parallel: Out from Adam’s side came the rib for the building of his companion, so also when “the last Adam” was put to sleep on the cross, out from His side came blood and water (John 19:34). The blood for her redemption (a heavy price), and the water for her sanctification (Eph 5:26-27). (A great resource: See msg 17 of the Life Study of Genesis)
3. To defeat and subdue God’s enemy
Genesis 1:26 not only speaks of us being created in God’s own image, but God goes on to say “..and let them have dominion..”. Does God get a thrill out of seeing humans dominate insects and cattle? We have to ask what this verse really refers to when it speaks of the dominion that we ought to have. There is the long task of proving the types and figures in the bible in order to show what the birds and the creeping things represent in biblical typology, but that is a topic for another day. For now, you will have to be content with taking my word for it: What God really means is that we would have dominion not only over all physical, material creation on earth; this is merely the type. Our eternal, spiritual purpose is for us to have dominion over Satan and all creation that followed after him in rebellion against God. That is, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12). We can consider that which is visible to be a temporary picture of God’s eternal intention for the unseen, eternal realm. After all, the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are eternal (2 Cor 4:18). If therefore we have a war to win with the accuser of the brethren, how could we stand up to him if we ourselves are naked and exposed before his accusations in the battlefield? Those who overcome Satan will be those who are cleansed by the blood and love not their soul-life even unto death.
The need for purity
All three of the above require us to be pure both inside and out. To keep our vessel unsullied and unstained. We are not mere tools created for accomplishing a task, but vessels created for beauteous expression and ceremony. Of course, if you do choose to defile your soul in some way, the good news is that God can still use you. However, you would not be suitable for His highest plans and purposes. Let us consider the following verses:
“Now in a large house there are not only [a]vessels and objects of gold and silver, but also vessels and objects of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honourable (noble, good) use and some for dishonourable (ignoble, common). Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things [which are dishonourable—disobedient, sinful], he will be a vessel for honour, sanctified [set apart for a special purpose and], useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Run away from youthful lusts—pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those [believers] who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Tim 2:20-22)
Here we see that even the wooden and earthen vessels are useful to the master. However, they would not be appropriate for a wedding ceremony, but those who cleanse themselves from that which is defiling and dishonourable will be sanctified (separated unto God) for a higher purpose. On the one hand God chooses His vessels (Romans 9:12-13), on the other hand, it is up to us to cleanse ourselves from that which would disqualify us from being vessels for honour. It sounds contrary to the gospel of salvation by faith to say that a man should cleanse himself, yet this is precisely what God says in the above verses. We are also commanded to “work out our own salvation through fear and trembling” (Phil 2:13). On the one hand the bride of Christ makes herself ready (Rev 19:7), yet she is also sanctified and cleansed by Him through the washing of the water in His Word (Eph 5:25-27). It is clear from the Bible then that the process of our salvation through sanctification involves a two-way cooperation between Christ and His bride to be.
This does not contradict salvation through faith alone, because we could never do enough to earn this salvation. However, the process of sanctification (also referred to as salvation in Phil 2:13) still requires our constant cooperation for the rest of our earthly lives.
Salvation comes by blood as well as water
Christ saves His bride not only by the blood but also by the water which flowed from His side on the cross (John 19:34). This blood is for eternal redemption, while the water is for our sanctification (Eph 5:25-27). The blood of the Son of God which purchases us back from Satan’s ownership cannot be earned by any work other than the sacrifice of a pure and sinless man. The water in the Word, which is also the Spirit in God’s word, as well as the living Spirit of God in us as the fountain of living waters, cleanses us from every spot (works of the flesh) or wrinkle (spiritual oldness, staleness in our relationship with Him). Once we have applied the blood for redemption, we need the continual application of the water for our sanctification.
Coming back to the primary purpose of our creation - to be the reflection and expression of God’s glory - let us take notice of the bronze laver that contained water for washing yourself before you could enter the house of God (the tabernacle). There were two steps that one needed to follow before you could enter the holy place:
Offer a sacrifice as a burnt offering on the altar (typifying the blood).
Wash yourself in the bronze laver (typifying the water).
At that time, bronze was the best material to be used as a mirror, so you literally saw your own condition when you looked into the bronze laver. Then you washed that dirt away with the water in the laver. The vessels in the great house referred to in 2 Timothy 2:20-22 would have also included some rare and precious vessels made from refined metals. Pure, smooth and reflective, you could see your face in them the moment you looked at them. Of course, the process of refining such a metal involved a lot of heat, which caused the impurities to rise to the surface, so that they could be scooped away. Likewise, those who are to become vessels unto honour in God’s house need to pass through fiery trials, causing any impurity within their soul to rise to the surface so that it can be dealt with and removed. (The story included as an appendix is good to remember). If this is what it takes to become a vessel unto honour, why would you do something that would defile or damage your vessel, further diminishing any chance of becoming one that is suitable for a great and high purpose?
This is what it looks like in God’s eyes, however, in the world’s eyes we are not vessels, but mere dirty tools in a shed. According to them, it doesn’t matter if you get dirty, twisted or discoloured, as long as you can still do a job that makes money. It’s not a crime to marr the beauty of your soul through sexual sin, but rather don’t steal or damage anyone else’s property, only that is regarded as “sin” in the world’s eyes. We need to be constantly on guard over our mind and thoughts so that we do not get programmed by Satan’s world system to see things in his way. The designs of Satan behind the world’s thoughts and attitudes are something quite ingenious. As they render you incapable of seeing the direct consequences of such actions, thus they cause you to do things that you will regret forever. Today I sin sexually, tomorrow I’m back in the office and all is well, apparently. This is a great deception.
Satan is so determined to cause us to fail in our purpose of expressing God’s glory because that task first belonged to him before he became proud and fell. Now we inherit the highest and most honourable calling in his place, and that makes him furious. Let us go on to make him even more angry by not falling into his well-laid traps, but rather cleansing ourselves from the things of the world. If we would do this, God’s word assures us that we “will be a vessel for honour, sanctified [set apart for a special purpose and], useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.”
Further considerations:
Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19).
We are being built and fitted together into a holy temple. (Eph 2:21)
A useful story to remember: There was once a group of women studying the book of Malachi in the Old Testament. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three, which says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” This verse puzzled the women, and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study.
That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot – then she thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered “Yes”, and explained that he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be damaged.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”
He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy. When I see my image in it.”
~Unknown
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