Truth Magazine

God expects his contemporary earthly dwellings to be as pure as his earthly dwellings of ancient times.

Imagine that God commissioned you to construct the tabernacle. What material would you deem suitable to use in its construction? Remember, this structure represents God’s dwelling among his people (Exod. 29:43-46). I imagine Moses was as thankful as we would be that God did not leave these matters for him to contemplate. Rather, God revealed to Moses every detail concerning the construction of this most important dwelling place.

One of the most consistently striking aspects of God’s instructions concerning the construction of the tabernacle was that it was to be constructed of valuable and pure raw materials. This is most evident with regard to the furnishings within the holy place and the most holy place. The table of shewbread, the ark of incense, and the ark of the covenant were overlaid with pure gold. The candlestick, the mercy seat, as well as each of the articles that sat on the table of shewbread, were made entirely of pure gold. In addition, the olive oil, myrrh, and frankincense that were used in the tabernacle were to be in their pure form. Only the purest form of these valuable elements was permitted in the representative presence of God. Later, God authorized Solomon to construct the temple. It, like the tabernacle, represented God’s presence and needed to be built of pure materials.

We have been reminded of these Old Testament facts to impress upon those who follow Christ that they are now God’s representative dwelling place. Peter spoke of the “tabernacle” of his body (2 Pet. 1:13-14). Jesus spoke of the “temple” of his body (John 2:19-21). The inspired word of God reveals that every Christian is the “temple of the living God” (2 Cor. 6:16). Certainly, God expects his contemporary earthly dwellings to be as pure as his earthly dwellings of ancient times. It is the purpose of this article to help us appreciate the importance of purity in the life of the Christian.

The Meaning of Purity

The word “pure” is translated from three different Greek words. A comprehension of the similarities and differences of these three words will help us to appreciate the fullness of the characteristic of purity.

“Pure” is translated from hagnos in four New Testament passages (Phil. 4:8; 1 Tim. 5:22; Jas. 3:17; 1 John. 3:3). The word means, “. . . pure from: carnality . . . every fault . . .” (Thayer). Of particular significance is that it shares the same root as the word from which “holy” is translated. That word is hagios; which means, “separated from sin and therefore consecrated to God” (Vine).

Eilikrines signifies “without alloy.” It is translated “pure” in 2 Peter 3:1, and “sincere” in Philippians 1:10. Thayer’s definition includes, “to be found pure when unfolded and examined by the sun’s light.”

The word from which “pure” is most often translated is the Greek word kathros, meaning, “clean, pure.” Kathros is translated into one of these two English words throughout the New Testament.

Each of these three words conveys the same thought. To be “pure” means to be free of anything foreign. Christians are not to mix God’s righteousness with any “alloy” of sin. Rather, we are to “separate” ourselves from sin. When the deepest folds of our spirit are unfolded and exposed to the light of God’s truth, they are to be found pure.

The Motivation For Purity

All Christians acknowledge that God has called them to purity. Nevertheless, we also realize that we are less than pure. Thankfully, God has furnished us with some things to consider that motivate us to strive for purity.

In his opening remarks of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). Many of the points of this sermon are focused not merely on impure actions, but on the impure heart from which the action proceeds. The desire to “see God” should motivate us to be pure in both thought and action.

In 1 John 3:2 our attention is focused on our eternal hope. Verse 3 reads, “. . . every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” Our eternal hope should motivate us to strive to be as pure as the One we claim to follow.

1 Timothy 1:5 reads, “Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience . . .” This passage speaks to the purity of the selfless characteristic of true love. Yet it is also true that pure love for God is a major motivation to be pure. Our desire to honor and glorify our Savior should motivate us to be pure, “even as he is pure” (1 John. 3:3).

The Call To Purity

In 2 Timothy 2:19-22, we read “Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow  righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

These verses reveal what we con- firmed earlier: we are called to purity, yet we are aware of and acknowledge our impurities. We have come to appreciate our true value through God’s revelation and by Christ’s sacrifice. Righteous characteristics are avowed by Christians to be honorable and more valuable than silver and gold. We admit that our dishonorable characteristics of unrighteousness are temporal and corruptible and of no eternal value. Therefore, we are to purge ourselves of those characteristics that are dishonorable, and permeate our character with those things that are righteous and honorable.

This sanctification process makes us suitable vessels for the good works in which God instructs us (2 Tim.

3:16-17). The true Christian must go beyond the mere appearance of righteousness, faith, charity, and peace. The Christian is to display these characteristics from pure motives and a pure heart.

Manifestation Of Purity

In James 3:17, we read, “. . . the wisdom that is from above is first pure . . . without hypocrisy.” God’s wisdom calls us to be pure. To respond to God’s call to purity, we must first be committed to purity in the characteristics and manifestations of godliness.

Hebrews 10:22 reads, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Christians are fully assured that their sins are forgiven when they have fully obeyed the gospel, being immersed in water for the remission of their sins. Likewise, the full assurance of our faithfulness is confirmed when we are committed to separating our hearts from an evil conscience that excuses and justifies impurities. A pure con- science has been instructed in God’s pure righteousness and has conformed to its instruction; convicting its owner of unrighteousness while encouraging him in the way that is pure.

Christians are encouraged to be “holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience” (1 Tim. 3:9). The mystery of the faith has been revealed in the gospel (Eph. 3:3-9). Christians are instructed to think on those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report; those things that promote spiritual excellence and are praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8). Such things confirm the true heart of the faithful Christian.

The souls of Christians have been purified by the blood of Jesus in obeying the Spirit-revealed truth (1 Pet. 1:22). True Christians rejoice in their purification and are committed to the eradication of every impurity from their life. They are committed to purity in the practice of the truth and have a valid reason to trust in God’s promises and the spiritual blessings that are available to them.

The spirit and the deeds of the pure and impure are vividly contrasted in Titus 1:15-16: “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Like Timothy, every Christian is exhorted to be “. . . an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12).

Reward For Purity

We began this article by calling attention to the purity of God’s representative earthly dwellings. It comes as no surprise to find God using the imagery of those things that are valuable and pure to describe his eternal dwelling.

In Revelation 21:18, we are told concerning heaven, “the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.” Revelation 21:21 says, “the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” In heaven, we find the source of the spiritual sustenance that has instructed the conscience of every faithful Christian, the “pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:1).

God invites everyone who hungers and thirsts after righteousness to drink from this “fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (Rev. 21:6-7). “For this ye know, that no . . . unclean person . . . hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph. 5:5).

Those who are committed to providing a pure habitation for God’s righteous presence on earth will be rewarded with being in the eternal presence of he who is pure. In the inspired words written to Timothy, Christian, “keep thyself pure” (1 Tim. 5:22).

To most of us in the United States, the concept of “service” is “serve me now!” We enter a restaurant, and we expect to be seated now. Bring me coffee now! Bring our menus now! Take our order now! Bring our meal promptly! If our meal doesn’t arrive as soon as we think it should, we want to see the manager. Our idea of “service” is a me-first concept, based on self-centred desires. This is quite different from what we find taught in the Scriptures about service.

Service Defined

In the New Testament, we find the word “service” 15 times, and the word “serve” 33 times. There are three Greek words translated as service. The word latreia is found only five times in the New Testament (John 16:1; Rom. 9:4, 12:1, Heb. 9:1, 6). In every case it refers to Divine service or serving God, and not to serving self. The other two words are diakonia, as used in Romans 15:31 referring to Paul’s ministry and service, and the word leitourgia which, for instance, is used in 2 Corinthians 9:12 and refers to benevolence for the poor saints (Vines, 1021).

In addition, the concept of service is taught in many places in the New Testament. Jesus taught in Matthew 22:37-39: “. . . You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (NKJV). A dedicated Christian will be committed to these great commandments, and that will involve service — first to God, and second to your neighbor (fellow man).

Jesus showed us the example of service in his own life by his sacrificial death on the cross. He taught in Matthew 20:28: “. . . just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” The word “serve” is from the Greek word diakoneo (verb form), which means “to serve, wait upon, minister” (Vine, 744). Jesus was willing to serve us in the complete sense of laying down his life for us. What will we do to serve him in return?

What Is Involved in Serving God?

A life of service is a result of the right attitude. If a Christian will have an attitude of sacrifice, then service is the action that will result. Many things are involved in serving God, such as:

A Pure Heart

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded” (Jas. 4:8). Acceptable service cannot be offered to God from a defiled heart.

Humbleness

“He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to talk humbly with thy God” (Mic. 6:8). Clearly, this is an Old Testament passage that conveys eternal principles of serving God.

Unselfishness

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4). A Christian must not have a “me-first” selfish attitude.

Sacrificial Attitude

“I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). If we are firmly committed and dedicated to serving God, we will have an attitude that no sacrifice is too great for the God of all creation.

How Will the Christian Serve God?

1. By glorifying God in worship. Isaiah wrote that God said, “Even every one that is called by my name; for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him” (Isa. 43:7). The apostle Paul wrote, “to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world with end. Amen” (Eph. 3:21).

2. By serving others. The best way to serve your fellow man is to teach him or her the gospel. “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). This was a characteristic of the early church. “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). Paul wrote in Galatians 6:10, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” What better way to “do good” to your fellow man than to share the gospel of Christ with him?

Sacrifice (thusia) denotes the act of offering, as well as that which is offered (Vine, 313). Christians are not only told that offering is a requirement in their lives, they are even told what to offer. This aspect of the Christian Life will be explored in this article.

The Bible describes religion throughout the ages. A prominent theme in the religion of each dispensation is sacrifice, as we read in the Scriptures of altars, a priesthood, and sacrifices. In the Garden of Eden we are introduced to sacrifice in the sad story of Cain and Abel. The writer of Hebrews, speaking of that time, said: “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh” (Heb. 11:4). This tragic incident is one of the first to which children are exposed in their spiritual education. Certainly we all recognize that God had required this sacrifice, otherwise it could not have been offered “by faith.” Faith comes by hearing God’s word (Rom. 10:17). Abel was obedient to the word of God spoken to him, and he offered an accept- able sacrifice.

Ten generations later, we read of Noah’s exit from the ark following the flood. The Bible tells us: “And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar” (Gen. 8:20). Noah’s gratitude for the deliverance of his family from the deadly flood was expressed in the form of sacrifices.

Altars of the Mosaic age were stained with the blood of thousands of animals. The temple was dedicated with a host of sacrifices: “And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God” (2 Chron. 7:5). This was the sacrifice for a single occasion! Sacrifices were made throughout the Mosaic dispensation.

We of the Christian age are not surprised, therefore, to learn that we must also offer sacrifice unto God. Paul commanded: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sac- rifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom. 12:1-2). In the Book of Hebrews we read: “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Heb. 13:15). Peter adds, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5).

The Sacrifice of the Body

The sacrifice of the Christian Life exceeds the sacrifices of other ages. We are to offer our bodies in sacrifice. One might ask, however, how or why would God require such a sacrifice? Paul answers that question in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Through the price of our redemption, God laid a preeminent claim to our bodies and spirits. We belong to him; we must do as he requires; and he said to present your bodies as living sacrifices to him (Rom. 12:1). To the Christian, this is all the explanation needed to bring forth the sacrifice of the body and spirit unto God.

The sacrifices of the Christian are both spiritual and reasonable (as translated in the KJV). God’s sacrifice in our redemption was his only begotten Son (Rom. 5:8). We do not offer ourselves on a cross or an altar, as physical, bodily sacrifices. Our sacrifices are spiritual in nature. Nothing could be more reasonable for one who has been redeemed at the high cost of the very blood of God’s Son! Hence, there is no argument offered; no hesitancy present; and no resentment over the requirement to offer our bodies as living sacrifices unto God who has been so gracious to us!

Living Sacrifices