Purity Wrought By Grace

Our God never intended that His children live the Christian life by sheer human will. Of course, we make choices, we set goals, and we can choose the pure life and obedience before the Lord. But, the power to make those choices and then to live them calls us to a much higher life than just the strength in our flesh. At its very best, our righteousness is still self-righteousness and is nothing but filthy rags. The Pharisees were Christ’s best example of this truth. He said of them, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27).

The Christian life is so much more than most people are willing to earnestly contend to discover. We would rather put forth great effort to reach the goal than to give up in utter surrender so that He can work in us. Faith is not reaching up to take hold of God, it is giving up so God can reach down and take hold of us. There is a wonderful balance between what I long to discover and what the Father longs to reveal.

The Bible calls this sanctification. I can surrender my life and refuse evil conduct but that is my limit. I can do no more than humbly make myself available. Then I must rest while He works the graces of transformation. Apostle Paul said it best as he wrote to the Thessalonians. Listen carefully. “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (I Thessalonians 5:21-24).

To imagine a life “wholly” sanctified is joy in itself. Purity is both power and exceeding joy, and this great text sets the course perfectly. Apostle Paul said, “I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless.” The sanctification of the spirit and soul in man is the beginning of all purity. Your spirit is a whisper of God. It is His voice in the heart of every man. No wonder we have a conscious that shakes us when we even consider doing evil. That spirit in man is our link with God even though it is dead in every unconverted person. When we are “born again” from above, He does His supernatural work. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, an d renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). Every unconverted person must be washed by regeneration and renewed by His Holy Ghost.

Sanctification of the human soul and spirit will cleanse the inward recesses of our impure heart and set the course toward righteousness. His righteousness in us will change our impulses and reactions and allow His nature to become the dominating action of our nature. Holiness will be supernaturally natural in the life that flows from a sanctified soul and spirit. We will not have to grit our teeth to treat the unkind person kind. We will not just look righteous in our lifestyle; we will act righteous in our conduct. It will even show up in our eyes.

And the beauty of a sanctified soul and spirit is the effect such a pure life will have on others. No one can doubt the realness of a life where God by His Spirit and Jesus by His blood have set us apart by the transforming power of His divine nature. The world around you will see a different person and Jesus Christ will be glorified.