The Search For HappinessSýnishorn

Purity - Does It Still Matter?

Purity seems to be a lost cause in our culture today. Who even talks about purity anymore? Isn’t this an old-school, old-fashioned conversation? Is it even possible to walk in purity in a culture that seems obsessed with flaunting impurity everywhere we turn?

We are the sexually enlightened generation. We have redefined marriage and today there are shows on network television that wouldn’t have been allowed on late night cable ten years ago. Here are a few examples of new cultural ‘norms.’

• Porn: In spite of the research showing how devastating pornography is on relationships and sexual health, porn usage is at an all-time high. Roughly half of all internet searches are porn related. Smart phones and high-speed internet have only brought porn closer to home, now almost considered normal behavior.

• Living Together: Cohabitation is at an all-time high. A recent article in The Atlantic reports that over the last 50 years, the number of couples living together before marriage have increased by 900%. Today the majority of couples getting married have already lived together. In 2012, two-thirds of all couples who got married lived together for more than two years before tying the knot.

• Unwed Mothers: For the past few years, over 50% of all children born in the US have been born to single-parent families. If a child is growing up in a home where mom and dad are married, they are now in the minority.

This is not about laying on a guilt trip. This is to show a snapshot of how things are changing in our culture as we place very little value on purity. So why are we even talking about this at all?

Because Jesus did. Jesus speaks very clearly and candidly about the importance of purity. When Jesus addressed purity, He never bashed anyone for their decisions, their history, their baggage. His message was delivered in compassion and grace, leading to a very important question.

Do you want to see God? Do you want to know God’s plan for your life? Do you want to know what God desires for you? Do you want to see God’s best for your life? Walk in purity. It is the pure in heart who will see God.

Jesus points us to a very important truth: sexual impurity clouds our vision and leads us to doubt God’s best for our lives. Those who walk in purity can see clearly that God’s way is the best way for us to live.

Jesus is inviting us to purity in a culture that mocks and belittles those who walk in purity. And yet, Jesus says it is purity that leads to clarity. It is purity that invites you to see God at work in your life. So the question is: Do you want to see God?