“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity”.  – 1Tim. 4.12 (NKJV)

“Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity”. – 1Tim. 5.1&2 (NKJV)

The passage before us today was a letter from Apostle Paul to his son in the faith, Timothy. This letter is filled with instructions on how to carry out the work of the ministry. Amongst the several instructions that were given, I would like to draw your attention to a particular one that has been on my heart for a while now. It pertains to the matter of purity that is before us today.

What comes to mind when you hear the word purity? Sexual abstinence? Before we could think of anything else, we are tempted to look inward firstly, “has this been achieved in my life?” we may ask ourselves, while we still struggle to understand what purity is.

Some give up looking inward because purity is something that is non-existent in their lives. They may wonder “if sexual abstinence cannot be found in me, purity is therefore lacking”. This is all because we have laid too much emphasis on “sexual abstinence” as “purity”. Hence a brother or sister who has at one point or other engaged in sexual intercourse cannot see him/herself walking in purity any longer.

What then is purity? As used from the passage above, it is from the Greek word “hagneia”, which is “purity, sinlessness of life, cleanliness, chastity”. It is from the root word “hagnos”, which is “exciting reverence, venerable, sacred, pure, and chaste”. In explaining purity, two words are presented before us, “pure” and “chaste”.

One of the descriptions of ‘hagnos’ is that it is “pure from carnality, pure from every fault, chaste, modest”. It is also from the root word ‘hagios’, which is “most holy one or thing, a saint”. The word ‘chaste’ was used thrice in the Scriptures or I should say appeared thrice, it was from Paul and Peter’s letters.

“For I am jealous over you with godly jealously: for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ”. – 2Cor. 11.2

“To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands that the word of God be not blasphemed”. – Titus 2.5

“While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear”. – 1Pet 3.2

From the Scriptures above, the word used for chaste is from the Greek rendering ‘hagnos’, which has been explained earlier. We shall briefly look at each one at a time.

In 2Cor 11, Paul used the word ‘chaste’ to reveal the intention or purpose of his work towards the church in response to Christ. He referred to the Believers at Corinth as “chaste virgin”, which encompassed the married and unmarried. Having explained chaste (hagnos) earlier, a virgin is one who has not engaged in any sexual intercourse. Hence, the apostle Paul could not have been referring to sexual abstinence or unlawful sexual experience.

But rather explaining a spiritual parallel, which is that he wants to present a Church that is devoted solely to Christ and no one else, nor another gospel. Hence, the reason for his further explanation of their devotion to the gospel is in verses three and four.

In Paul’s letter to Titus, he gave him several instructions as to how to exhort and edify the brethren that are under his care. “The aged women likewise…to be chaste” (Titus 2.3&5).  Paul instructed Titus to exhort the aged women to be chaste. These aged women who lived a chaste life should also teach the young women in their midst to be chaste.

In other words, the aged women in our gatherings should teach the young women how to live in exciting reverence to the Lord. Pure from carnality, modest, how to live a devoted life to the Lord.

While they learn how to manage their homes, they should also not neglect their consecration to the Lord. Pure from every fault. Hence, we can see from Paul’s letters, while he sought to present a church that is pure from carnality, sacred, a church that is solely devoted to Christ, he also instructed the aged women to teach the young women what it is to live in reverence to God, to live a devoted life to God in their homes.

Lastly, in Peter’s letter, we find this usage comes into play again.

“Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of their wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear” – 1Pet 3.1&2 (KJV). What is a chaste conversation? The word ‘conversation’ as used in the KJV is behavior, manner of life, and conduct.

Hence, a chaste conversation is a manner of life that is pure from carnality, fault, modest, reverence, and sacred. That is, the behavior of the wife in response to her relationship with God can affect the perception of her husband towards the word. In a case where a husband lacks zeal for God, a chaste wife can stir up a fire and passion for God in her husband.

Having looked at all these, we can conclude that a thin line exists between chastity and purity. They both come from the same root word used for ‘saint’ and ‘holy’. Hence, carrying the meaning of consecration, devotion. To talk about chastity and purity and narrow it down to sexual abstinence is to miss the weightiness of that word.

Sexual abstinence is what anyone can accomplish (believers and unbelievers alike). There are still many out there who do not yet know the Lord but are keeping their bodies for their husbands or wives. There’s a worldview on chastity and purity, and there’s a God-view on these matters. To teach sexual abstinence as God’s view on this matter is to do little as to what the Scripture teaches.

Firstly, sexual abstinence doesn’t guarantee purity or chastity. A man who has not yet met the Lord, though living in sexual abstinence, cannot be regarded as pure or chaste before God. He is a sinner. No matter how good he may consider himself, without the life of God in him, it is vain and useless. It is only the life of God, resident in man can make a man chaste and pure.

You may say (as an unbeliever) ‘I am chaste and pure because I have not yet known a man or a woman’. Well, just because you think you haven’t known a man or woman, doesn’t make you pure or chaste, for that is just a pinch on this matter. Even more, such chastity is not profitable for God’s use.

Secondly, for the man who has known the Lord, who has the life of God in him, such a man is pure and chaste. It has nothing to do with your sexual condition because, in the first place, your sexual abstinence could not produce in you the righteousness of God. Hence, there is no place for you to glory in yourself. Also, because you have been caught in sexual activities, doesn’t take away the life of God in you.

That is, it doesn’t mean that you are not pure or chaste. Which explains the reason why Paul, though aware of the misbehavior of the Corinthian Church, still did not lose sight of their condition before God “To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints” (1Cor 1.2, KJV). He further exhorted “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that God dwells in you? (3.16, NKJV).

The Corinthian church was engaged in several acts of unrighteousness, of which sexual immorality was one of such. But he warned “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (3.17, KJV).

There’s a lot to talk about as regards the judgement of God and His Church, but I won’t go into all that now. But notice, He referred to them as ‘holy’ and that the Spirit of God ‘dwells’ in them, that is present continuous! Because it wasn’t what you did that made Him love you in the first place, it was all about what Jesus did and wrought in you upon believing in Him.

What then is purity unto God? Having established all these, purity unto God is a life of devotion unto God. Because purity is a state of pureness, cleanliness, and one that is holy, and to be holy is to be set apart or consecrated. Be you married or single, virgin or not, you can still live a life of devotion to God. Purity is first and foremost for God’s use, a life that is devoted for God’s use is a life that He can use for His glory.

As believers, yet unmarried, you keep your body not so that your wife or husband would meet you as a virgin, but so that you can be concerned only with the affairs of the Lord. You do not keep your body for your ‘spouse-to-be’, you keep your body for the Lord. Many are useless today before God because they are only concerned with how they want to keep their bodies for their spouse-to-be.

They only want to be holy in body before God, but do not want to be holy in spirit before Him. In other words, they want to keep their bodies, but do not want to serve in the Lord’s work. But purity unto God is to want to live for God in every sense of the way. That is why Peter could speak to the wives about how their devotion to the Lord could affect the way their husband perceives the Lord.

A life of purity unto God is a life of exciting reverence for Him. Your devotion to God will cause you to abstain from every appearance of evil. As one that may be unmarried, do not give up your walk of devotion unto God because at a certain time you have been caught up in the act of fornication.

You can still live a life of purity unto God. God has not condemned you, why give up on your walk with Him? He sees you righteous and holy now as you were then. You are pure and clean because the Spirit of Christ dwells in you. God still needs your body! Do not be selfish about it. God needs your body to do His work here on earth, don’t keep it for your spouse-to-be and be useless before Him.

Purity unto God is to be set apart for God’s use in body and spirit. It is to live a devoted life to Him daily.