Purity: Does it matter?

''And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure."
I  John 3:3

I thank God for the conviction, and for pressing into my heart the importance of purity. Being fruitful yet impure can be compared to an apple which is rotten inside. Apostle Paul commanded Timothy to keep himself pure (I Tim. 5:22). He also admonished him, and this admonition goes to all young believers too, "to set the believers and example in...purity..." (1 Timothy 4:12). Paul knows that God wants us to be pure in His sight.

"Who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands, and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully"
Psalms 24:35
Not only in our lifestyle God wants us to be pure, but also He wants us to have a pure heart. Pure conduct springs from a pure heart. The Lord Jesus Himself said in Matt. 5:8 that "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." It was a promise to those who keep their hearts pure.

"Finally brothers... whatever is pure... think about these things"
Philippians 4:8

Here, Apostle Paul mentioned a list of good things by which we must set our minds upon. It includes purity. god does not want us to walk in the futility of our minds. In our darkened understanding, the way we used to think in our old life (Eph. 4:17-18). He wants us to have a pure mindset for it pleases and glorify Him. A pure mind affects the way we see things which is around us, " to the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled" (Titus 1:15).
A pure mind is a healthy mind which delight in the Word of the God, for it is pure (Ps. 12:6).

Lastly, the book of James 4:8 tells us to purify ourselves as we draw near to god. How do we do that? It is important for us to realize that in our sinfulness, we cannot purify ourselves on our own. The book of Proverbs 20:9 asks, "Who can say 'I have made myself heart pure; I am clean from sin?'" So, if that is what the Word of God says, what is all these talk about purity of lifestyle, heart, and mind? These things will bring us to the sacrifice done by the Lord Jesus Christ, His redemption for us at the cross of Calvary. "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (Heb. (9:14) .

Only through the cross of Christ will we find our purification from sins. As I John 3:3 says, " And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure". Put your hope in Him.