February 2012: Purity

Our theme for February 2012 was following more faithfully the way of purity and righteousness. This Way of Holiness (Isaiah 35) is not a way of righteousness bringing reward (Job 33) but a purity which arises from encountering God in suffering (Matthew 5). We are called to be pure in mind (Romans 12), in speech (James 3) and in humility (Luke 18).
  • The book of Isaiah in general, and chapter 35 (Thursday 2nd) in particular, contains many comforting words: “Strengthen the feeble hands … Be strong, do not fear, your God will come … then will the lame leap like a deer”. However this is alongside the challenge that “a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.”
  • In Matthew 5 we are challenged to encounter the God who is present where someone is hurting (either because they messed up, or they loved and lost, or because others hurt them, or because the system has failed them) and to respond to this God by treating others as he has treated us, with a passion for purity and peace, whatever the consequences.
  • When reading the book of Job it is important to remember the question that the writer is setting out to answer. Right at the beginning Satan asks the Lord (1:9) “Does Job fear God for nothing?”, or in other words, “do we do good things because we will be rewarded for doing so?” When God draws Job’s attention (and ours) to how the world is and how he created it (chapters 38-41) the rewards for righteousness are conspicuous by their absence. If rewards of righteousness were a bedrock of the created universe, then Job would be right in bringing a complaint against God (Job 33:9,10). Elihu (unlike the other 3 “comforters”) correctly says to Job that “in this (complaint against God) you are not right” (33:12). Because God blesses us with so many good things for so much of the time, it is important to remember that we have a passion for purity for its own sake, not for any rewards.
  • In Romans 12 we encouraged to be pure, or holy (12:1) “Because of God’s merciful justice shown in Jesus’ faithfulness which leads to our faithfulness” (1:17). This purity is a purity of mind, in which we know God’s will, we have a self assessment based on sober judgement, and we have a belonging attitude to each other. This purity is a purity of action, in which we overcome evil with good (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and honour).
  • 3000 years ago David wrote a Psalm (18: 20-33 – Thursday 16th) saying that the strength to be pure comes from God: for “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect”
  • James (chapter 3) reminds me of how important it is to desire to be pure in speech, and that our righteousness does not spring forth from what we say, but from the wisdom that comes from heaven.
  • Finally Jesus (in Luke 18:9-14) reminds me to desire both purity and humility, lest I become confident of my own righteousness and look down on everybody else. I am confronted with a stark choice. I can, in prayer confess my unrighteousness (in which case God chooses to consider me to be righteous). Alternatively I can consider myself righteous, through comparison with others, (in which case God does not consider me to be righteous). Comparisons really are odious.