purity- noun 1. freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes, etc.
The goal of purity is a beautiful thing. Christian women spend countless years shaming themselves over things that made them impure, rendering herself doomed when it comes to regaining what she once had.
As a young woman who's had years of impurity, I'm here to say that purity is 100% attainable. Even if it's having to reclaim it and do this process more than once.
A process of purity begins with repentance. Repentance leads to forgiveness, forgiveness leads to surrender, and surrender results in purity of heart.
When I was 14, I lost my virginity to a boy that I stayed with for a few years...This sin led me into a downward spiral of codependency, lust, and a huge amount of brokenness. I lived throughout high school getting in and out of relationships with boys and continued on the path of an impure life. I was under the impression that once you lose your purity, it's gone forever. I labeled myself as an unredeemable wreck, and used this as an excuse to continue on with my lifestyle.
I found myself pregnant a total of three times. I had two abortions and one miscarriage before the age of 18.
Grieving over the decisions I made helped push me to find recovery; and ultimately find truth. The more I learned the truth about purity, the more hope seeped into my shell. See, my little pearl was in a dark, uncomfortable, and parasite-filled shell. I was fed lies that I believed for years.. but JESUS taught me about who he is, and redeemed my lost time. I deserve hell, but he gives me life. I deserve all of the wrath against my sin, but he gives me grace.
Pure happens when you accept the grace that's offered up for you. It doesn't come from knowing that Jesus died for you, it's understanding why Jesus died for you, and what he saved you from. My purity doesn't come from living a sinless life, it comes from the grace of Jesus Christ.
-By Sydney
This is Rox. As I was typing in Sydney's blog, I had a revelation on this subject of purity to add to the discussion. Pure, as Sydney says in the last paragraph"comes when you accept the grace that's offered up for you." I really think it is helpful to think of pure and purity as related, but yet different things. Pure does come when we accept Jesus' perfect work on the cross for our sin. His righteousness becomes ours when we lay down our pride, repent, and accept this amazing gift.
But purity is the way the heart follows after Jesus who is Pure upon realizing the preciousness of the gift. One doesn't throw the gift of pure around. It is a pearl to treasure. For example, if I truly see the preciosity of the grace covering over my horrific sins, then the preciousness of Pure Jesus, who provides it, will become my everything. I will affectionately long for and cling to Pure Jesus in holy reverence, that I might not cross back over to a pattern of choosing contaminates as the above definition describes.
In short: Pure is the gift. Purity is a lifestyle of living from the connection with Jesus who placed Pure in you.
Heavenly Father, if there is someone reading this who wants to feel accepted, clean, and like she has a new start, place the pearl of your Jesus upon her heart, that she would let out the pain from her sin, cry it out onto you, and ask you for a new start. Grace means it's never to late to change the ending to the story. Help her begin again. In Jesus name..
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