MOW:TS – Purity is Mandatory! (Bro Ben Bassey)
Theme: Purity is Mandatory!
Memory Verse: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God (Matt 5:8).
Beloved
In Christ Jesus, God is constantly calling us to come higher and be one with Him, purpose, thoughts, words and actions.
However, what has prevented man from being able to face God is SIN. According to Prophet Isaiah: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:2).
Our memory verse says only the pure in heart shall see God. Sin in any form or guise, is a contamination or an impurity to the divine nature of God.
The Psalmist was one person who had a very good understanding of the purity of the word of God. Hear him: Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it (Psalm 119:140).
His son Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived on earth, before Jesus Christ also noted: Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him (Prov 30:5).
The Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus, that dwells in every true believer is a spirit of purity. There is no dot of contamination or impurity in Him.
Brother Paul, in admonishing his spiritual son(Timothy), and indeed every youth, with the help of the Holy Spirit, says: Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity (1Tim 4:12).
What is Purity or what does word purity mean?
As common as the word purity may sound, there is no doubt that it is poorly understood and not often manifested in practice. In simple terms, to be pure means to be: Spotless, flawless, and without blemish. It means freedom from contaminants, the absence of anything harmful, inferior, unwanted, fault, error etc. Purity is reflected in excellence & perfection.
The free internet based Encyclopedia (Wikipedia), explains purity as:
The absence of impurity or contaminants in a substance. It goes further to say that the term also applies to the absence of vice in human character. It also goes further to explain vice as: a practice or a behavior or habit generally considered immoral, depraved, or degrading in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhealthy habit, such as an addiction to smoking.
Synonyms for vice are noted to include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness, and corruption etc. Whereas synonyms of purity include: Cleanliness, wholesomeness, spotlessness, transparency, limpidness etc.
Most people will agree that man exists in trinity: body, soul and spirit (1Thess 5:23). We may be surprised to know that most unbelievers share this view. Whereas the defect of the body is easy to recognize, it is not so with the defect of the mind (soul), which is studied in mental health or psychiatry. The defect of the spirit is even more difficult to recognize. Impurity or contamination can affect the body, soul and spirit. Defect of the spirit, gives rise to character flaw. A man of excellent spirit (Dan 6:3) has a spotless character .Such a person is described as upright, just, and a man of integrity.
I am often amazed at the character flaw display within the body of Christ (the Church). I mean character defect such as dishonesty, cheating, insincerity, unfaithfulness, lies, deceit, manipulation seduction etc, among those who are ”born again” Christians. Others may simply refer to them as ”lack of moral values”. This is absolute spiritual ignorance! No wonder Prophet Hosea says: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).
The word of God says:This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1John 1:5). If there is no trace of darkness with God, why should there be traces of darkness with the sons of God ? (John 1:12). Every true believer is a son of God. Jesus himself is the one who declared that all true believers are the light of the world (Matt 5:14).
Attaining purity of the heart calls for increasing knowledge of spiritual matters, hard work and diligence. This is exactly what brother Peter has admonished us to do: And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness (2Pet 1:5-6).
With increasing spiritual training, others will be able to see and enjoy the fruit of the Spirit in us: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith; Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Gal 5:22-23).
Oneness with God in Christ Jesus, the Word of God is the only authentic platform for man’s purity on earth. Truly, no one can attain purity of the heart by his own strength. Please ensure you walk with Him in righteousness, holiness and purity in the words of God. His name is Holy! He is the only spiritual ally you can trust hundred percent! Diligent practice of the words of God brings holiness, the exact nature of God. He does not compromise on holiness. The Word says: Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity (Hab 1:13)
In heaven and on earth the only pure substance that can purify man is the word of God:The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times (Psalm 12:6).
To have increasing spiritual knowledge, requires total fear of God, and spiritual training in the word of God: Train yourself to be godly (1Tim 4:7-8 NIV).
PRAYER: There is someone reading this message , may you receive the grace of purity of the heart, as you remain focused on the words of God in Jesus mighty name, Amen!
In the Ministry Of the Word (MOW)-Acts 6:4, we primarily encourage and empower believers to be rich in the words of God: let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom (Col 3:16). The entrance of the WORD is the true source of LIGHT in a dark world (Ps 119:130). We also encourage believers to speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Eph 5:19). We encourage everyone to seek first the kingdom of God & his righteousness (Matt 6:33). Righteousness exalts (Prov 14:34). We emphasize that pure Christianity is about True Spirituality in Christ Jesus. We emphasize that the POWER in the blood of Jesus has set us FREE from bondage, and that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2Cor 3:17). Jesus is the Truth(John 14:6). The words of God are spirit & are Life(John 6:63). We allow the Scriptures to answer all questions. We create the awareness that Jesus has made all true believers kings and priests unto God and his Father (Rev 1:6). In addition, as a spiritual body, we also empower unbelievers, using the principles of our Lord Jesus Christ with the understanding that when they witness the power of the living God, they will exalt his holy name (Psalm 46:10). One major objective of MOW is to increasingly improve everyone spiritual understanding! Spiritual ignorance is a major cause of human destruction(Hosea 4:6). Indeed, many children of God have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge (Isa 5:13). Please note that the MOW is an initiative and the spiritual arm of Abasi Health Foundation (AHF). AHF is a registered NGO in Nigeria , with the primary objective of empowering all groups of people to optimize their health. It is aimed at encouraging everyone to have increasing awareness of three broad levels of health: Physical, Mental and Spiritual. May God give you the grace of increasing understanding in Jesus Name. Amen. Websites: http//www.ministryoftheword.org; http//www.abasihealthfoundation.org
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. (John 18:26).
All scriptures from KJV unless otherwise specified