In the day and age we live in, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking it is alright to do a little sin. Many have a line that they think, “As long as I don’t cross THIS, I am fine.” So they engage in activity that the Bible considers sin and they justify it, thinking, “as long as I am a good person, I am fine.” Or, “As long as I do not pass this particular line, I am fine.”
Justification of sin is as old as sin itself. Adam and Eve justified it. People all through Old and New Testament times justified it. And we certainly do as well. In a desire to have more pleasure, more fame, more comfort, more of anything, we are willing to step beyond the standard that God has put in place.
I wholeheartedly agree with the beauty of grace. Jesus Christ came to this world and died for us. He rose again, conquering death. Through his actions, our sinfulness is washed away. We are now as white as snow before the eyes of God (if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ).
But here’s the thing: just because we have been given grace does not give us liberty to pursue sin. Forgiveness does not constitute liberty. Forgiveness should lead to a deeper desire to stick close to the one who made forgiveness possible. When we sin – whatever sin that may be – we are instead taking deliberate steps AWAY from God.
In his well-known Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:8, Jesus says this about purity: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
There are a lot of reasons why we should not engage in sin, but this verse is a key reason. Those that are pure “see” God.
How exactly do they “see” him? Jesus is not talking about a literal vision. As if those that are pure (free from the contamination of sin) visibly see God. Instead, he is talking about a closeness.
Those that are married can understand this. When you get in a fight with your spouse, you are still married. You still sleep next to them at night (hopefully!). You still eat dinner with them. But that argument and anger has brought a separation between you two.
Contrast that with times when you are not fighting. Even better, think back to the times when you REALLY got along, like when you were engaged or just married. During that time, you were just as physically next to them as you were later on, but there was a special closeness during that time.
From a spiritual standpoint, that extra closeness is from purity! The pure in heart see God because the sin is not standing in the way, placing a barrier between the intimacy. When the barrier is gone, God not only feels much closer, but there is a deeper, richer intimacy.
Do you want to grow in your faith? Do you want to thrive spiritually? One important part has to do with your purity. Getting all those sinful contaminants out of your life. When you are free of contamination, you will have a deeper intimacy with Jesus Christ.
Friends, purity matters. What you do when no one is looking matters. What you do when others are looking matters. How you live your life matters. Don’t think, “I am forgiven, so I can do what I want.” You may be forgiven at that point, but you are acting stupidly if you continue in sin! A wise person will treasure his/her purity over his/her desire for sin.