Keep yourself pure

(1 Timothy 5:22 – Keep yourself pure)

The call of the Lord to those who follow Christ is to keep yourself pure. We are called to become pure in heart, mind, spirit, and behaviour.

In this scripture today we see Paul instructing Timothy to maintain purity in his walk. He gives him a few specific instructions on how to do this. We can and should learn from his words for it is just as critical today as it was in Timothy and Paul’s day.

Let us consider how you ought to keep yourself pure and what steps we can follow to seek the purity that is necessary to see God.

God’s gift to keep yourself pure from sin

One of the first things we see in this verse today is the need to be free from sin. This is what the verse says:

Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor participate in another man’s sins; keep yourself pure. (1 Timothy 5:22

In the call of Christ we have been instructed to repent and change our ways. The essence of repentance is to change your thinking and so change your behaviour.

The fundamental change is to turn from sin. Sin is the thing that stands between man and God. If we are to be like God, then we must be pure as He is pure, and that means without sin.

God in His grace sent His Son to die for us for the express purpose of setting us free from sin. He also set us free from the law so that we cannot be condemned for sin.

These are the gifts of God so that we can be reconciled to Him.

But in this exhortation to keep yourself pure from sin, there is a role we must also play.

Keep yourself pure from the flesh

The biggest challenge we have as Christians is overcoming the flesh. We have the victory over sin in Jesus Christ, and His death and resurrection give us the victory by faith.

But there is still more work to be done. To keep yourself pure from the human passions, lusts, and desires of the flesh you need to receive the Holy Spirit. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to transform you into the image of Jesus Christ. And if you are in His image, then you are pure as He is pure.

Not all Christians receive the indwelling Holy Spirit. Not all of them are taught how to receive the Spirit or what to do if they do receive the Spirit.

It is through the working of the Holy Spirit that we learn to walk in the Spirit. When we walk in the Spirit we receive the power to overcome the passions, lusts and desires of the flesh that drive people to sinfulness.

This work of the Spirit takes a long, long time. It is an “all of life” work that is being performed in those who receive the Spirit and know how to walk in the Spirit.

But many people do not even start this journey because they don’t receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. There are many false teachings about the gift of the Spirit, who the Spirit is, what the Spirit does, and so on. If you want to find the truth of these things, you need to study the truth in the Gospel. You need to read your Bible and seek the Spirit, diligently praying to the Father for the gift of the Spirit.

Let me say this clearly. You cannot be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ without receiving the Holy Spirit. Without receiving the Holy Spirit you cannot gain victory over the flesh.

Keep yourself pure from the sins of others

The specific purity mentioned by Paul in this verse is to not participate in another persons sin.

Many people are doing the wrong thing. They justify themselves one way or the other, but it is still wrong. They are still walking in sinfulness.

But you must not participate in such sinful ways.

You can only separate your self from the sins of others and keep yourself pure if you know what is sin and what is not. And to do that you must know the word of God deeply and fully. You must immerse yourself in God’s word so that you can accurately divide truth from error.

And it is not easy. There are many things even in the church that are wrong. There are teachings that are sinful and are completely at odds with the truth of the gospel.

The only way you can know the truth is to study God’s word for yourself. You cannot rely on another. Nor can you rely on your pastor, priest, or minister. You have to seek for yourself.

And God has promised that when you DO seek, He will show you the truth. He WANTS people to look for His truth, and He will show it to them.

And when it comes to purity, remember the words of the Beatitudes:

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

Do you want to see God? Then find the path of purity and keep yourself pure in all things.

Learn how to receive the Holy Spirit if you have not received the Spirit or if you do not know whether you have the Spirit. And then learn how to walk in the Spirit.

If you want to know more, search this website as there are a LOT of resources on how to receive the Spirit and how to walk in the Spirit.

You might also like:

Ask And It Will Be Given You
Who Is The Ultimate Advocate
Have You Drunk The Living Water
Just Ask
You Shall Receive Power
Pentecost And Receiving The Holy Spirit
Receiving The Holy Spirit
Baptism And Receiving The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit At Work
Taught By God
Why Are You A Christian
What Is The Hope Of Righteousness And How Do I Receive It
Walk By The Spirit
Holy Spirit Guarantee
Renewal In The Spirit
Be Filled With The Spirit
Temptations To Sin Are Sure To Come
Speaking In Tongues
Change Your Behaviour
Oops I Did It Again
Walking In The Spirit
Walking Properly With Christ
No Anxiety
Praying In Tongues
Deliverance
What Is The Work Of The Holy Spirit