The Purpose of Purity
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)
"What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever." Westminster Shorter Catechism
Lately I have been thinking a lot about the purpose of sexual purity in the lives of believers. Along with thinking about the purpose of purity, 1 Corinthians 10:31 and the Westminster Shorter Catechism have been in the forefront of my mind. Our lives are to be lived for the glory of God. Everything that we do, despite what it may be, is to be done for the glory of God Almighty.
We live in a world in which sexual immorality is rampant among both believers and the unregenerate. Vast amounts of men, women, and children live under the enslavement to sexual sin, whether that be an addiction to pornography, a lifestyle promiscuity, homosexuality, etc. Anyone who has dealt with a sexual addiction can attest to its binding nature, and to the feeling of helplessness that goes along with slavery to such a sin.
In our lives, it is vital that we ponder the purpose of sexual purity; why should we pursue it? For a person who has been heavily addicted to pornography, he or she might say that they simply want the guilt they feel to diminish. But the fact is that even if our conscience is clear, we will not experience true fulfillment if we are not seeking purity for the right reasons.
In thinking deeply about the different "options" we have in this life in regards to sexual sin I have come up with 3 possible outcomes of our lives in regards to this issue; only one of which brings true and lasting fulfillment.
1. We can give up. We can decide that purity is something that we feel we will never achieve, and throw in the towel. This option means a life spent in complete bondage, slavery to sin. No fulfillment, no joy. This option will most definitely destroy relationships in our lives; our marriages, our friendships.
2. We can try to do it on our own. We can resolve to take drastic measures to remove this issue from our lives "in our own power". We isolate ourselves from the world, we destroy our computer, our television, cell phone. We attempt to achieve purity by behavior modification, and for the sake of this article lets say that we do achieve it. What then? Maybe we walk around feeling good about ourselves; maybe we walk with our head held high. The frightening truth in regards to this option is that in this option, we are no better off than we would be with option 1. Think about it, in this option, we walk around deceiving ourselves by thinking that because of our "lifestyle of purity" we are justified. We think to ourselves, surely God looks down on me and is impressed because of my purity. In this option we live with the illusion that we are justified. Scripture tells us that the very best we have to offer to God is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) to The Lord. This option ends up just as vain as option 1 because true fulfillment is not found in legalistic behavior modification.
3. We pursue purity for God's glory. It is here only that we find the true purpose of sexual purity. It is here only that we find true fulfillment in our purity. The goal of us pursuing purity is not to simply clear our conscience, but to live a life in which God will receive all glory. Lately I have been thinking a lot about Galatians 5:16 which tells us, "Walk by the Spirit and you WILL NOT gratify the desires of the flesh". Galatians 5:16-24 is a passage that all who struggle with sexual sin should commit to memory. In every aspect, we as believers must wholly depend on the Spirit to bring about true change in our lives because He alone brings about true holiness. The answer is not simply modifying your behavior, but depending on the Spirit to bring about true holiness in your life so that you can live for the glory of God. The chief end of man, the purpose of your life, is to glorify God. You are not your own. Your were bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, so glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:12-20).