Timothy was a young man who had been nourished up on the pure words of God since childhood (2 Timothy 3:15). His mother and grandmother invested the necessary time to teach him about good and bad, right and wrong. This early development helped him to understand the importance of purity (2 Timothy 1:5). Because these two women brought him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, Timothy had been shielded from much of the wickedness and filth to which others were exposed. With this upbringing in mind, Paul called upon Timothy to be an example in purity. Paul stressed the importance of Timothy maintaining his purity so that other believers might be able to see his life and follow in his example.
Believers should seek to be pure in every facet of life. One might consider limiting this to the places he goes or the things he hears and sees, but purity demands a much greater focus. Believers ought to think on pure things (Philippians 4:8) with pure minds (2 Peter 3:1) and pure consciences (1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3). In particular, believers should have pure hearts before the Lord (1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:22). A pure heart will lead to a pure conscience and a pure mind. A pure heart changes where a man goes, what he looks upon, and the things he allows to enter into his ears. Every Christian should strive to make sure that all things are pure.
The story of Esther is a wonderful story. As she and the other ladies prepared to present themselves before king Ahasuerus, they were provided with “things for purification.” The king considered their purity extremely important. The same principle holds true for the believers today. The Bible says, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). Christians, soon to be presented to king Jesus, should grow increasingly concerned about their purity.
From the Old Testament to the New Testament, many things change; however, some themes remain constant. One such theme involves the Lord's desire to use pure things and pure people. God commanded His people in the Old Testament to make sure the things used in the tabernacle were purified (Leviticus 8:15). He also commanded that His servants be purified (Ezra 6:20). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul confirmed the continuation of this theme by saying that “pureness” approved him as a minister of God (2 Corinthians 6:4-6). God still requires those who serve to strive to live pure and holy lives. Impurities hinder the Lord’s effectiveness in our lives though we may not be aware of the hindrance.
