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.
Purity often involves a process. The twofold purification process in the believer's life commences at the moment of salvation. This process then progresses as the believer walks with the Lord. The individual's faith in the finished work of Christ washes away one's sin in Christ’s blood. Christ's blood cleanses completely and purifies every believer from his sin. This cleansing and purification remains forever settled between the Lord and the believer. The born-again Christian will never and can never again be any less pure in his position with the Lord. Peter confirms the positional purity when he wrote that his audience had “purified” (past tense) their souls (1 Peter 1:22). Our purity in position, settled by trusting Christ as Saviour (Titus 2:14), cannot be reversed. However, positional purity does not guarantee purity on a daily basis during our walk. The Christian's practice (his walk) must by choice remain pure.
God is pure in every way. It logically follows that a pure God speaks only pure words. The Bible insures that we know the truth about these matters. According to scripture, “the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psalm 19:8). The writer later adds, “Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it” (Psalm 119:140). Both verses speak of the word of God in its entirety. In other words, the word of God (all 66 books) is without any foreign substance that would defile it in any way. The scripture also declares that the “words of the LORD are pure words” (Psalm 12:6). Again, which words? The Lord insures that there is no excuse for not understanding that “Every word of God is pure” (Proverbs 30:5). The Devil hates God and the things of God. He wants the world to believe that the Bible has been defiled. God claims otherwise. Who will you believe; God or the Devil?
Reading commentaries offers varying opinions concerning the definition of purity. However, the Bible offers some exacting details which give the right definition. Today's passage speaks of the “pure blood of the grape.” In other words, nothing was added to the juice—it was pure. There are several other substances in scripture identified as pure: gold (Exodus 25:39), olive oil (Exodus 27:20), myrrh (Exodus 30:23), incense (Exodus 37:29), and language (Zephaniah 3:9). Each instance emphasizes that nothing exists to corrupt the nature of the original. These substances are not combined with other materials to dilute or defile them. In essence, purity demands the absence of any substance that corrupts, defiles, or taints in any way.
The church of God at Corinth offered the apostle Paul some type of support which he refused to receive from them. The Bible does not tell us whether Paul's actions toward this church were appropriate. However, we do know that Paul admitted the possibility that he could have been wrong and asked for their forgiveness in the matter. We are not informed exactly why he asked for their forgiveness, but the Bible simply states that he might have wronged these believers. Paul wrote more books of the Bible than anyone else and was not “behind the very chiefest apostles” (2 Corinthians 12:11). Yet, he did not use his vaunted position or noted authority to avoid responsibility for his actions. Instead, he sought forgiveness from these carnal Corinthians. Believers today should likewise follow the apostle Paul's example of seeking forgiveness from those whom they have wronged or even those possibly wronged. Who is right or wrong lacks relevance when it comes to one's relationship with fellow believers no matter the position or station in life!
The two epistles addressed to the Corinthian church clearly highlight many of the problems associated with the carnal church of Corinth. Today's passage specifically deals with the restoration of those who had fallen into sin. All church discipline, though frequently neglected, should initially focus on the restoration of the individual rather than his simple condemnation. In fact, Galatians 6:1 instructs spiritual believers to consider themselves by restoring “such an one in the spirit of meekness.” Unfortunately, people oftentimes seem to glory in the judgment aspect of discipline while diminishing or completely neglecting the joys involved with the restoration of the individual into fellowship. Careful attention to the wording of 2 Corinthians 2:7 reveals two important aspects of this church discipline: believers “ought” to forgive; and additionally believers ought “rather” to forgive. Unlike those who are quick to condemn, the Bible emphasizes forgiveness rather than the punishment aspects of discipline.
The Christian life is a life of continual blessings, though it also contains many experiences in life's difficulties. The believer is blessed by God’s provisions in the past and offered hope through God’s promised future provisions. Psalm 68:19 proclaims that the Lord “daily loadeth us with benefits.” These benefits include both spiritual and physical blessings of salvation, answered prayers, good health, and family. However, David specifically described the blessedness of a man imputed righteousness apart from his works. Our passage records his words as he proclaimed, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven.” Though forgiven of past, present, and future sin, man's capacity for sinning remains unabated within his natural body. Every faithful Bible student knows never to minimize forgiveness of one's sin as one of the greatest blessings of all!
This psalm, like many of the others, records a prayer of David. David expressed how he desperately wanted God's attention and ear. He begins by boldly proclaiming God’s preserving power and mercy and then pleading for a restoration of the joy he once had but had now lost. This psalm clearly reveals David's single hope—the fact that the Lord remains “ready to forgive.” When a believer approaches God confessing his sins, he finds an ear ready to hear his petitions and pleas. Man needs only come and seek the forgiveness with a sincere heart because God remains ready and waiting to grant that forgiveness. The Lord stands watching for His people to come to Him in true repentance (similar to the father of the wandering son in Luke chapter 15).
Psalm 78 provides remarkable insights into God’s dealings with His people, the nation of Israel. His interactions with them differ considerably from His dealings with the Church today. Regardless, the individual's natural man has remained unchanged for 6,000 years now. The Old Testament records many examples of men rebelling against God in spite of God’s goodness. Following God’s corrective hand, men sometimes exhibit faithfulness. Yet all too often, this faithfulness is short-lived as the individual returns to the folly that will again require God's corrective actions. Regardless, man seems to repeat the never ending cycle of folly and forgiveness. Knowing this makes one wonder why God continues to forgive. His forgiveness originates from His innate compassion for His creation. God's word says that the Lord forgives because He is full of compassion (Psalm 78:38). In other words, the Lord forgives man because He suffers with man as man continues his cycle of inconsistent living. Praise God for His compassionate forgiveness.
