Growing up, I mostly missed the purity culture movement within the evangelical church. I did sign a True Love Waits abstinence pledge in middle school, and my parents gave me a purity ring when I turned thirteen. But I never attended any purity events, or read any books like I Kissed Dating Goodbye, or listened to talks that compared girls who had sinned sexually to used cars, expired food, or a wilted rose. I was never hurt by “purity culture,” but I know many Christian women who lived their teen years before me were.
While many bad things happened as a result of this purity movement, I fear we are now moving too far in the opposite direction. In response to purity culture’s flaws, many people, mostly those who fall in the progressive Christian camp, claim that God doesn’t really care what you wear or who you sleep with. He doesn’t care about purity or modesty. Want to wear crop tops and tight miniskirts? That’s fine! Want to sleep around before you settle down and get married? That’s good and even healthy.
But the Bible actually has a lot to say about purity and its importance in the lives of believers. Instead of throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater, we should examine what God’s Word teaches us about purity and determine how we can foster a culture of true, biblical purity in our families, churches, and communities.
What Does the Bible Say About Pursuing Purity?
Before we dive into what the Bible says about purity, we ought to know what exactly “purity” is. The Oxford Dictionary defines “purity” as “freedom from immorality, especially of a sexual nature.”[1] Essentially, living in “purity” means living morally, free from any sexual sin, which includes but is not limited to premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality. According to Scripture, it is God’s will for us to live in purity-
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, ESV
The Bible commands us to keep ourselves pure (1 Timothy 5:22) and to purify our hearts (James 4:8). As believers, we are called to set an example of purity (1 Timothy 4:12) and set our minds on whatever is pure (Philippians 4:8). As Paul writes to Titus, we must-
“renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and…live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,” Titus 2:12
Why Should We Pursue Purity?
God’s Word clearly states that purity is an important thing we should pursue. But why must we live pure lives? Is it because God is some prudish killjoy? Is it because God is a tyrant who strives to keep us under His subjugation? Or is it because God just doesn’t understand what’s in vogue these days? None of these are true, but there are three biblical reasons for why we should pursue purity.
First, we should pursue purity because God Himself is pure. God is pure and holy, set apart from sin (Habakkuk 1:13). Sinning is an impossibility for Him, and all of His words are pure (Psalm 12:6). As the people of God, we’ve been called to imitate God in His holiness, in His being set apart from sin (Leviticus 19:2, 1 Peter 1:16). Therefore, we should be pure as He is pure and avoid all sexual immorality.
Second, we should pursue purity because our actions are indicative of our hearts. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus emphasized the importance of having a pure heart and the fact that sinful actions stem from sinful heart attitudes (Matthew 5:8, 27-28). He declared,
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21
If a person’s treasure, the most precious thing in their life, is their sexuality, then their sexual desires have become an idol and have taken the place of God in the hearts. Impurity is idolatry, and those who have impure, idolatrous hearts will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:5). Because they are living in unrepentant sin and refusing to submit to God, they will not be saved from His wrath. But those who pursue purity and obedience will have a rightly oriented heart and will enjoy unhindered fellowship with God for eternity.
Third, we should pursue purity to prevent our brothers from stumbling. Many people believe that women should not have to dress modestly because they shouldn’t have to be responsible for men’s sexual thoughts or actions. The reality is that dressing immodestly can and does cause the opposite sex to fall into temptation, and if it is our behavior that causes our brothers in Christ to stumble and sin, Jesus said it would be better for us to be thrown into the sea with a great millstone tied around our neck (Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:42). We must strive to never be a hindrance or stumbling block to our fellow Christian’s spiritual growth (Romans 14:13), and if a certain article of clothing or behavior is causing others to stumble, we should put it away immediately and instead pursue purity (1 Corinthians 8:13).
How Can We Pursue Purity?
By now, I hope you’ve come to the conclusion that pursuing purity is of the utmost importance in a Christian’s life for a variety of reasons. But how exactly do we pursue purity? What are some practical things we can do to live a pure life and cultivate a culture of purity?
First, we must dive deep into Scripture. A psalmist once wrote,
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” Psalm 119:9
We cannot know what true, biblical purity is or what it looks like to live a pure life if we are not daily studying and searching God’s Word. As we read our Bibles, we should search our own hearts to see if we’re living in obedience to God or if there are any impure ways in us.
Second, we must remember that our bodies are temples. Paul preached to the Corinthian church,
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He paid the price for our redemption. Instead of being slaves to sin, we are now servants of the Most High God. There is no “my body, my choice” for Christians. Our bodies belong to the King as temples of His Holy Spirit, and we are called to glorify God in everything we do with our bodies.
Third, we must dress ourselves modestly. You may not like this idea. You may find it restrictive or offensive. But the Bible makes it clear that women should dress respectably and modestly with self-control (1 Timothy 2:9). And this goes for men, too! We, as Christians, should never dress in a way that will cause our brothers or sisters to stumble. Instead of focusing on how we look or what we wear, we should focus on dressing ourselves with godliness, purity, and obedience (1 Timothy 2:10, 1 Peter 3:3-4).
Pursuing Purity
If you were hurt by evangelical purity culture, I’m sorry that happened to you. If you’ve sinned sexually, you are not a used car, or an expired hamburger, or a demolished rose. You are a woman who was created in the image of God and who is loved by God so much that He mercifully sent His Son to die for you. However, God still calls you to pursue purity and modesty. This isn’t because God doesn’t want you to have fun or look cute. He commands you to pursue purity so that you will honor Him, honor your brothers and sisters in Christ, and honor your own body that He created and redeemed. If you struggle with pursuing purity, I hope you will pray with King David-
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
[1] “Purity,” Lexico, accessed October 27, 2021, https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/purity.
