“Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” 1 Timothy 5:1-2
Paul is teaching young Timothy how he is to treat others and as I was reading this scripture the last line stood out, “and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity”. As I sit and think about my and other young men’s’ dealings with the opposite sex I have to ask if we have truly been treating our sisters with absolute purity. We often try to limit purity to an outward thing such as sex, conversations, physical touching, etc but it goes far beyond that. Purity must be a part of the core of our being. Our thoughts and motives must be just as pure as not touching someone inappropriately.
I wonder if God posted our thoughts, concerning our brothers and sisters, on a movie screen would people be able to sit through and watch it? We may never make a pass at our brother or sister in Christ but what thoughts do we entertain about them? Do we have lustful thoughts about them? When we hug is it out of a heart of purity or hormones? Love or lust?
In the previous chapter, Paul told Timothy that he must not only not allow people to look down upon him because of his age but also to be an example to other believers. One of the ways to which he is to be an example is in purity. We, too, are called to be an example to other believers in purity. If we truly desire to take on the character of Christ then our purity must extend beyond being outwardly pure. We must ensure that we are treating each other with absolute purity; that our motives are pure.
Search our hearts O God! Reveal those places of impurity in us that we may repent. Help us to regard our brothers and sister with absolute purity, in our actions, thoughts, and motives. Grant us your grace to cover our past mindsets. Invade our hearts, O God, with your love that we may seek to love sincerely and honor one another above ourselves. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
2 comments:
thats a great way to see purity because we do only think of it as physical contact. we never think about what our thoughts are when we are doing things with the opposite sex, even if it just talking, or hanging out with friends. we have to be aware of the thoughts we have towards our brothers and sisters because if not you could get caught up in the sin of lust.
Wow! such profound wisdom. the love and honesty that Father speaks to you in the Word is refreshing. the simplicity of this message would launch our generation and i believe the Body of Christ to a whole nother plateau if we would embrace it. Keep spitting truth. Love ya
Faith
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