How Are We Purified In The Sight Of God?

A form of the word “purify” is used several times in the New Testament. One of the definitions of the word “purify” according to dictionary.com is “to free from guilt or evil.” That should be the goal of every person, but just how is that accomplished?

First consider from Tit 2:14 (“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works”) that Jesus died for us that we might be purified. I think this is primarily talking about the forgiveness of sins we get from the blood of Christ, but notice that our response to that redemption should be that we are “zealous of good works”; our choices are involved.

Acts 15:9 reads “And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” So for us to be purified by the sacrifice of Christ, we must have faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb 11:6).

But faith alone will not save (James 2:14-26). I Pet 1:22a says “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth.” See, we have to have faith (“know … God”) and “obey … the gospel of … Christ” to avoid being lost eternally (II Thess 1:8-9). “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb 5:9).

And after our souls/hearts are initially purified by obeying the gospel, we need to follow through on that commitment. James 4:8 reads “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” The blood of Christ purifies us (washes away our sins, Rev 1:5), but God expects us to do our part in remaining clean.  We must “purify” our hearts; it is up to us to stay out of the mud, i.e., the sins of the world (II Pet 2:20-22).

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