Purity and Power

Following last Sunday's Whose Image? teaching I feel lead to continue the holiness theme again. This week we will look at Purity and Power.

When we are called to live pure lives, we often think of stand-offish, finicky prudes who disdain to dirty themselves with the grimey grind of life. White robes and white towers come to mind. The expression "holier-than-thou" does have an origin in the attitudes of the would-be-pure.

However, it has occurred to me that purity is really about power. Electricity travels faster along highly-conductive material than along poorly-conductive material. Perfume smells stronger and lasts longer as the purity level increases. Ivory soap leaves your face cleaner with 99.44% purity. Mixed drinks are more potent the higher its proof or percentage of pure alcohol.

So we will examine the need for purity from the standpoint of its correlation to the spiritual power in the life of a believer. When our lives are diluted with sins of omission, clogged by sins of commission and constricted by false beliefs and negative attitudes, the power of God does not flow as readily into and through us.

I am thinking of using clear plastic tubing and food-colored water to demonstrate these truths. I'll keep you posted on further developments.