Bible study: Holiness and Righteousness

Bible study: Holiness and Righteousness

Posted on December 16, 2008 Updated on December 16, 2008

NO CONTAMINATION

Memorise: “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure” ( 1 Timothy 5:22 )

Read: Genesis 18:17-19

Pastor E. Adeboye 

When someone is said to be pure, it means the fellow is trustworthy. One reason I like dogs is because I can predict some of their actions. When a dog is happy, it dances and wags its tail. When it is angry, it barks.

Human beings are largely unpredictable. Someone will be planning to kill his neighbour yet he will eat from the same table and be smiling at him. If you are hypocritical, you are miles away from purity. God tried Abraham’s heart and said He knows him. He knew what he can do. Can God vouch for you?

Can God say He knows you will not embezzle money in your office or church? Can He say He knows that you will lead your children and household to follow Him to the end?

“But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; Lest ye fall into condemnation” ( James 5:12 ). To be pure is to be single minded.

In Luke 9:59-62 , Jesus illustrated this. Similarly, in Luke 16:13 , He says a servant cannot serve two masters. Whatever the name of Jesus cannot solve cannot be solved. The reason many Christians have not fully benefited from the Lord is because they are engaging in what they shouldn’t. Every iota of contamination renders your purity void. When you follow the Lord, it must be with all your heart.

Some years ago, in a book – As pure As light, I used an illustration. Assuming there is a bucket of water that is pure by all standards and everyone queues up to drink from it. Then the baby of a sister defecates and in the process of changing the nappy some of the faeces dropped into the bucket of water, do you think those people will still drink from it? No.

It has been contaminated. In John 14:30 , Jesus said that when the devil examined Him from top to bottom, he found nothing incriminating. Jesus was without contamination. Are you contaminated? If you were examined by Satan today, will he find anything incriminating. Sometimes, if you are careless you can be contaminated by the sins of others.

Giving your consent on any sinful deed makes you partaker of that sin. Hence Paul warned Timothy not to allow the sins of others contaminate him ( 1 Timothy 5:22 ). A drop of contamination destroys a bucket of purity. Keep yourself pure.

The faith of some Christians have been diluted with a drop of error. Ask God to keep you and your family from all types of contamination.