Paper or Priceless?

God’s holiness is much more than sinlessness.

Our Creator tells us to be holy because He is holy. God’s holiness is much more than sinlessness. When the heavenly host sing “holy, holy, holy,” they are not saying, “sinless, sinless, sinless,” but praising Him for His uniqueness. There is no one like our God! God wants His children to be holy, unique, distinct, and unlike those who reject the truth of His Word.

Teens today are pressured to conform to social norms, fit into certain groups, and lose their Christian testimony. One specific battle is the holiness— the sanctity—of their purity. Your purity is valuable to God; your purity is valuable to your parents; and your purity is valuable to your future husband or wife. How valuable is your purity to you?

God reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God.” Let’s answer two simple questions from these verses.

Question: What is God’s will for your life?

Answer: Your sanctification; your holiness; treating your purity with honor; refusing to allow immorality, sensuality, or wicked thinking to control you; refusing to live like those who don’t know your God. Anyone can live with a filthy thought life—it’s easy. Anyone can give in to physical involvement before marriage—it’s easy. Only those who truly want to please God and do His will are willing to be different and stay pure in an impure world.

Question: How should you value your purity of life and mind?

Answer: With honor! With sanctity! Some people view their purity as a paper cup—to be used, abused, and thrown away. Basically worthless. Others view their purity as a priceless teacup. When I “served tea” for my daughter’s tea parties (sometimes to her friends and sometimes to her dolls and teddy bears) I would handle those beautiful, delicate teacups with great care. They were valuable, and I treated them so. How do you value the sanctity of your purity? As a worthless paper cup or a priceless teacup?

How do you value your purity in your entertainment? How do you value your purity in your conversations, texts, and Facebook posts? How do you value your purity when you are alone with the opposite sex? As a worthless paper cup or a priceless teacup?

You are valuable to your Maker! The sanctity of your purity is important to Him. Jesus Christ, your Creator, paid the ultimate price for your salvation. Should you not value yourself as He values you? Be holy—because your wonderful, loving, forgiving God is holy.