Rachel Tredway
Purity: a word that typically causes one to feel either shame or victory. A word that has ceased to exist in worldly circles, and been over-used and often mis-defined in Christian circles. My name is Rachel Tredway, and I hope my story encourages you today, and brings you freedom on this topic called purity!
I grew up in a Christian home, with wonderful parents. I went to church like all my friends, I knew I loved Jesus from a young age, and I lived with joy and freedom. Over the years, I witnessed people inside and outside the church making choices that did not reflect Christ. This was quite astonishing to me, considering most of these people had been in church all their lives. One day, during my teenage years, I was reading Mathew 5 and verse 8 stood out to me: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” I was captivated by this verse because it described purity differently than I had ever heard. True purity begins and remains in the heart and does result in face-to-face encounters with our King! The term purity has been boiled down to one action, that action being no sexual relations before marriage. You will not be able to successfully reach the marriage bed in full purity if the requirement is to not commit one action. But if you possess a mind, heart, & body conviction to live as Jesus did, you will have great success bringing purity to the covenant of marriage! Purity begins when you look into the eyes of our King who is pure and holy in every way. He is the definition and standard and by His grace we have every ability to walk as He walked. When I entered covenant relationship with Christ (salvation and baptism), I made a commitment that I would keep my heart pure so I could see His face. He never fails to keep a promise, I kept my commitment, and 22 years into life I can say I have seen Him face-to-face many times! The natural response to seeing Him is a desire for what is righteous and a dis-taste for that which isn’t holy. As life went on I made choices to not listen to certain music and instead worship. I said no to many movies that I saw friends watch, and I spent that time with Jesus. I have said no to various clothing trends because the way Jesus values me is how I want to value myself, and He calls me His royalty. I made it a priority how I spoke, in tone and words, to those around me because Jesus spoke with love and purity, not gossip and slander. These may sound like strict rules, and the church sometimes paints that picture. My decisions were not based on any sermon or pastor, but on the simple instructions from His word. Purity in heart will lead to purity of your mind, soul, spirit, and body, and that is ultimately what true purity is. When all those parts of you are surrendered to your King, you will find that living in purity is the most freedom you’ve ever known! To my brothers in Christ, married and unmarried, I bless you to walk in purity all your days and reflect the strength and tenderness of Christ. May your eyes stay fixed on Christ as you bring the gift of purity to every relationship. To my sisters in Christ, married and unmarried, I bless you to walk in purity all your days and reflect the royalty and beauty of Christ. May you fix your eyes on Jesus and bring a great gift of purity to your friends, family, and spouse!
Mathew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Written by: Rachel Tredway
