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What the Bible says about Moral Impurity
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Haggai 2:10-19

The first Chislev 24 prophecy, found in this passage, concerns the uncleanness of the covenant people and God's response to it. Through a series of questions that Haggai asks the priests, God makes the point that uncleanness is transferable, but holiness is not. Defilement or impurity can spread from an object to a person to another object, but purity and holiness cannot.

This is especially relevant in light of what was happening at the time. The people and the leaders were finally in the process of building the dwelling place of the Holy God. It contained a number of objects that were also holy, as well as the Most Holy Place. Yet, even the presence of God could not, by itself, make the people clean. In order to make the nation clean, it would take something more than just having the Temple nearby, with all of its holy objects and even the glory of God. Something else was required to cleanse the people.

This prophecy has a curious ending. It does not contain a call to repentance, except perhaps by implication. God says that His people are unclean, that the presence of something holy cannot make them clean, and that their hearts were not turned to Him—then He suddenly announces that from this day forward, He would bless. In this first prophecy, God does not specify exactly what the blessing will be, though there is a hint in verse 19: "Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you." This hint becomes clearer in the next Chislev 24 prophecy (Haggai 2:20-23).

David C. Grabbe
A Blessing in Winter?

Mark 1:23

Mark calls the usurping demon "unclean," indicating moral impurity. It is also a troublemaker, as seen in its contrary attitude. It is interesting that the demon violently recoils when faced with the authority of the spiritually clean Christ. Recognizing His holiness and unwilling to remain in Jesus' presence, it cries out in fear.

We see a similar uncleanness in those who trouble a congregation; they invariably live spiritually impure lives. They may talk about God's love and other virtuous things, but it often merely camouflages their evil intentions. These troublemakers are not peaceable, righteous people, but, like their spiritual father, Satan, they are of the lie (see John 8:44; II Thessalonians 2:9-12), and oppose those who truly serve Him.

Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Exorcism in the Synagogue

Romans 1:24-27

What are the results of rejecting God?

1. Uncleanness, meaning moral impurity;

2. Longing or desiring, especially what is forbidden;

3. Disgracing each other by mutual consent, meaning unlawful and impure connections with one another. Verse 24 contemplates not just a perversion of sex—homosexuality—but any use of it outside of God's law, such as fornication.

Paul describes more of what rejecting God leads to:

For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. (verses 26-27)

Should we be shocked at the explosion of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in today's world? God tells those that reject Him that such diseases are fitting penalties for the wrong use of sex. Mankind has tried to "advance beyond consequences" in this area by advocating "safe-sex" through the use of contraceptives. However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently admitted that condoms do not prevent the transmission of most STDs. Mankind cannot outsmart God!

David C. Grabbe
What Evolution Really Means


 




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