Spiritual Purity

 

This winter, we took our annual family reunion trip to Canada. We shared a large cabin with my husband's older brother. At night, when the kids went to bed, we had an adult movie night. Although my husband and I very rarely watch movies anymore, he recently developed an interest in old western cowboy films, so he chose one for us to watch.

The movie had an interesting plot that followed a young family traveling west in search of gold. However, an unexpected plot twist occurred when the young wife was seduced by another traveling cowboy. While my husband and I awkwardly brushed off the scene, my husband's brother surprised us all by saying, “We can't watch this, you guys. This is adultery and infidelity.” He was right; we couldn't continue watching it. Later, my husband and I commented on how impressed we were with his quick discernment and disapproval. 

That night, I felt a strong conviction about my own judgment. I was inspired by his ability to make that quick and clear call. I learned an important lesson about being more careful regarding what I allow my eyes to see. I wanted to be like him; I didn’t want to overlook anything God disproves. I wanted to strive for the same kind of spiritual purity.

I later discovered a similar lesson in the Old Testament. The book of Genesis tells the story of a beautiful young woman named Dinah. Dinah was the daughter of Jacob, who is a significant figure of faith in the Old Testament. The name Dinah means "judgment" or "to judge," which also means the ability to make good judgment. The Bible describes her as a virgin, symbolizing purity. However, something terrible happened when Dinah carelessly “went out to see the daughters of the land” (Genesis 34:1). While she was simply there to see, she was defiled by the prince of that land, named Hamor.

 

As believers, we have a responsibility to pursue purity. However, when we intentionally expose ourselves to the sinful ways of the world, our ability to make sound judgments can become influenced and compromised by the prince of this world, satan.