“Pursue . . . holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”

— Hebrews 12:14

Do you ever wonder how historians of the future will characterize the age in which we live? Will they call it the information age? The nuclear age? The technological age? The space age?

I’d like to suggest a term, but you probably won’t feel proud of it. I think we live in a dirty age. Despite the ways agencies fight the air and water pollution that threaten our environment, we live in a dirty world. But I’m not talking about environmental blight—I’m talking about the moral impurities that pollute our society, affecting us far more than we realize.

I do not know when in the history of civilization society has degenerated to such an unclean state as that which we experience today. To see what I’m talking about, just peruse almost any contemporary novel, take a peek at some of the recently produced movies, or view today’s television programs. Or just listen to everyday conversations.

But God calls us to holiness and purity, wanting us to counteract moral pollution. So how do we become pure and stay pure in the midst of our society’s depravity? We can do so only through the pure and spotless Lamb of God.

To pursue holiness and purity, we need to understand what sin really is. Instead of enjoying the forbidden, we need to see sin as devilish and destructive, an evil force that pulls us down. As the psalmist said, “You that love the Lord, hate evil.” Guard your heart from the evil that surrounds you daily. Forsake the depraved, and feed your mind on the things of God.

We also must seek accountability. Do you know a mature and trustworthy Christian who can hold you accountable in your walk with God? If you struggle with a particular sin, just knowing that you’ll have to give an account to someone can keep you walking straight on God’s path. If you don’t already have such a person in your life, begin praying today that God will give you a partner with whom you can seek His holiness and purity.

“The greatest security against sin is to be shocked at its presence.”
Thomas Carlyle