Why Purify?

“Glory and strength to Christ, who loves us, who blood-washed our sins from our lives…” (Rev. 1:5 MSG)

If Christ washed away our sins, then why is there a need for repeated purification? The answer lies in the difference between salvation and sanctification. Both these words are theologically loaded, and experts disagree about their exact definitions. But, I’ll give you my simplified interpretation:

Salvation means we are saved from a life separate from God. Sanctification means we are clean enough to feel comfortable around God. I think the difference can be better understood through an analogy:

When my husband goes away on a trip, I become less particular about my personal hygiene. I stop bothering with washing or combing my hair, flossing my teeth, and changing my clothes. I also become lax about housecleaning. The dishes pile up in the sink, the counters remain cluttered, and dust settles on every surface. If anyone rings the doorbell, I won’t open the door. But on the day my husband is scheduled to return, I vacuum, dust, disinfect, mop, shower, floss, and put on clean clothes. Whether I clean up or not, he would come home. He would continue to love me, even if the house was a mess and I had not showered in days. However, I would be uncomfortable and embarrassed to get close to him.

Salvation gives us the option to have an intimate relationship with God. Sanctification allows us to be comfortable enough to get close to HIM.