All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:3 (NIV)

It was “Ask the Youth Leader Night” for the kids at church, and everyone was putting their questions into the hat. The evening always provided interesting discussion centered on questions about faith, the Bible, and everything in between. Tom pulled the first question out of the hat as all eyes focused on him.

He glanced at the question on the piece of paper and paused for just a moment. Then he said, “Here’s a dating question, it says ‘How far is too far?’” Without much hesitation, he started right in. “You see, here’s the problem: This is really the wrong question. The right question is how far away from trouble’s door can I remain?”

Tom’s astute answer was right on. Too many folks ask the wrong question. They wonder how close they can get to the fire without actually getting burned…when they should be more concerned with staying as far away as possible from the fire! Scripture uses the same object lesson.

Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? Proverbs 6:27-28 (NIV)

Purity is the total absence of contaminants. As an example, the purity of gold is measured in carats. The purest gold is 24 carats or roughly 99% pure gold. Eighteen carat gold would be 18 parts gold and 6 parts other metals. The point is that if you want the purest gold, you need to keep all the other impurities out.

Is there anything in your life that has become an avenue to impure thoughts or actions? TV? The internet? Books? Video games? A particular relationship? A certain kind of music? If you want to maintain a pure life, then it might be time to make some radical changes to avoid being burned.