Answer
Purification is the process of becoming clean or pure in a physical, moral, or spiritual sense. In Scripture, God calls us to be pure, casting off anything that is unlike Him. Thus, purification is essential for those who draw near to God; it is important in worship, daily living, and becoming more Christlike.
In the Old Testament, purification was associated with ceremonial cleanliness. The Law of Moses included numerous rituals and sacrifices to achieve purification from physical and spiritual impurities. For example, Leviticus 14 describes the purification process for people healed of leprosy. This ritual involved a priest, two live clean birds, cedarwood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop. One bird was sacrificed, while the other was set free, symbolizing both the cleansing and liberation from impurity. The idea is that, after a time of corruption, purification is necessary to restore fellowship with God and the religious community.
Purification was also prominent in the context of the tabernacle and the temple. Priests underwent rigorous purification rituals before performing their duties, as noted in Exodus 30:17–21, where God instructed Moses to make a bronze basin for washing. Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and feet before approaching the altar, ensuring their ceremonial cleanliness. This act of purification signified respect for the holiness of God and the sanctity of their service to Him.
The New Testament transitions from an emphasis on ceremonial cleanliness to spiritual cleanliness. The ministry of John the Baptist, for example, included a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, signifying purification of the heart. In Matthew 3:11, John says, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (ESV). Here, purification by water is not merely an outward sign but a reflection of a cleansed heart.
Jesus also taught the importance of purification. In Mark 7:18–23, Jesus explains that it is not what goes into a person that defiles him, but what comes out of his heart. Jesus lists things like evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, and others sins as impurities that corrupt from within. Purification, according to Jesus, involves a radical transformation of mind, heart, and spirit (see John 3:3, 5).
Purification is also significant in the writings of the apostles. In 1 John 1:7, the apostle John declares, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (ESV). Faith in the sacrificial death of Christ is how sinners are purified from all impurity, enabling them to stand justified before a holy God.
In 2 Corinthians 7:1, Paul urges believers to “cleanse [themselves] from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (ESV). To bring “holiness to completion,” believers must actively put away sin in cooperation with the Holy Spirit: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (ESV).
The book of Revelation shows that entrance to the New Jerusalem requires purification: “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14). Earlier, John had seen “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes” (Revelation 7:9). One of the elders tells John how their robes came to be so white: “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14).
Purification before a holy God is an important theme in the Bible. From the rituals of the Old Testament to the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, purification is essential for salvation from sin and fellowship with God. Believers are called to live in holiness, experiencing God’s cleansing (1 John 1:9), and striving to reflect the character of Christ.
