Is it possible to achieve spiritual purity? Some people think it is. For those who are trying to achieve it, I thought it might be helpful to discern the difference between white as a color, and white, as light. If we can’t appreciate the difference between color as pigment, and color as light, we could be in big trouble, spiritually speaking!

The notion of spiritual purity, as a goal or an objective, comes from various passages in Scripture. Perhaps the best example of the goal of purity is found in Revelation 7.

“After this I looked, and there before me was 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 and were holding palm branches in their hands.

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,” Revelation 7:9,13,14.

A literal interpretation would suggest that the multitude standing before the throne and the Lamb, is wearing physical robes, made of white cloth. But a literal interpretation runs into problems, when we realize that the robes are made white, after being washed in the blood of the Lamb. Exactly how would that happen?

Let’s go with the notion that the great multitude is reflecting the presence of white light, when standing before the throne and the Lamb. Hence, their robes appear white, because the multitude is in the presence of purity. If their robes were washed in the blood of the Lamb to make them white, then how did the blood of the Lamb become white? How is white light achieved, if it’s different than white pigment?

The difference between the color white, and white light, must be clarified as we move into the church of tomorrow.

We cannot continue to be confused by our desire to achieve a spiritual color. We need definition, and we need it now. Our confusion affects how we perceive spiritual purity. It’s important!

WHITE PIGMENT is achieved through a process of extraction, exclusion, or omission of all other colors, tints, tones, shades, or pigments.

WHITE LIGHT can only be achieved by the addition, or inclusion, of all colors of light in the visible spectrum. When all colors are present, they cancel each other out, and white light is created.

Can we see the spiritual problem that exists when there is a confusion between the color white, and white light?

It is a confusion over the difference between inclusion and exclusion. 

John didn’t testify that Jesus said, “I am the color of the world.” He said, “I am the light of the world,” John 8:12. Whoever follows and abides in Jesus’ light will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

So excluding pigment might achieve the color white, but it fails to move us toward the goal of spiritual purity. Separating ourselves from others will never lead us to the heart of God.

Instead, we must include ALL shades, hues, and tones within humanity’s spiritual prism, in order to achieve the desired goal of spiritual purity. For this reason, the example given by Jesus was the example of inclusion.

Inclusion leads to the purity of white light.

Think on these things.