PURITY HAS LEFT THE PULPIT : A CALL BACK TO HOLINESS
The pulpit has always been more than just a platform. It is a sacred space where the Word of God is proclaimed, where the people of God are shepherded, and where lives are shaped toward eternity. Yet, in our time, it feels as though something precious has slipped through our fingers. Purity. The very fragrance of Christ’s presence has begun to fade from the pulpit. Instead of being known for holiness, too often we hear stories of compromise, hidden sin, and leaders stumbling into the very snares they were called to help others avoid.
This is not written to condemn pastors and leaders but to cry out for mercy and revival. We need God to purify His house again. Judgment begins in the house of God (1 Peter 4:17), and so does redemption. The church cannot afford to normalise what Jesus came to set us free from.
Purity Is God’s Standard, Not Man’s Suggestion
The call to holiness is not an optional extra for pastors, leaders, or believers, it is the very heartbeat of God for His people. Hebrews 12:14 reminds us: “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Holiness is the fruit of love for God.
When purity leaves the pulpit, the standard of God’s Word is replaced with the standard of culture. Yet the pulpit was never meant to echo culture, it was meant to echo heaven. Leaders must not only preach truth but embody it, showing a generation that purity is not outdated but essential.
Hidden Sin Destroys Open Witness
What is done in secret will always come to light. Jesus said in Luke 12:2: “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known.” When leaders harbour secret sin, they carry cracks in their foundation. Sooner or later, those cracks widen, and the collapse harms not just the individual but the flock entrusted to them.
This is why the apostle Paul warned Timothy to “keep yourself pure” (1 Timothy 5:22). He knew that private compromise eventually becomes public downfall. Our churches don’t just need polished sermons—they need leaders who walk in integrity, leaders whose secret life and public life tell the same story.
Repentance Restores What Sin Tries to Ruin
The good news is that God’s mercy is greater than our failures. No matter how far purity has drifted from the pulpit, it can return when we choose repentance. Psalm 51:10 records David’s prayer after his fall: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
This is not just a prayer for individuals but for the church collectively. We need to kneel again and ask God to cleanse us, to renew us, and to breathe fresh holiness into our pulpits. Revival does not begin with better programs but with brokenness before God. When leaders repent, they give permission for congregations to do the same, and the ripple effect can transform entire communities.
Purity may feel absent from many pulpits today, but God is not done with His church. He still calls us higher, still invites us to holiness, and still longs to raise up leaders who reflect His Son. This is not a time for finger-pointing; it is a time for prayer, repentance, and a return to the Word of God as our standard.
May purity once again mark our pulpits, not so that men are exalted, but so that Jesus is glorified. For when the pulpit is pure, the church shines bright, and the world sees Christ clearly.