When Australian metals are traded on the London Metals Exchange they are 99.99% pure. For very high technology applications it is possible to produce gold of up to 99.99% purity. At this level it has only one part of some other alloy per million parts of gold. This is the equivalent of one gram of impurity in a metric ton of gold. It is very pure gold.
Australian salt is also mined and is 99.7% pure after being washed. Various processes can increase this to a level of 99.95% pure, which is equivalent to just 500 grams of impurity for every metric ton. Companies go through the extra effort to go from 99.7% pure salt to 99.95% pure because impurities can have serious, even lethal effects. For example, if the salt is used within the fluid of a battery, the impurities can cause an explosion to occur.
There are even some physical impurities which are too dangerous to have around in infinitesimally small quantities:
— PCBs (‘polychlorinated biphenyls) are toxic chemicals that persist in the environment and accumulate in the food chain. They can accumulate in the body leading to memory, learning and attention-span difficulties. These chemicals can also suppress the immune system in a developing fetus, making it more susceptible to infection. Children born to women up to seven years after significant contamination can show developmental delays and behavioral problems. Safe levels are considered to be fractions of parts per million.
— Dioxin poison found in food accounts for a very high proportion of all cases of human exposure. In addition to causing reproductive damage, adults who are exposed to dioxin poisoning can develop lung, liver, kidney, breast, stomach,tissue, and bone marrow cancers. Dioxin poison also causes diabetes, excessive hair growth, skin diseases, changes in fat metabolism, nervous system damage, and other serious health problems. Safe levels are measured in parts per trillion.
These examples, showing the damage even the smallest percentage of impurities can cause, highlight a key lesson for us spiritually. Sin is so dangerous and damaging we must strive for spiritual purity to avoid it at all costs. James 3:17 lists seven characteristics of God’s character with ‘purity’ being listed as the first characteristic: “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
I John 1:5 tells us there is “no darkness at all” in God’s character and this is what we, as Christians must strive for, with the help of God’s Spirit. How many parts per million of sin are safe? What level of sin has side effects? At what point is it lethal?
The approaching December holiday season is filled with admixtures of good and evil – festive mercantilism, relaxed office parties with reduced inhibitions, giving to get, pre-christian beliefs mixed with Christianity and secularism. Indulging in a mixture of worldly fun coated excess can lead to a lack of purity and sin. Like the dioxins and PCBs polluting our planet, sin pollutes lives and brings pain, mental anguish and death, contrasted with the wisdom from above, which is first of all pure. Purity of thought and behavior should be our first priority.
