Purity of Heart

How wonderful it is that God, in His eternal love, created an opportunity for us to receive pure hearts. It is written: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). These words would never be written in the Bible if there was no possibility of achieving this purity of heart. How wonderful it is that our hearts can receive again the purity we once had as children. All our sins can be expunged, so that our souls can be white as fresh snow. What a wonderful truth that is!

Considered from a human perspective, King David had progressed remarkably. He started as a shepherd boy and became a king. During his inspiring career, he suffered a very painful loss, for he lost his purity of heart. I am certain that David looked back at this time with regret. As a shepherd boy, he took his harp and sang songs to praise God. Now he was king, had won many battles, but the joy was gone because his heart was stained with sin. But he went to God in his misery and prayed: “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit” (Psalm 51:12). This prayer was certainly of great significance, because he was able to renew his covenant with the living God. The same miracle still happens today when we turn to Him, because His  compassion has no end. 

The Lord says through the prophet Isaiah: “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool’” (Isaiah 1:18). John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says: “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). This speaks of the possibility to be cleansed from our sins. How wonderful that we can already receive salvation here in this time. 

Someone may ask: How should I know if my heart is pure or not? In 1 John 3:21-22, we read: “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” 

When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, openness to God disappeared. But as soon as sin is pardoned and cleansed, we have a relationship with God again. We can approach God again through the blood of Jesus. 

There is another indicator of a pure heart. Jesus says: “Blessed are the pure of heart.” Those who have a pure heart are joyful. A true joy radiates from such a life. External circumstances cannot take this joy away, because the source of joy comes from the hidden depth of a pure heart. 

History tells us of times where there have been winds of persecution that blew over God’s church, such as when in the nights of centuries past, Christians shone like torches as they burned at stakes. However, the source of joy still flowed so that they went singing to the pyres. Tools of torture could not stop the praises of the saints. When pure hearts gather for worship, their praises rise like holy incense to the living God above. It is the Holy Spirit who rests over these gatherings, for He is present where pure hearts reside. 

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