{"id":13566,"date":"2025-01-10T10:45:51","date_gmt":"2025-01-10T15:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cristolaverdad.com\/?p=13566"},"modified":"2025-04-17T09:52:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T13:52:40","slug":"purity-of-heart-pt-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cristolaverdad.com\/?p=13566","title":{"rendered":"Purity of Heart, Pt.2"},"content":{"rendered":"
This entry is part 5 of 6 in the series Importance of The Heart<\/a><\/div>

We just learned (Pt.1) that our hearts<\/span> 1\/ Are purified by God when we repent & confess our sins<\/span> & 2\/ Purity of heart happens by staying close to God.<\/span> Mary had learned the most important thing which is to be close to Jesus, in His presence<\/strong>. And that this is more important than anything. We also find a very similar teaching in John 15: 1-7<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Jesus the True Vine<\/strong><\/p>\n

15 -1 \u201cI am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that bears no fruit, He takes away<\/strong>. And every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Y<\/span>ou are already clean through the word<\/span> which I have spoken to you.<\/span> 4 Remain <\/span><\/strong>(G3306<\/a>=Abide)<\/span> in Me<\/span><\/strong>, as I also<\/strong> remain in you<\/span>. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself,<\/span> unless it remains<\/span> in the vine<\/strong>, neither can you, unless you remain in Me.<\/strong><\/p>\n

5 \u201cI am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without Me<\/strong> you can do nothing.<\/span> 6 If a man does not remain in Me, he is thrown out as a branch and withers. And they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you<\/span>,<\/strong> you will ask whatever you desire, and it shall be done for you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There is a vital relationship between the branches and the vine, they work together, BUT the branches have no life without the vine<\/strong>. The fruit of the Spirit and good works should flow from a Christ-centered life, but good works do not produce a Christ-centered life<\/span> or either help us get closer to God. When we abide (remain) in Jesus, He empowers us to give much fruit. But it takes time to fellowship with God on a regular basis – just as it does with any important relationship.<\/strong><\/p>\n

– When we are not saved we come to Him just as we are, He will cleans us, but now that we are saved, that He redeemed us, we look to enter into God’s presence by preparing our heart, remember He is Holy.<\/span><\/p>\n

As we come close to the Lord, the Holy Spirit will reveal any sin to us. Then we confess our sin to the Lord and accept His loving mercy and forgiveness. In order to worship Him as He desires, we must first “put off” our sin and “put on” Christ.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHaving therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus<\/span>, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart<\/span> in full assurance of faith, having our hearts<\/span> sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water<\/strong>\u201d Hebrews 10:19-22; Ephesians 3:10-12; Hebrews 4:15-16<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Scriptures tells us that “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him<\/strong> must worship him in spirit and in truth\u201d John 4:24<\/p>\n

Being in the throne room of God or the Holy of hollies isn\u2019t something we can make happen with our minds. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. We shouldn’t put our faith in our own imagination or others. But lets put our faith in God.
\nAfter our sins are forgiven & our hearts cleansed we can come closer into God’s presence by thanksgiving, praise, and worship.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cEnter<\/strong> his gates with thanksgiving<\/strong>; go into his courts with praise<\/strong>. Give thanks to him and praise his name.\u201d Psalm 100:4.
\nBut thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3<\/p>\n

\u201cOh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee<\/strong>; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence<\/strong><\/span> from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues\u201d. Psalm 31:19-20.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High<\/strong> shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
\nI will say of the Lord, He is my refuge<\/span> and my fortress:my God; in him will I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

– The secret place of the Most High is the presence<\/span> of God!<\/strong><\/p>\n

3\/ Our heart can be purified by faith, & obeying His Word.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since your souls have been purified<\/span> by obedience to the truth through the Spirit<\/strong> unto a genuine brotherly love, love one another deeply with a pure heart. 1 Pet.1:22<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

God cleans our hearts by the washing<\/strong> of the Word of God (Ephe.5:26<\/a>), when we have faith or believe what He says: ‘purifying their hearts by faith<\/span>‘ (Acts 15:8-9<\/a>). Genuine faith is active nor dormant.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow<\/strong> can a young man cleanse<\/span> his way? By<\/strong> taking heed<\/a> according to Your word<\/span>.<\/strong>
\n10 With my whole heart<\/span> I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
\n11 Your word I have hidden in my heart<\/span>,That I might not sin against You.\u201d Psalm119:9-11<\/a> .<\/p>\n

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word<\/span> is truth<\/strong>” John 17: 17<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The mind leads our actions. The thoughts and intents of our hearts need to be changed through keeping and meditating in the Word of God. It’s like exchanging our viewpoint for God\u2019s truth (Rom. 12:2; Isa. 55:8f; Ps. 51:10; 119:9-11; Pr. 3:3; 7:3; 2 Cor. 4:16; 10:4-6; Eph. 2:22).<\/p>\n

We need then to study and believe God\u2019s Word<\/strong> to avoid hardness of heart. We must recognize and submit to God\u2019s Ways & not ours. But I’m not talking here about other books or men’s ideas about God, but the pure Word of God.
\nLet’s ask God for wisdom, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, (James 1:5). But there is also an earthly wisdom that we need to be careful of. James 3:13-18<\/p>\n

\u201cfor the weapons of our warfare are not carnal<\/span>, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;<\/strong> and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.<\/span>\u201d 2Cor.10:4-6<\/p>\n

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God<\/strong>, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world<\/span>: but be ye transformed<\/strong> by the renewing of your mind<\/strong>, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. …9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer<\/strong>; 13 distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Romans 12: 1-2,9-13.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

4\/ Our heart can be purified by trials<\/span> ( See Deut. 8:2; Jer. 17:10; Ps. 139:23-24<\/a>).<\/p>\n

One of the reasons that God allows trials is to reveal the condition of our hearts, to show its true colors, that we might see our sin and deal with it through confession\/repentance and faith in God\u2019s provision.<\/strong> Our response to trials reveals our heart. Will we trust in God and His promises ?, <\/span>or will we allow the problems to cause us to grumble & complain? (Hebrew3:7-8,12-13, 19<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Let us ask the Lord: What is the true state of our heart? <\/strong>-not what I think about it, but what is its true state.<\/p>\n

5\/ And also we can help to keep our hearts pure by exhorting one another:\u00a0<\/span> by The ministry of other true Christians as iron sharpens iron. Prov. 27:17
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut exhort one another<\/strong> daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened<\/strong> through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews3:13;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In resume, Purity of heart happens because of being close to God!<\/strong> So to avoid hardness of heart, we must make sure frequently that we are in a proper relationship with God.<\/p>\n

Jesus said: All sin begins in the heart. & also the Word says than sin separate us from God (Isaiah 59:2, Jer5:25). So if we deal with our thought life and submit them to God, (like mentioned on point 2) we’ll then stop sin at the root.<\/p>\n

We need not to look any further. Everything we need as Christians to be conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus, was already given to us: Redemption by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, who teach us, guide us & empower us to do God’s will.<\/p>\n

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God<\/strong>, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly<\/strong> furnished unto all good works” 2 Timothy 3:16-17<\/p>\n

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things<\/strong>, and bring all things to your remembrance<\/strong>, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let’s worship our awesome & wonderful Lord Jesus:<\/p>\n