Matthew 5:8 AMP
[8] “Blessed [anticipating God’s presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God.
Psalms 24:3-4 AMP
[3] Who may ascend onto the mountain of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? [4] He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to what is false, Nor has sworn [oaths] deceitfully.
As we read yesterday, we are called to be on guard when it comes to the things that are allowed to settle on our hearts. There are many reasons for this, but I believe the most important reason is the eternal impact of the things that impact and are able to influence the heart. I cannot afford to be careless or non-committal about what I focus on, what I allow to pass through my heart, or the things that my heart sees as important. The heart is am interesting part of my body, and as we know, there is a physical element to it, as well as a spiritual dimension to it. It is the part of the body that processes and pumps blood to all the parts of the body, ensuring that they function at their optimum. It would seem that, apart from the head, it is the other part of the body that the body cannot survive without. Take out a liver, kidney or foot; you may have a few weeks to live, or even years with proper management, but get the heart to completely stop working for about 5 minutes, without help, and that would be it. That is the sheer importance of the human heart.
Relate this to the spiritual heart. It is the place where the life-blood of Jesus is processed and enabled to impact the spiritual life of a man. That is why the bible says it is with the heart that man believes, and then with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. The heart is the place of the battle, where God wants to control, because He knows that whoever controls the heart controls the life. Whoever is able to dictate terms in the heart is able to determine the eternal destiny of that life. It is not a wonder, then, that the verses above speak to each other, laying emphasis on the place of the heart, and my role is securing its stability, focus and consistency. It takes a personal encounter with the God who is the focus here, to fully appreciate the value of holiness and purity. It is God's nature to be holy, and He will not demand from us that which He has not first supplied sufficient grace for. He knows that by ourselves, we will not be able to live up to His standards, and that is why He has given us His Spirit to help us on this walk.
The decision to stay pure cannot be sustained by sheer willpower alone, but by the enablememt of the Holy Spirit. It always starts from the inner man, and then impacts the outer man. It is a decision that is first personal, but its manifestation is always public. Holiness is God's nature, and He wants those who claim to be His children to also look, talk, walk, and relate like Him. That is how children of a particular father are known, when the children behave like their father. The children of God also have to be known as such, when their actions, decisions, priorities and relationships all reflect the nature of their Father. The reward is also adequate motivation; to see God is the fitting ultimate and crowning conclusion of a life of holiness. How can I see God if my life looks nothing like what He approves? How can I approach Him with filth in my heart, when God has made very clear that without holiness, no man shall see the Lord? Please note that the commands of God are absolutes, not negotiations. He has laid down the conditions; what decisions do you have to make today? God's time of favour is here.
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