Purity of Heart

Purity of Heart

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” Mark 7:21-23.

“And [He] made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” Acts 15:9.

It is impossible to grow spiritually without a pure heart. The Hebrews did not experience spiritual growth, and the apostle took a very serious view of the matter. Heb. 5:12, 6:7-9. This is also the experience of many believers. One cannot say they are growing, that they are becoming more and more blessed. The reason is that they do not keep their hearts pure, and they do not advance any further than having to purify their hearts over and over again. They do not understand how to follow Jesus in the hour of temptation when they are being drawn and enticed by their own desires (sin in the flesh), so that sin is condemned in the flesh. Jas. 1:14; Rom. 8:3. Sin enters their heart, and they become impure, because they do not put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit. Rom. 8:13. When sin—that which you are tempted to by your own desires—enters your heart, you notice it, for from the heart proceed the issues of life. Then you can see that you are offended, impatient, malicious, unchaste, etc. People become defiled in the hour of trial. The fact that a person cannot stay clean is evidence that he is a child. This also applies to the spiritual realm. Keeping oneself clean is the first thing a person learns as he grows up.

“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby up to salvation.” 1 Pet. 2:1-2.

This desire for spiritual milk is lacking if a person has an impure heart. There is no growth unless the heart is purified. It is possible to possess much knowledge, but to receive the implanted word—and to translate it into action—requires a pure heart. Jas. 1:21.

The Word was God, and the Word became flesh in Jesus; thus His glory was revealed. John 1:1; John 1:14. “For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” John 6:55-56.

Christ is our Passover Lamb that was slain. “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Cor. 5:6-8.

When we come together and share God’s Word, we are to eat the Passover Lamb. There is guile if we sit there with any old leaven in our heart. Then we are not upright. We learn from the Scriptures that such people are to be cut off. Ex. 12:15, 19; Lev. 7:19-21.

After Paul had heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love for all the saints, he could work further with them. Eph. 1:15-19; Col. 1:4, 9. We have a pure heart if we love all the saints. This is a necessary foundation for further development. Once a person has become rooted and grounded in love, he has become sufficiently mature to keep himself clean. Eph. 3:18-19. Then he can develop to all the fullness of God.

Everyone has to test himself “and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.” If a person does not have a pure heart, he eats and drinks judgment to himself. 1 Cor. 11:28-29.