Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8
As our mourning to God begins the transforming process of our new life in
Christ, so our lifestyle of purity amid the impure can become the beginning of
reconciliation.
This Beatitude necessitates the strictest and most honest self-examination.
We are to do everything with pure, unmixed motives. This demands the death of
self and the springing to life of Christ within the heart.
So, blessed are those whose motives are unmixed and who operate in purity.
They shall be given a vision of God Himself. As we draw closer to Him through
purity, we shall see Him more clearly, love Him more dearly and follow Him more
nearly. Thus:
Blessed are those whose motives are absolutely pure and whose life is
characterized by purity, for they will be able to see God.
The area of moral purity is one major concern of Muslims. Great stress is
laid on modesty in dressing and purity of relationships between the sexes. But
Christians seem so nonchalant about such issues. Is it because we do not care
about purity? No. The difference is in our starting points. In the Muslim view,
purity is from the “outside in.” For the follower of Jesus it must be from the
“inside out.” Thus, Muslims seek to cleanse themselves knowing they are in need
of cleansing, whereas we know Christ has already cleansed us.
But we tend to disregard the danger that dirt can pose to us and we become
careless. What is important to realize is that a careless disregard for even the
“appearance of evil” will lead people to wrong conclusions and cause them to
stumble. It is not enough to say we are pure. We must be seen to be pure.
A co-worker in China was teaching a class of believers in which two
antagonistic-looking groups of students sat across from each other, looking as
if they were facing enemies. As he was sharing, some students started crying and
others were repenting. He told them that if they needed to apologize to others,
they should sincerely ask the Holy Spirit to work, and to move them, and to give
them the courage to admit their wrongs to others. He said that God delights in
pure hearted children, and He wants to use submissive, humble people. Everyone
was hugging and crying. Everyone was confessing his or her sins to each other.
The cleansing brought purity to their relationships.
RESPONSE: Today I will seek to live my life in true purity before God with
good motives.
PRAYER: Lord, I can only live this way if I listen and respond positively
to the reproving of Your Holy Spirit. Help me to be sensitive to purity
issues.
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