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Bible studies |
| Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for providing our needs and watching over us. Thank you for providing safety. Teach us what it means to have a pure heart. Help us to see what is in our own hearts. Help us to correct any impurities. Create in us a clean heart, Oh God. Renew a right spirit within us. Give us a heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone. In Jesus’ wonderful name, Amen Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. What does it mean to be pure? The following definition is copied from, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pure. 1a(1) : unmixed with any other matter (pure gold) (2) : free from dust, dirt, or taint (pure spring water) (3) : spotless, stainless b : free from harshness or roughness and being in tune —used of a musical tone c of a vowel : characterized by no appreciable alteration of articulation during utterance 2a : being thus and no other : sheer, unmitigated pure folly b(1) : abstract, theoretical pure research (2) : a priori pure mechanics c : not directed toward exposition of reality or solution of practical problems pure literature d : being nonobjective and to be appraised on formal and technical qualities only pure form 3a(1) : free from what vitiates, weakens, or pollutes (2) : containing nothing that does not properly belong b : free from moral fault or guilt c : marked by chastity : continent d(1) : of pure blood and unmixed ancestry (2) : homozygous in and breeding true for one or more characters e : ritually clean 4 : having exactly the talents or skills needed for a particular role a pure shooter in basketball To be pure is to be clean, without impurities, without guilt or sin, and unmixed with anything else. 100% pure gold doesn't have anything else mixed with it. It is 100 percent gold and nothing else. Purity of heart is seeking one thing, the glory of God. James 4:4 ▼ The Greek word for pure is Katharos. This word means blameless, constrained from guilt. The word can also refer to that which is purified by fire. I find it interesting that in Mathew 3, John the Baptist speaks of Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Matthew 3:11-12 ▼ Malachi also speaks of the Messiah being like a refiners fire. Malachi 3:1-3 ▼ Hypocrisy the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypocrisy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypocrisy Being pure in heart is to be free from hypocrisy. Hypocrisy includes doing things just to be seen of men. If we are only attending church to reap the physical and outward benefits of appearing “Christian”, we will fail to remain committed. We need to make sure we also have the right motives for serving God. Lukewarm Christians make God sick and want to vomit. Either you are with him all the way or not at all. We need to serve him like we expect him to serve us. Do you want him to have divided allegiance to you? Do you want him to be partly for you and partly for your enemy? Assuming you answered no to those questions, He wants that same commitment from you too. Revelation 3:15-16 ▼ Because the religious leaders in Christ’s day had added rules to the law, it had become a religion focused on outward cleanliness and appearance. First, Cleanse the inward part and the outward part will follow. Many people professing Christianity are not hearing God's voice or enjoying his presence because they are not single-heartedly devoted to God. They are double-minded and are pursuing worldly things and values. Matthew 13:22 ▼ We can not expect God to wholeheartedly bless us if we are only halfheartedly committed to him. We must seek God with our whole heart and soul. Jeremiah 29:13 ▼ What does it meant to be pure in heart? A 100% pure heart means to have a heart clean, free from impurities, and focused on one thing (the will of God). It is not mixed with other religions. It does not serve or worship more than one God. It is loyal and faithful to one thing. James 1:8 says, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” For the record, that's not being pure in heart. To be doubled minded and not pure in heart makes us unstable in all our ways. If you are not pure in heart (willing one thing, the will and glory of God), you will end up being confused in the head. Being pure in heart is living with integrity. It is being pure from corrupt desire, sin, and guilt. Purity in heart is being completely clean, blameless, and innocent. At the end of thos paragraph is a static item I wrote. It is one of the first items I wrote on this site. It goes along with our subject at hand. Matthew 23:25-26 ▼ Matthew 5:27-28 ▼ Jesus cares about what is in the heart. Matthew 15:16-20 ▼ Matthew 12:33-37 ▼ Watch your words if you want to know what is in your heart.
A lot of religious institutions (churches and otherwise) focus on outward appearances. They put an emphasis on physical works. A common view of Christianity is on of thou shalt and thou shalt not. Many parents raising children focus on outward appearance of good or bad without giving one thought to what their heart is like.This isn't about tradition and deeds. It is about what's in the heart, the thoughts and motives. Although, your deeds will give us a glimpse into what you believe. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us God looks on the heart. He doesn't just look upon what we do. He considers the thought and motives behind our actions. 1 Samuel 16:7 ▼ Take a look at what the Bible says in Hebrews. This also shows us that it is more than just about what we do on the outside. It has everything to do with what is in the heart. Hebrews 4:12 ▼ There are so many verses in the old testament that indicate we should love the Lord our God with ALL our heart and soul. We would be here a while if I listed them all here. Here is one for example and there are many more similar to it. Notice, the Lord our God is one Lord. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ▼ We are to 100% serve, love, worship, and everything we do wholeheartedly unto to Lord. We are to do it with everything we have on us and every ounce of our being. I can't serve the Lord 100% if I am worshiping another god. It just doesn't work. Being pure in heart involves having a singleness of heart before God. It is purity of soul and not just practicing good deeds. The Greek word for heart is kardeeah. This can be applied to the physical heart. However, this can also be applied to the spiritual center of life, where we find our thoughts, desires, sense of purpose, will, understanding, character, and motives. We must be blameless in who we actually are in order to be pure in heart. When we are saved, God gives us a new heart, new desires, new motives, and a new mind or way of thinking. By giving us all of these, we receive a new life in Christ. Having a pure heart is desiring to follow Christ as Lord and please him above ourselves or anyone else. 2 Corinthians 5:17 ▼ Christianity and witchcraft I might step on someones toes here, but I have to inform you that you can't do both. Only those with a single focus and pure heart will see God. Witchcraft worships “nature”. Um! God created nature. Why not just worship the creator? Still not convinced? Okay, let me share some Scriptures that will explain why I believe the way I do on this subject. Matthew 6:24 ▼ Here is a link to 17 verses of the Bible which speak negatively about witchcraft. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Witchcraft/ Galatians calls it a work of the flesh and not of the Holy Spirit. That means it is not of God. witchcraft definition: the practice of magic, especially for evil purposes; the use of spells. (in a modern context) religious practice involving magic and affinity with nature, usually within a pagan tradition. Bewitching or fascinating attraction or charm. synonyms: sorcery · black magic · the black arts · the occult · occultism · wizardry · witching · necromancy · voodooism · voodoo · hoodoo · wonder-working https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchcraft Witchcraft basically is the act of man trying to manipulate the spirit world to get what they want. There is a cost for this. It isn't something you can practice to manipulate God and nature with no repercussions. If you are not communicating with the Holy Spirit, What spirit are you communicating with? Successful prayer is not manipulating God. It is communicating from your heart with God and accepting his sovereignty. It is still trusting in him even when he doesn't do what we want or answer like we expect. It accepts no as an answer. It allows God's perfect will to rule over our imperfect will. It is knowing he will work out everything for the greater good in the end because good is what and who God is. What does it mean to see God? Open The Eyes of My Heart Lord https://youtu.be/x0orH2uloeI Open the eyes of my heart, Lord Open the eyes of my heart I want to see You I want to see You To see You high and lifted up Shinin' in the light of Your glory Pour out Your power and love As we sing holy, holy, holy Holy, holy, holy We cry holy, holy, holy You are holy, holy, holy I want to see you These are primarily the lyrics to the song repeated several times. If we want to see the Lord, we must also be holy because he is holy. It isn't just a one-sided thing. We must be pure in our heart. We must be justified through the blood of Christ and Sanctified by the Holy Spirit before we can be glorified by God. We can not see God until we submit to his purification process. Seeing God is being admitted into his presence, to be awestruck by his glory, and to be comforted by his grace. When we live with sin and its guilt, we find it hard to walk close to God. As we draw closer to God, the more aware of our sins we will be. Therefore, To draw close to God, we must confess our sins to God and seek his forgiveness. 1 John 1:5-10 ▼ In Matthew 5:8 to see God means to see him with the heart and learn to understand him better. Greater joy and happiness come in life when we have confessed our sins and turned away from them, we have drawn near to God, and we seek to live his way rather than our own way. God is the one that purifies our heart through Christ’s blood and sanctifies our heart through the work of the Holy Spirit so that we may be able to see him as he is. 1 John 3:1-3 ▼ There is a present and a future aspect to seeing God. Believers will see God through His creation. The heavens declare His glory! Psalms 19:1-2 ▼ David saw God in a thunderstorm. Psalms 29:7-10 ▼ We see God in ourselves because we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalms 139:14 ▼ Jesus comforted His disciples with a picture of nature in Matthew 6. Matthew 6:25-34 ▼ Believers will see God in difficult circumstances. Joseph was able to look back on the difficulties of his life and see how God worked through all of them. Genesis 50:20 ▼ Job trusted in God's sovereignty. Job 1:20-21 ▼ Everything works together for good. Romans 8:28 ▼ What are you seeking? For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. - Matthew 6:21 People often seek after wisdom, strength, and wealth before and above anything else. However, the most important thing in life is your relationship with God and knowing him. When we are pure in heart, we will know God more intimately. At the heart is the root of everything we do in life. That is also why it is impportant to protect and guard your heart. Jeremiah 9:23-24 ▼ This is how we worship God in Spirit and in truth. It is not an outward physical worship. It is true inward worship that comes from the thoughts and intentions of our heart. The Lord will not listen to us if we harbor iniquity in our heart. When we harbor iniquity in our heart, we esteem it more than him. We don't give it, surrendering it completely, to God. We try to foolishly hide it from him and have no desire to remove it. We let it live there. We must not only talk the talk. We must walk the walk. The Bible talks about those who draw near to God with their words, but their heart is far from Him. (Matthew 23:27; Matthew 15:8) Psalms 66:17-20 ▼ John 4:23-24 ▼ Believers will also see God in acts of worship. When our hearts are right with God, he reveals himself to us. We must seek him passionately. Seeing God also has a future aspect to it. We will see God face to face in spirit once our physical bodies die. 1 Corinthians 13:12 ▼ There are times when we may have to give up some of our physical earthly possessions if they keep us from the Word of God, prayer, or serving God with a whole heart. What do you truly love the most? Growing in Purity of heart To grow in purity of heart: 1. Make sure you are saved. 2. Confess your sins to God. 3. Protect and guard your heart. 4. Pray for a pure Heart. 5. Saturate yourselves in God's Word. 6. Desire God above anything else. 7. Focus on eternity. David asked God to give him a pure heart. Psalms 51:9-10 ▼ Psalms 86:11-13 ▼ We are cleansed through God's Word. Regularly reading and studying God's Word Sanctifies us. John 15:3 ▼ When we focus on Christ, we will work to purify ourselves because Jesus is pure. This is one of the ways our actions reveal what we believe. Seek God. Don't move so far away from him that you can't find him. John 3:2-3 ▼ Isaiah 55:6-9 ▼ According to James 4, there a a few ways for us to draw near to God. Our value comes from God alone! James 4:7-10 ▼ 1 Peter 5:6 ▼ 1. Submit yourself before God and to him. (4:7) 2. Resist the Devil. (4:7) 3. Clense your hands and purify your hearts. (4:8) 4. Be afflicted, mourn, and weep. Submit to Godly sorrow. (4:9) 5. Humble yourself in God's sight. (4:10; 1 Peter 5:6) In order to have a pure heart, we must love the Lord our God with all of our heart and soul. Matthew 22:37 ▼ How can we live a pure life in an impure world? We must understand why we decided to live purely to begin with. Proverbs 2:1-11 ▼ ABC's of discretion: A. Accept your call to be holy. B. Be aware of your mind and motives. C. Community - allow yourself to be among others. Blessed, Happy, and Joyful This song is trust and obey https://youtu.be/nVNyfEav3GU One line in the chorus of this song says, “There is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey”. Let's talk about this. The beatitudes have to do with drawing closer to God and being satisfied and delighted in him. Let's review the order up until now. First, we are poor in spirit and we realize it. We truly grieve over our sin because we know it is an offense to Almoghty God. We have disappointed him. So we humble ourselves before him and ask for his forgiveness. Then we hunger and thirst after God's righteousness. We give mercy because we have received it. We love God and act like it because he first loved us. We desire to be pure in heart and work to have a closer and better relationship with God. Then we sing from our heart songs of praise and worship. It can be said, Purity of heart is mentioned in the 6th place of the beatitudes because man was created in God's image on the 6th day. Man is shrouded in sin but is renewed in a pure heart by grace. Without the other 5 beatitudes mentioned before this one, purity of heart cannot be obtained. Our hearts are cleansed through faith in Christ. Acts15:8-9 ▼ Evidence of a pure heart Signs of having a pure heart: 1. Always smiling. (Happy and blessed) 2. Giving without expecting anything in return. 3. Treating everyone with respect. 4. Making others happy. 5. Always ready to help. 6. Not able to stay angry. 7. Forgiving those who don't deserve it. 8. Always optimistic. 9. Generosity. 10. Trustworthy. 11. Humble. (Wouldn't it make sense if this reflects God's character too?) It is purity of heart that brings us the joy of Salvation. Have you lost your joy? What impurity is in your heart? Ask God to reveal it and to restore the joy of your salvation. Psalms 51:8-12 ▼ If we have faith in the gospel of Christ, our sins are covered by the blood he shed on the cross, and our lives are hidden in him. Colossians 3:17 ▼ Ephesians 1:7 ▼ Living with a pure heart is living in holiness. Hebrews 12:14 ▼ Those who are pure in heart will truly love others the way God loves them. Colossians 3:12-14 ▼ Song: As a Dear https://youtu.be/78lj3sl8L9M If you want to be happy, seek to be holy. If you seek happiness any other way, it will be lacking something and it simply won't last. Purity in heart is undivided allegiance to God. Everyone wants to be happy and blessed, but everyone isn't willing to do what it takes to be pure in heart. Blessed people are happy people. We are happy when we keep evil out of our heart. Evil causes unhappiness, destruction, violence, and death. True and lasting happiness comes from experiencing God's saving grace through Salvation. Resources ▼  |
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