Is purity possible?

My reading in Matthew’s Gospel stopped this morning at this one line from Jesus’ words about discovering true joy- "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8, NIV) What is this thing that Jesus speaks about here? It is an inner life that is not corrupted by mixed motives, the core of a life that is made clean of guilt and shame, a sincere love for God and good. Those pure in heart can love without getting tangled up in lust. Those pure in heart can give without twisting generosity into a means of manipulation. The pure in heart trust God completely even as they wrestle with real life problems and challenges.

Have you confused purity in the same way that the Pharisees of Jesus’ time did?  They attempted to find purity by writing detailed rules for life and living, as much as possible, in isolation from the rest of their society. By avoiding those they considered ‘contaminated’ they thought they could find and preserve their own purity. As they walked the streets they held their robes close to prevent them from brushing against the `ordinary sinners' among whom they lived. Did it work? Apparently not. Jesus used strong language to point out their hypocrisy, calling them ‘whitewashed tombs, glistening on the outside but full of dead men’s bones.’  Not exactly a description of a pure heart, is it?

The pure in heart are filled with the Spirit of God and they are to be like `salt and light.' We think of salt primarily as a flavor. Jesus used the metaphor of salt in the way it most valued in His time- as a preservative. The pure in heart who have found their place in Him are not corrupted by being part of their world, they actually make it better!  He explained further that just like we don't light a lamp only to put it under a basket, carrying it to a room to dispel the darkness, so those who knew God heart-deep take the Light to a dark world so others can find their way.

I want a pure heart! Jesus promises that "the pure in heart, … will see God." (Matthew 5:8, NIV) To understand this as only a promise of heaven is to miss a huge part of the blessing. In The Message, the larger intent of His words emerges. "You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world." When our thoughts, motives, words and actions are aligned with God’s truth, we find a new kind of vision that sees God at work in every day places. We also know the uniquely wonderful joy of living without hiding, without the need to pretend or pose.  Yes, that transparency gives us new eyes that ‘see God,’ that is, know Him intimately.

How can we gain a pure heart? We begin, as David, with a prayer for change. "Cleanse me … and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. … Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:7,10, NIV)  When we know that we have failed or fallen, we turn to Him, honest in our confession. He will not reject us, turn from us, abandon us. He gives us the heart of Jesus, washing us. The Word says "There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you." (1 Corinthians 6:11, NLT)

True purity is beautiful thing not reserved only for children, little church ladies, and old men! It grows in us when we take time to commune with our holy Father because purity is not just an absence, it is God’s wholeness in us.  Pray for purity and then allow the Spirit to lead you away from dirt and corruption, to become whole, transparent, and filled with the life of Jesus.

Here's a word from Word. May the Lord make it like a purifying flame that causes a godly beauty in us. "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. … And this is the word that was preached to you. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." (1 Peter 1:22-2:2, NIV)

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8, NIV)
__________

Who You Say I Am
(Worship with this song that sets our sights higher)

Who am I that the highest King

Would welcome me

I was lost but He brought me in

Oh His love for me

Oh His love for me

Who the Son sets free

Oh is free indeed

I'm a child of God

Yes I am

Free at last

He has ransomed me

His grace runs deep

While I was a slave to sin

Jesus died for me

Yes He died for me

In my Father's house

There's a place for me

I'm a child of God

Yes I am

I am chosen not forsaken

I am who You say I am

You are for me not against me

I am who You say I am

(Oh) (Yes) I am who You say I am

Ben Fielding | Reuben Morgan

© 2017 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Well, she made her bed

Ours is a culture that knows little about mercy. “Giv’em what they deserve,” we insist. American jails and prisons are full to overflowing. Our political system is in a state of constant war, the ‘win’ valued over seeing the issues through the eyes of the other guy. We seem to take a perverse delight in the fall and/or destruction of the famous, the powerful. 

In a conversation I was talking about someone whose life was really broken, full of dysfunctional behaviors, and what could be done to help changes things. A younger person spoke up with words I might have spoken myself a couple of decades ago. They were harsh, perhaps true, but without compassion or mercy. Their words threw blame back on that individual who was so broken.  As I walked away, I felt such sorrow.  A breathed a silent prayer, asking God to forgive the judgment, to give a tender heart that was willing to enter into the experience of another even at cost to himself.  

What is mercy? It is showing another compassion or forgiveness when it is without your ability to punish or condemn them. It goes beyond withholding judgment out of politeness as in thinking ‘what an idiot’ but not saying it aloud. Mercy causes a person to consider the needs of the other, to actively pursue the best interest of one that may well justly deserve anger or rejection.  Mercy is not to be confused with being naïve or incapable of facing reality like a grandmother who just cannot face up to the truth about her beloved grandson who is actually a brat for whom she makes all kinds of excuses.

“But, Jerry, I love justice! I want the score settled, bad guys put in their place.” Yes, justice is good, but our ‘justice’ is frequently flawed, often colored by self-interest, or fails to account for the context of the actions of another. We need to think about the possibility of redemption or change. We get angry when someone is unkind, or selfish, or hurtful and we want them to pay … except that Jesus calls us to be different. Are you full of mercy? Jesus says that it is a pathway to joy! "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." (Matthew 5:7, NIV)

The mercy to which God calls us is modeled after His own. He knows us inside out, seeing our core motives, knowing even our ‘secret’ sins. And He holds out hope and renewal. "Where is another God like you, who pardons the sins of the survivors among his people? You cannot stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing mercy. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!" (Micah 7:18-19, NLT)

If we keep a careful record of every slight, every hurt, refusing to be merciful – we become a captive of anger, turning into a sour, cynical individual. No wonder Jesus tells us mercy is a choice that leads to ‘blessedness.’

On this Monday morning, listen to your words, inventory your thoughts. Are they harsh? Are you a critic? Do you blame and judge frequently?

Our word from the Word calls us, in the Spirit, to a new way. "Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, “I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it,” says the Lord. Instead, do what the Scriptures say: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.” Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good." (Romans 12:17-21, NLT)   

Father, help us! It’s hard to let You judge, to release those who hurt us from our condemnation. Teach us to be merciful. In Jesus’ name. Amen

____________

Good, Good Father

(Casting Crowns sings a great song about God’s love)

I've heard a thousand stories

Of what they think You’re like

But I've heard the tender whisper

Of love in the dead of night

You tell me that You’re pleased

And that I'm never alone

You're a Good Good Father

It's who You are

It's who You are

It's who You are

And I'm loved by You

It's who I am

It's who I am

It's who I am

I've seen many searching for answers

Far and wide

But I know we're all searching for answers

Only You provide

Because You know just what we need

Before we say a word

You are perfect in all of Your ways

You are perfect in all of Your ways

You are perfect in all of Your ways to us

Love so undeniable I can hardly speak

Peace so unexplainable I can hardly think

As You call me deeper still

As You call me deeper still

As You call me deeper still

Into love love love

Anthony Brown | Pat Barrett

© 2014 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Common Hymnal Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Housefires Sounds (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Hungry?

About a month ago, I decided to lose some weight so I have taken note of the quantity and quality of the food I put into my mouth! I miss those snacks, those sweet treats, those salty chips. But I am moving towards my goal as one surely will when fewer calories are consumed. There is another benefit to getting rid of the junk food. Meals are more enjoyable because I develop a real hunger.  Sugary, fatty, salty stuff that adds so many calories to our diets also tend to dull our appetite for the bold flavors of vegetables and salads, don’t they?  I enjoy those leafy greens garnished with nuts or seeds, and brushed with a balsamic dressing.  Here’s a question for your thoughts - Is your soul being fed a ‘junk’ diet?

Are you filled up with sentimental religion, empty rituals, and quick fixes for life?

Or worse even, are you trying to find spiritual satisfaction in owning things, chasing excitement, or making a name for yourself?  Jesus says "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6, NIV)

Do you know what you’re hungering for, really? Solomon knew soul hunger and had the means to try everything on life’s plate in his pursuit of satisfaction.  After building cities, chasing women by the hundreds, bringing orchestras to entertain him, and gaining international fame- his frustration with it all boils over in the refrain of Ecclesiastes, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!”   

He was empty, his soul still hungry. His advice?  "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”—" (Ecclesiastes 12:1, NIV) He had reached old age and the things that once let him avoid the hunger pangs of the heart no longer met the need. He realized, with great regret, that he could have known true soul satisfaction in the Lord years before.

The righteousness that truly satisfies is not one that we create with own efforts at ‘goodness.’  When we attempt to construct our own sense of being right with God, looking at our morality, our acts of worship, trying to think devotional thoughts – we will come up wanting, realizing that they are just not enough. Millions have tried and failed to be ‘good enough for God.’

He offers us, through faith in Christ Jesus, what we cannot gain on our own- being right with Him through the grace gift of salvation - "so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:29-31, NIV)   

We can find inner peace, knowing that He has completely provided for us that which we cannot reach for ourselves. He reconciles us to Himself. He justifies us, erasing shame and guilt. He gives us Christ’s righteousness. Our former sense of lack, our hunger for inner peace is deeply satisfied. "In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you." (Colossians 3:10, NLT)

Hungry? Turn to God!  Receive Christ, and pursue His ways.   Invite the Holy Spirit whet your appetite for the Word and for worship (which by the way does not just happen in church buildings) so that you will eat and be satisfied.

Here's a word from the Word.  Read this line from Isaiah’s words thoughtfully:   "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live."  (Isaiah 55:1-3, NIV) 

__________

Hungry

I'm falling on my knees

Offering all of me

Jesus You're all this heart is living for

Hungry I come to You for I know You satisfy

I am empty but I know Your love does not run dry

So I wait for You, So I wait for You

I'm falling on my knees

Offering all of me

Jesus You're all this heart is living for

Broken I run to You for Your arms are open wide

I am weary but I know Your touch restores my life

Kathryn Scott

© 1999 Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire) (Vineyard Music UK)

CCLI License # 810055