PURE IN HEART - 2
Purification from Within
Praise God for another day to share a thought with you. Yesterday, we began talking about the need for purity of heart to enjoy the fullness of what God has for us as believers. Today, we will focus on how purification continues after getting born again.
Once a person is born again, God purifies the spirit through faith in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). However, the soul is not yet renewed. Thus, it continuously kicks against the complete purification of a believer because of the imprint of the flesh on the soul. The Scripture says, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Galatians 5:17).
Holiness is a product of the purification of spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). God purifies our spirit the moment we are born again (2 Corinthians 5:17). For the soul, we need to be involved to attain and maintain purification. While the body naturally gets purified as our soul is being purified (or mortified), so its influence is terminated by the help of the Holy Spirit. The Scripture says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).
When we concentrate on the outward and leave the inward, we miss the point of salvation. The problem of humanity is from within and not without. Jesus told the Pharisees that they looked just like a grave which looks clean outside but inside is rotten and filled with dead men’s bones. He then said that to be totally clean, they need to clean the inside first (Matthew 23:26). Therefore, if our soul is not renewed, it will continually produce thoughts that will defile our soul and our body. Jesus said, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man” (Matthew 15:18-20).
The Scripture also says, “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled” (Titus 1:15).
It is clear that we have our role to play in getting our soul purified unto holiness (Romans 12:1-2). I will continue in this line of thought tomorrow.
However, the process of purification starts when a person gets born again. If you are not born again, you can do so today by saying this simple prayer below out with your mouth in faith, believing that Jesus Christ died and rose again for your sins.
Prayer for Salvation
Dear Lord, I believe Jesus died and rose again for me. Forgive me my sins and come into my life. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. Thank you Father for doing this for me. Reveal yourself to me today. In Jesus name, Amen.
Congrats, your status has changed to that of a child of God, if you said this prayer in faith.
Today’s Reading:
Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 23, Proverbs 26-27