A HEART THAT IS PURE

 There are so many things today sold as being pure. In fact great value is placed on the 'purity' of things - from water to diamonds. When we think of the word 'pure' we have images of natural spring water flowing or something clean and refreshing. I looked up the word 'pure' in the Oxford English Dictionary and this is what it said: "not mixed or adulterated with any other substance; innocent or morally pure; free of impurities; complete." Now ask yourself could the word 'pure' be prefaced to your heart? Taking the definition you have just read would you say those things are true of your heart? It is not a trick question because I believe such things should be seen in our hearts if we are followers of Jesus Christ.
 READ Mathew 5 verse 8 and Hebrews 12 verse 14. There is nothing complicated about those verses, in fact the very opposite is true. Their simplicity hides a challenge that is a constant battle for all believers. Why should we be concerned about having a heart that is pure? Well if you read   1 Peter 1 verse 6 we read these words: 'Be holy because I Am holy." We are called to be pure in heart because the One to whom we belong is pure in heart and He has warned us that without that purity of heart we cannot see Him. We are commanded to live lives which are a reflection of His purity - 2 Peter 3 verse 11 and because it is an expression of our love from Him - John 14 verse 23.
What do we mean when we say we want to have a heart that is pure? Well the first thing we need to do is to be honest and admit that our hearts in and of themselves are not pure. In fact our hearts are sinful and often sin filled. Listen to what Article 9 (page of the BCP) says about you and me this morning. You may not like to admit that this morning and in fact part of you right at this moment might be a little indignant that someone would say such about you today. As you read this we should be admitting that our hearts are sinful - that is a prerequisite to having a heart that is pure - admission of having a heart that is sinful.
Secondly, we confess that God is Holy and it is against His Holiness that we compare ourselves. When we say God is holy we mean that there are two basic components to this:
Relational quality - in that God is separated from all Creation. In the OT the people were constantly reminded of this by the Tabernacle and the Temple. Each of these taught them of God's immanence (His eternal presence with them and amongst them) but also of His holiness, he was separated from them and they could not enter His presence without the shedding of blood to atone for their sins.
Moral quality - God is pure in every aspect of His character and behaviour. There is no sin in God and nothing He does or says is sinful.
So when we say that we desire to have a heart that is pure we are seeking to be relationally separate from the world and morally devoted to God and His will in all areas of our life and in all things. We can thank God as you read this that because of the blood of Christ, which atones for all our sin, we can freely enter His presence. However, we should never assume we have any right to be in His presence and sometimes we have lost that 'fear of the Lord God' that the people of God had in times past. Sometimes we are too familiar with God and we forget that we are sinners in the presence of a holy God. We would do well to remember that each day and each time we come to worship. Yes we have freedom in Christ but that does not excuse or preclude us from being holy and reverent in the presence of God.
So how do you and I go about cultivating a pure heart? You should ask yourself if you want a pure heart. In 1 Samuel 16 verse 7 God tells us that He examines the heart of a man to judge him. When God looks at you each morning, and on the day of judgment, it will be your heart He examines because out of your heart comes all the desires, the thoughts, the words and the actions of your life. It is the motives of your heart that God examines in every situation. You can do a good deed with a morally corrupt motivation and though people see the good deed God will examine the sin of your heart in doing that action.
A pure heart begins with a fear of the Lord God and a right understanding of sin. If you want to understand a pure heart then you must know the holiness of God - you will only know that if you know the truth of the Bible and what it teaches about the holiness of God. Do not neglect the OT and the countless examples from Genesis 1 onwards that reveal the total separateness of God from Creation and His purity, holiness, which will not tolerate any presence of sin. You cannot read the OT without realising how seriously God treats sin and how devoted He is to purity/holiness. We would do well to get that right understanding into our own hearts and what a difference it would make. We need to see with the eyes of God. Too often as Christians we look at a situation and ask ourselves "What is wrong with this?" God looks at a situation and asks "What is right with this?" We need to see with the eyes of God and we can only do that if we know the Word of God. If you do not know the Bible and the truth of the Bible you cannot expect to have a heart that is pure nor will you have a desire for a heart that is pure. There is no shortcut to a heart that is pure. James 2 verse 17 - a heart that is pure is the evidence that we are saved. Purity of heart is evidence of true Christian faith and therefore we should seriously question our faith if we do not have a pure heart or a desire to have a pure heart. You see without purity of heart you will not live a holy life and holiness of life is an assurance of salvation - 1 John 2 verse 3 and 3 verse 19. You see Judas Iscariot had the name of a disciple and he followed Jesus closely for years but he had no purity of heart and his heart led him to betray Christ and to his ultimate damnation. In the opening chapters of Revelation God condemns the churches of Sardis and Laodicea for having hearts that were not pure.
Would you have a heart that is pure? Then you must begin with Jesus Christ. You can have no purity of heart without Christ Jesus in your life. In Romans 6 verse 6 Paul tells us that when we come to Christ our old selves are crucified with Him and they are gone, dead and buried. I need to remind myself of that constantly. My old self is dead. It is Christ who lives and reigns in me today and not the old Adam. When I repented of my sin and put my faith and trust in Christ there was a clean break with sin in my life. As I identify with Christ Jesus I become alive to God and the ways of God. Recognise this morning that when you came to Christ your sin was taken away. Would you continue with a pure heart? Then you must abide in Christ Jesus - John 15 verses 4-5. When Christ abides in me and I in Him then I am called to stop sinning and to stop living the old life - Romans 8 verse 13. You see if I continue to live a life which reflects an impure heart the consequences are eternal damnation - Ephesians 5 verse 5. I must seek the help of the Holy Spirit through prayer and the study of God's Word. When sin is exposed in my life I must repent of it and turn from it. 'I' must do that and not someone else. 'I' need to take responsibility for my own sin because one day 'I' will be answerable before God for it. You see too often Christians want an easy way out and they do not want to put any effort into changing their lives. It is sad, but true, that there is all too often nothing to distinguish the Christians from the non-Christians in this world. A heart that is pure will make you distinctly different from those of the world and the ways of the world.
I want to be very honest with you, some of you reading my blog have deliberately walked into sin and suffered the consequences, some of which you still live with today. I have seen people who were alive to Christ turn from Christ and walk away because they would not repent of their sin or give up a morally corrupt behaviour or habit. Some have made the excuse that they do not wish to be legalistic in their Christian faith. In reality you are using it as an excuse to do as you desire. There are laws in the Christian faith, ye we are under grace, but we are called to be obedient as a sign of our love for God. Some of you are in that place  and you know that you are in that place because right at this moment the Holy Spirit is pricking your conscience.
God says to all of us - Be Holy because I Am Holy - without purity of heart you cannot please God, you will not see God and your faith is a sham - you are in fact a hypocrite. Do you know where the word 'hypocrite' comes from? It comes from the Greek theatre. An actor would put on a mask and recite his lines. He was called 'hypocritos' - one who wore a mask. People who desire purity of heart and have a heart that is pure have peeled off their masks. Masks are okay for fancy dress parties but they are literally death to the spiritual life of an individual. Fancy dress masks can be funny but spiritual masks always smell of decay and death. There is nothing funny in wearing a spiritual mask before God or His people. God's Word warns you  that if you continue along the path that you are now on God will expose your sin because He desires holiness of heart. I do not wish to end on such a negative challenge but on an encouragement to us all. Purity of heart is placed in our hearts the moment we come to Christ Jesus and are cleansed by His blood. It is like the first moment a parent holds a new born baby in their arms - there is just this unexplainable love and desire for the best for that child. You cannot explain where that feeling came from or how it is still there even when they are grown and have families of their own but it is there and it motivated, or motivates, you to make sacrifices and to do your best for them. God has placed in your heart today the desire to have a heart that is pure because His Holy Spirit is in residence. He is in residence and He is holy and your heart is pure this morning because of Him. Now live accordingly. Fan it into flames. Remind yourself of it each day. Make the necessary sacrifices. Keep the daily disciplines of bible reading and prayer and obedience. Encourage one another in purity of heart and watch the transformation of your life and the lives of others. Be holy because I Am holy says God. Today you have a decision to make. Yes, today, not tomorrow morning.  "It is make your mind up time folks." Well make your mind up - do you want a heart that is pure? 2 Corinthians 6 verse 17 tells me to be separated from the world and chapter 7 verse 1 tells me that I am to cleanse my life from all that would defile me. Let me finish with one more verse Psalm 119 verse 9 - obey it and you will have a heart that is pure.