Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, and blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Praise you Lord! We are burdened to share with you all according to the written Word of God concerning purity of the heart, a requirement for everyone that has a hope of seeing the Lord whether at the rapture of the church or at physical death. Many in the body of Christ today have been defiled by the world and their hearts have been polluted with various acts of uncleanness and many works of unrighteousness to which they have continually exposed themselves. Yet many of these people do not know and believe they are being defiled continually by these things. They think because they profess the name of the Lord they are secure in His salvation while remaining yet defiled. This is great deceit that will lead only to perdition, for it is written that whosoever that shall defile God?s temple (the body), him also shall God destroy (1 Corinth 3:16-17). For the reason that it is not the will of God that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, we have written this epistle to you all that perhaps by this word the Lord might save some that will hearken and obey Him from the ways of death.
Our Lord Jesus Christ declared in Matt 5:8 that blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. By this word from the Lord we understand that ONLY the pure in heart will see God. To be pure in heart is to be free from corrupt desires, sin and guilt, to be free from every admixture of what is false. It is to be sincere, genuine, blameless, innocent, unstained with the guilt of anything. Purity is what the Lord requires of any man that will see His face at any time. The eyes of the Lord are pure and cannot look on iniquity (Hab 1:13). Even Isaiah the prophet testified to the glory and holiness of God as written in Isa 6:1-7 wherein it is written: In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts... Our God is absolutely pure. Even His name is called Holy, and He dwells in the high and holy place where nothing that defiles or works abomination or makes a lie can enter but only those whose names are written in the Lamb?s book of life (Isa 57:15, Rev 21:27).
What are the things that make a man impure or defiled? Is it food or drink or a body that has dirt? No. Our Lord Jesus Christ made it very clear from the Scriptures that a man is not defiled by any of these things. This is plainly written in Matt 15:17-19 wherein the Lord declared: Do not ye yet understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 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: but to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man.? From this Scripture we understand that a man is defiled by the evil that comes out of his heart and not by food or drink or by merely touching a thing. Nevertheless, we must also mention that our Lord Jesus Christ is not referring to intoxicating drinks, narcotics, poisons, tobaccos, and numerous things that bind and destroy the body and mind and defile them, but to things taken as meats to sustain the body (2 Corinth 7:1). It is also written in 1 Corinth 3:16-17 that whosoever shall defile God's temple, him also shall God destroy. The Greek word for defile as used in this Scripture is phtheiro. It means to corrupt, spoil, ruin, waste, and destroy (1 Corinth 15:33, 2 Corinth 7:2, 11:3, Rev 19:2, Jude 10, Eph 4:22). This Scripture is a solemn warning against sex sin, alcoholic drinks, tobacco, narcotics, etc. which destroy the body in one form or another.
It is very important that all men understand how the heart is nourished. Just as the heart cannot be defiled by what a man eats or drinks so also the heart is not nourished by physical things like food or drink but by what the senses gather. The heart is nurtured by the things a man expose himself to, what he hears, sees, and feels by his senses. The images you see form the imagination and the thoughts of your heart, which later leads to your intentions and your deeds. Even when you see with your eyes and hear with your ears you can only perceive and understand what you have seen and heard with your heart. The heart process all the information from your senses and produce result or fruit in due time. The Bible compares the heart to a ground that is planted with seeds. This is written in Matt 13. The heart will grow whatever you put into it, be it a good seed or a bad seed. We understand that words are also seeds according to 1 Peter 1:23. There are corruptible seeds and there is one incorruptible seed which is the Word of God. The corruptible seed will grow and bring forth death and corruption, while the incorruptible seed of the Word of God will bring forth life and incorruption. Whatever a man sows he shall reap (Gal 6:7-8), so whatever you sow in your heart will bring forth its fruit in due season.
In the body of Christ today, many live and do like the ungodly feeding their eyes and hearts with all manner of sinful things and pleasures. The television has become an idol to them. By this they enter into the bondage of sin and lust and they do not understand they are in bondage. The Bible warns that a man should keep his heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life (Prov 4:23). Therefore it is extremely important to guard and keep the heart from every evil and defilement of the world, for friendship with the world is enmity with God. This can only be done by walking and abiding in the Word of God. For as it is written: I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I might keep thy Word (Psa 119:101). As it is also written: Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee (Psa 119:11)
To be pure in heart at all times, every man must diligently stay away from everything that is contrary to purity for there is always an evil seed in all impure things. Be it people that despise what the Lord loves or those that teach contrary to the truth of the Word of God or those that consent not to the wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to doctrine which is according to godliness, you must completely withdraw yourself from men of this manner, even those that hold the truth in unrighteousness and yet deny it after many admonitions. Avoid places where evil and unclean things happen and stop exposing yourself to indecent scenes, blasphemous, profane and negative words. Do not associate with the ungodly, keeping a company with them with the mind of converting them to the Lord, lest they draw you away from the Lord and spoil you of your salvation.
It is an unfailing law that whatever a man sows, that he shall also reap. Every bad and unclean seed a man sows in his heart will grow to become a fruit and the fruit will be seen in a form of one of the works of the flesh. For this reason, many souls have been damned and are now in torments in hell. Just as there is the fruit of the Spirit that results from sowing to the Spirit, there are also works of the flesh which is the fruit of sowing to the flesh. This we have written to you in times past. Therefore examine yourself today and ensure that none of these works of the flesh is in you. As we have declared to you before according to the word of the Lord, we declare to you again that if any man has any of these works in him, he does not belong to the Lord and he will not see the Lord (Gal 5:16-17).
Some people might be of the opinion that some sins are small sins, that such cannot deter anyone from being saved in the end. Do not be deceived. Every unrighteousness is sin before God, for it is also written that if any man shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10, 1 John 5:17). Therefore every sin must be confessed and be repented of before forgiveness can come from God. To repent is to turn away from the sin. At conversion to Christ, every man is given the Holy Spirit who helps to do God?s pleasure. One who is saved must also be willing to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12), denying himself of all the worldly lust, pleasures and the cares of this world. He must begin to fill himself afresh with the Word of God so that his mind is renewed daily. He must also change his way of life and his conversation that they might conform to the gospel of Christ, our Lord and Master.
The Lord wants us to bring forth fruit in Him and that this fruit remain. For in this we glorify the Father, bearing witness that we are abiding in the Lord and He in us when we bear the fruit of the Spirit. As John the Baptist declared to the multitudes saying Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance?And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire, we say the same to you all this day, that all should bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. If you profess to be saved, let the Lord attest to your fruit and your good works of righteousness. Do not just profess the name of our Lord Jesus but live for Him also in all things, for every one that will not bring forth good fruit in Him shall be cut off in the end (John 15:1-2). Therefore repent of every works of the flesh and every sin in you today. Cease from calling the Lord your Lord while you do not live for Him. Abide in Him and follow Him in all things, and then you shall be counted as one of His sheep.
Purge yourself momentarily and daily and be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Eph 4:23-24). Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life (Prov 4:23). When you keep your heart by the wisdom of the Word of God, it will be easy to walk the walk of faith victoriously. Words come from what is in the heart for the Lord Himself testified to this as written in Matt 15:18. And it is also written in James 3:6 concerning the tongue that the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. Take heed therefore that you do not defile your body in any form. Strive not to offend in word and be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect, knowing that if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Having made known all these things, re-examine your heart today whether it is pure in the Lord. If there be anyone among you whose heart is impure, let him take a moment and ask the Lord to forgive him and cleanse him from every filthiness of the flesh and Spirit and help him perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. For as it is written, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Therefore, let every man fear God to do His will and please Him for He is the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the Great God, and the mighty and terrible God. Let all the earth fear before Him in reverence and let His holy name be hallowed among all the living. Beloved, purpose from henceforth to keep your heart from everything that defile. And may the Lord who sent us who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good work give you grace in this. Peace be to you all. Amen..
