What It Looks Like to Have a Pure Heart

It’s a status which changes our actions, from the purity of our pursuit of Christ Jesus. Christ followers do not have a license to sin, rather their inward motivation to be more like Jesus reflects their outward actions in their everyday lives. Mathew wrote:

“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37).

The Lord knows the motivations of our actions. If we truly love Him with all of our hearts, souls and minds, He knows – and we will be changed constantly until the day we arrive home in heaven. We convey our love for the Lord by our obedience to His will for our lives. 1 Timothy 1:5 says:

“The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.”

Pure hearts belong to Christ Jesus. It is through Him, and Him alone, that we come to the Father. It is through His perfect sacrifice on the cross that we are able to cover our own sinfulness with His blood, and enter into the presence of God in our earthly state. Life within the love of Christ is the closest and most intimate friendship we will experience this side of heaven. Exodus 33:11 reads:

“Inside the Tent of Meeting, the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.”

“And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4).

A pure heart seeks the Lord first. We acknowledge our sinful status, and our need for a Savior. There is nothing we can do in our own power to escape sin in our lives. But by the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, we are strengthened in purity and holiness. The countenance of our thoughts is flipped on its earthly head, and we begin to see the world and all of the people in it from the Lord’s perspective. It truly is a whole new world. A new way to see everything, and everyone. A whole new life, made new. Paul wrote:

“Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can define our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

There are measures we can take in our daily lives to separate ourselves from the world’s perspective. We are no better than they are, for everyone is created by God, and loved by Him. However, when we become aware of our sinfulness and undergo salvation and saving by Christ Jesus, we choose different paths and actions in life by the strength the Holy Spirit provides us. Everyone is born with a desire to be closer to God, and when we begin to take our first steps following Christ, the desire grows. We give in to our natural craving for more of God! And it changes us, purely, from the inside, out. “Paul makes it clear that one cannot claim God’s gracious promises without a life of holiness,” The Fire Bible explains, “which involves moral purity, spiritual integrity, separation from evil and dedication to God.”

As I look at my teenage daughters and their friends, I see the pressure they put on themselves to do all of the right things. I pray their hearts are purely motivated, and guided by the Lord, Christ Jesus. If we simply aim to do “better” and be “pure” by the world’s standards, to impress or please people, then anxiety and discontent will overtake our efforts. But when we are motivated purely from within, by a desire to know the Lord and follow Him, peace which surpasses all understanding will invade our lives, and the joy we have in Jesus will be apparent to everyone around them. “These OT promises are the basis for Paul’s exhortation concerning cleansing from the external and internal (flesh and spirit) defilement of idol worship,” Moody Bible Commentary explains. “This act of perfecting holiness reflects a deep reverence for God.”

Pure hearts are made up of much more than compliant actions. Pure hearts love God, and love others.

Sources 

Fire Bible New Living Translation. Life Publishers. Copyright 2021.

Moody Bible Commentary. Moody Publishers, Chicago. Copyright 2014. 

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Meg is a graduate of Ashland University. She is a writer, author, editor, and digital content creator. She stepped away from her job in Internet Marketing in 2008 to raise her daughters, which gave her passion for writing a chance to shine through her blog, Sunny&80… Life within the Love of Christ. Meg has served as a Children’s Worship Team Leader and Middle School Leader for her local church. She founded and led the Breakfast Club Bible Study for Tweens, has served as a Young Life Leader and Committee Member, and led Women’s Bible Study. She has also volunteered as a content creator for her local church, studied Bible/Ministerial Training through Global University, completed COMPEL PRO Writers Training, and is Ethically AI Certified. A contributing writer for Salem Web Network since 2016, Meg is now thrilled to be a part of the team at Salem Web Network. You can find her entire library of books on her Amazon Author Page.