PURE HEART AND CLEAN HANDS FULL
PURE HEART AND CLEAN HANDS FREE

God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit – is our God, our creator God who formed the earth and all living creatures who live upon the earth.

PURE HEART AND CLEAN HANDS FULL

Since we can enter God’s presence “by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19–22, ESV).He is the King of glory! Selah” (Psalms 24:1-10 ESV) God’s Word commands us: “Purify your hearts, you double-minded.” And God’s Word-the Logos, who is Jesus Christ-makes the command possible. Christ provided the necessary sacrifice for sin so that we could receive God’s forgiveness (John 1:29 Ephesians 1:7 Hebrews 9:12–22 1 Peter 1:18–19). It is the shed blood of Jesus Christ His Son that “purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7) and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that cleanses our lives (Romans 15:16 1 Corinthians 6:11 1 Peter 1:2). God is the only one who can make us pure in heart and single in mind. David prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). In reality, humans are incapable of purifying their own hearts. Purity goes beyond just cleaning up our outward behavior (“cleanse your hands”) to the internal purification of heart, mind, and soul (“purify your hearts”). A pure heart is evidenced by openness, clarity, and an uncompromising desire to please the Lord in everything we think, say, and do. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:21–22, NLT).Īnything that distracts us or has a contaminating influence on our lives will divide our loyalties and soil our hearts, rendering us ineffective kingdom servants. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. The apostle Paul explained that God looks for servants who commit their entire being to Him: “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. The greatest commandment, Jesus said, is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). The Lord desires His followers to be laser-focused in heart, mind, and purpose (Matthew 6:33).

PURE HEART AND CLEAN HANDS FREE

It suggests a single-mindedness of purpose that is free of distractions.ĭouble-minded people lack purity of heart. The term pure here indicates the absence of impurity, contamination, or filth.

The Lord Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). The apostle John acknowledged that the true children of God who look forward to Christ’s return “purify themselves, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). Earlier, James noted that double-minded people are “unstable in all they do” (James 1:8). A similar charge was issued against the people of Isaiah’s time: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13). Their vacillating was dividing their loyalties. James branded the believers “double-minded” because they continued to live with one foot in the world while claiming to love and worship God. His language closely resembles that of the psalmist: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (Psalm 24:3–4).

“Purify your hearts, you double-minded” was James’ clear and distinct call to inner purification-to recognize and confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness. Believers who stray from the Lord must submit themselves to God and draw near to Him again through repentance. God desires His followers’ wholehearted loyalty and devotion (Exodus 34:14 Mark 12:29–31). Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8, ESV).

James passionately told his readers to repent from their wicked ways and return to the Lord: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. An alarming epidemic of spiritual adultery and “friendship with the world” ran rampant in the early church (James 4:4).

Pure heart and clean hands