Pure

Those who are pure in their thinking are happy, because they will be with God.

Matthew 5:8

What does it mean to be pure? The definition tells us that to be pure is to have no flaw, defect or stain.  It also means to have no mixture of foreign elements. What a good definition for the Christian. A Christian has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and stands before God without a flaw, defect or stain. Why? Because when God looks at a Christian, he sees His perfectly pure Son, Jesus.

How important is it to be pure in our lives?  Who may go up on the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His Holy Temple? Only those with clean hands and pure hearts, who have not worshipped idols, who have not made promises in the name of a false god. They will receive a blessing from the Lord; the God who saves them will declare them right.  (Psalm 24:3-5) Who is going to be in heaven? It will be those who are pure.

Being pure begins in our hearts, in our thoughts.  But what people say with their mouths comes from the way they think; these are the things that make people unclean.  (Matthew 15:18) What we take in to our minds is important because it influences the way we think, the way we talk and the way we live. In order to live a pure life we must come out from among the world as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:17. No, this does not mean that we move to the top of a mountain or a desert island in order to keep ourselves pure. It means that we exercise self-control over what we allow into our lives. Stay away from those things that take us into the darkness of the world ruled by satan. Focus on what is good and right and pure. Live a holy life. (I Peter 1:15) Allow your life to be transformed by God as you live for Him.  (Romans 12:1-2)

What will be the benefit of living a life of purity? We shall see God.  The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are his children. The reason the people in the world do not know is us that they have not known him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and we have not yet been shown what we will be in the future. But we know that when Christ comes again, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He really is. Christ is pure, and all who have this hope in Christ keep themselves pure like Christ. (I John 3:1-3)

Put a song in your heart today as you live to be like Christ!  Live to be pure.