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Maintaining a Pure Heart - 2. Previously. Having discussed: What a pure heart is Qualities of a pure heart Dangers to the pure heart Today we continue to examine how to maintain a pure heart. Last Week – Make up your mind.
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Previously Having discussed: What a pure heart is Qualities of a pure heart Dangers to the pure heart Today we continue to examine how to maintain a pure heart.
Last Week – Make up your mind • Developing the qualities we need and avoiding the dangers of a pure heart begins with a resolve that cannot be shaken.
Sanctify the Lord • 1 Peter 3:15,“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” (NKJV)
Sanctify the Lord • 1 Peter 3:15,“but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;” (NASB95)
Sanctify the Lord • 1 Peter 3:15,There is some variants in manuscripts. Regardless of whether you apply this to God or Christ, the result is the SAME – we must sanctify them in our hearts.
Sanctify the Lord • 1 Peter 3:15, Sanctify - ἁγιάζω, hagiatso – “to feel reverence for or to honor as holy. To hallow, to regard as holy…” (L&N, 88.27) • To separate from profane things and dedicate to God. (Strongs) • Holy, saint, chaste (1 Pet. 3:2)
Sanctify the Lord • God is pure – 1 John 3:3,“And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” • We are in His presence – Heb. 12:28-29
Sanctify the Lord • Consider His majesty! Rev. 4:8,“The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”cf. Exodus 19:10-20
Sanctify the Lord • The idea of sanctifying God (or Christ) is to set up His throne in our hearts. cf. Leviticus 10:3 • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 • Let Him be “Lord of your life”
Sanctify the Lord • James 4:8, Draw near to God • Romans 8:9-11, does “the Spirit of Christ” dwell in you?
Deal with impurities • Isaiah 66:1-2, “Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?...”
Deal with impurities • Isaiah 66:1-2, “… For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.”
Deal with impurities • Psalm 24:3-4, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.”
Deal with impurities • 2 Cor. 7:1, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Deal with impurities • Repent! • PUT away your idols! • Genesis 35:1-4 • Joshua 24:14 • 1 Cor. 10:14, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”
Deal with impurities • We have to deal with our idols! • May be an inanimate statue • But it may be anything that you serve more than God. • Colossians 3:5 • Wealth, arrogance, entertainment, etc.
Deal with impurities • If ANYTHING is in the way of being pure – DEAL WITH IT! • What are we doing with our time? • 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 1 Corinthians 10:18-22 • 1 John 5:21, “Keep yourselves from idols.”
Deal with impurities • Declare war on the devil! • To the degree we reverence God, we need to despise the devil! • He is responsible for the evil around us (NOT denying personal responsibility)
Deal with impurities • Do you despise him enough to do something about it? • Let us get indignant about his influence in our lives • Ephesians 4:27 1 Peter 5:8 James 4:7, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
Our God truly IS holy! HOW holy is He to you?