Sitemap

(I corrected several path problems on August 29, August 30, and September 1, including these selections: Which  Version?, Christmas, Images, Body of Christ Discovered, Hymn Midis, KJV Bible, and Spiritual Warfare.  Sorry for any problems; please let know if you find others. - Gary)

Beneath His Wings Devotionals - Vol. 3

Don't Drink the Water!

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

I've been to a few foreign countries in years past. The first I went to was Mexico, while I was still a teenager. One of the first things they told us before we left was "Don't drink the water!" It contained stuff our bodies weren't accustomed to, including some nasty bugs. Those who ignored the warning usually were afflicted with Montezuma's revenge, or the "big D". I remember that for the first week or two I didn't drink anything but Coke or coffee or some other beverage. I finally gave in, and I guess by that time my digestive system was well enough adjusted that I didn't suffer any ill effects.

The Bible tells us that we can only love as God loves out of a pure heart (1 Timothy 1:5). When we're saved, we still carry a lot of the world's baggage with us. If we mix anything else in with the love God gives us, we'll be spiritually sick, and unable to function in the way the Lord intends. Look at it another way: if you're doing a chemistry experiment, and impurities get in the chemicals you're using, you won't get the reaction you planned; the whole thing could blow up in your face. The same is true of our spiritual condition.

The Bible says in 1 John 3 (verses 1:10) that if we continue to sin habitually, as a way of life (we all sin to some degree, of course), we are not of God's. People who claim they're saved, but continue to live the same lifestyle as they always have, are probably not saved at all. Further, if someone claims to love God, but hates his brother, he is a liar, and not a Christian at all (1 John 4:20-21). God calls us to be holy, like he is (1 Peter 1:16). That's another way of saying we should be pure.

What does it mean to be pure, in practical terms? Simply put, it means we should be like Christ. If we harbor resentment and bitterness towards others, we are not pure. If we follow after lust for sex or lust for things, or any kind of lust of the flesh or eyes, we are not pure. If we are ruled by fear or anxiety, of if we make anything in our lives more important than God, we are not pure. Even the things we think about, as well as what we say and do, reflect the degree that we serve God out of a pure heart.

How do we become pure at heart? First of all, by having a closer relationship with Christ. The more we have fellowship with him in prayer, the more we study and feed on his Word, the more like him we'll be. The Holy Spirit will reveal to us, if we let him, those areas in our lives that need to be changed. We can't change ourselves; if we could, Christ need not have died on the cross. Repentance, a change of mind and attitude, doesn't come just because we decide we want it; it comes only by the work of the Spirit. Our part is to decide we really want to change, and to ask God to work in us the changes that need to be made.

The next section of this newsletter is a keyword study on the idea of being pure, as the Bible sees it.

Keyword Study on Purity

Note: What I have attempted to do here is to let the Bible speak for itself. I have interwoven parts of several different passages, prayerfully in such a way as to convey the message I think God would have me share. The actual Scripture passages I've used are listed at the end of the study; I tried not to destroy the context. I placed a couple of translation from King James English into ours in brackets.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully, he shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. Now the end of the commandment is charity [godly love] out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation [lifestyle] his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Scriptures used:

Psalms 19:8-9, 24:4, 119:4; Proverbs 15:26, 20:9, 20:11; 30:12; Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:8; Philippians 4:8-9; 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:22; Titus 1:15; James 1:26-27, 3:13-18; 1 Peter 1:13-16; 1 John 3:1-10

Top of Page

Site designed and maintained by Gary W Cavendish, Webmaster.  ©2008 by Gary W Cavendish.  All rights to original content reserved.