Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Purity is not a popular topic these days when it comes to our
thoughts, emotions, or actions. Though jewelers are very
interested in the purity of gold, drug dealers are violently
concerned about the purity of their products, and performers
are very picky about the purity of their art form, no one is
supposed to care about spiritual purity! God cares about
purity! He wants us to run a race unhindered by the dirt and
mud of this world. You can be pure in heart! You can be pure
in mind!
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first
commandment” (Mark 12:30).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Contrary to what you might think, purity and holiness are
not only about rules and boundaries. They are about love!
While we must follow the Bible’s teachings to the letter,
Jesus did not say “obey the Lord with all thy heart, soul,
mind and strength.” “He commanded us to love the Lord
with everything we have! The truth is, if we really love
the Lord, obedience will follow. In John 14:15, Jesus
taught “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” By the
conclusion of this lesson, we will develop a passion for
purity.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
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 (Psalm 24: 4-5)
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
David’s psalm makes it perfectly clear that the
blessings of the Lord are for the pure in heart. He
explained further that vanity or selfish pursuits can
disqualify us from those blessings. No one knew
better than David about God’s unparalleled interest
in the heart of man, for it was David whom Samuel
anointed king after God corrected him for ignoring
the hearts of the other candidates.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not
on his countenance, or on the height of
his stature; because I have refused him:
for the LORD) seeth not as man seeth; for
man looketh on the outward appearance,
but the LORD looketh on the heart”
(1 Samuel 16:7).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Had God cared only about the outward man, any of
David’s brothers might have become king of Israel.
Instead the Lord chose David, a man after God’s
own heart. Even though purity was hard for David to
find, he pursued after it passionately. Let us consider
a few of the obstacles to a pure heart:
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
A Heart of Passions
“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow
righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them
that call on the Lord out of a pure heart”
(11 Timothy 2:22).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Lust in this context is a desire, a craving, or a passion for
something that is carnal or worldly. While people of all ages
must flee from lust, Paul pointed out the specific danger of
“youthful lusts.” According to a recent study by the Barna
Group, teenagers are more likely than adults to pursue
friendships and the latest technology. Surprisingly the report
also says that teens are more interested in high-paying jobs
than adults. When you add these modern appetites to the
timeless physical attraction teenagers have for one another,
it’s clear that youthful lusts are not child’s play.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Paul told young Timothy that the youthful
heart naturally follows a path toward passion
and lust, and only by running in the opposite
direction can someone truly pursue the things
of God and possess a pure heart. In other
words, worldly passions and pure hearts are at
opposite ends of the same path. You have no
choice but to turn away from one in order to
pursue the other.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”
(I John 2:16).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
John neatly sorts all the passions of the world into
three categories: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eye, and the pride of life. Simply put, Satan and this
world will lure you away from God and a pure heart
by playing to your body’s cravings, your eye’s
attractions, and your self-image. Let’s take a
moment and consider the things that the enemy
would use against you in each of those three
categories. Here are some of the usual suspects:
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Lust of the flesh
Sleep and Laziness — Rest is a necessity, but it
should be the reward of a productive day, not an
escape from our opportunities and commitments to
serve God and others.
Food and Drink — Sustenance is necessary, but we
should eat to live, not live to eat. When we plan our
days around meals, treats, and even caffeine, the
body’s appetite controls us.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Sexual Pleasure — God made sex to be a pleasurable
expression of love between a husband and his wife.
When our passions push us to satisfy our appetites
outside of marriage, God’s beautiful, productive process
becomes destructive to all involved.
Escaping Reality — In a world full of stress, anger, hurt,
and fear, drugs and alcohol appear to be a quick fix.
When spiritual rejuvenation through prayer, worship,
and meditation on the Word are ignored, the body seeks
an escape—even if it is artificial and temporary.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
• Lust of the Eye
• New Things — Developing a taste for the latest
product models and versions can lead you on an
unending search for satisfaction. This insatiable
appetite for new things leaves you discontent with
the blessings of God. Someone Else’s Things — An
internal pressure to keep up with the material
possessions of your friends, classmates, and
coworkers can quickly become envy or
covetousness.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Entertainment Media — With the constant progression
of technology in media, our society is overwhelmed with
non-stop visual stimulation. Shrinking attention spans
demand visual gratification, and little time is given to
personal prayer, Bible study, and other necessities.
Pornography — Among the most addictive and damaging lusts
of the eye, pornography deceives the viewer into believing
it is not “real.” Christians endeavoring to remain physically
pure fall prey to this lie and find their minds and hearts
desensitized and dirty.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Pride of Life
Academic Prestige — Schooling and higher education is
profoundly important, but when it becomes the primary
benchmark of success, then majors, college choices,
and even grades can become a source of ungodly pride.
Career and Income Advancement — Working for a living
is a part of life. Living for work, however, indicates a
priority problem. All too often, Christians will uproot
families, leave town, and leave behind ministries to
pursue promotions, titles, or higher salaries. When these
decisions are made with no input from God or godly
leaders, pride takes over.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Recognition and Popularity — Praising someone for a
good job is always appropriate. It’s only when we
get overlooked, rejected, or when someone else gets
the credit that our true motives are revealed.
Rejection and ungratefulness is hurtful, but if it only
hurts our pride, it may be the work of God.
Remember, Paul did not instruct Timothy to struggle
or fight with his worldly passions. He told him to
flee or run away from them!
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
The Lying Heart
Have you ever approached a fork in the road and were
not sure which way to go? When people seek advice
on a difficult decision, many times a friend will offer
the old cliché: “just follow your heart.” At one time or
another, we have all said something like, “in my heart,
I knew it was right.” Unfortunately for the heart
followers, the words of the prophet Jeremiah offer an
alarming revelation.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked: who can know it?”
(Jeremiah 17:9).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
In art and literature the heart is considered the
seat of human emotion and without a doubt,
emotion plays a significant role in our everyday
lives. Sadness, happiness, surprise, and anger, to
name a few, can radically change our plans.
Emotions can change our desire to go to school,
to talk to friends, to show up for work, and even
to go to church.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
An impure heart allows emotion to run unchecked.
Emotions are real, but they are unbelievably shortlived. That is why common wisdom suggests that an
angry person “count to ten” before speaking and that
an eager business man “sleep on it” before signing a
contract. How much the more should Christians ignore
the emotional lies of the heart when making decisions
that can change the course of their eternal lives?
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
When it feels like emotions are interfering with your
prayer life, your fellowship, your church attendance,
your worship, or your work in ministry, just remember
that your heart and emotions are deceitful. So with
such an unpredictable heart and temporary emotions,
how can you gain control? Who knows your heart?
The answer can be found in an emotional conflict
between Christians in the Book of Acts.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
The Holy Ghost and Faith Purify the Heart
“And God, which knoweth the hearts’, bare them
witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did
unto us; And put no difference between us and them,
purifying their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:8-9).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Because of their passionate allegiance to Moses’ law,
devout Jewish Christians had rejected the salvation of
the Gentile Christians. When emotions had reached
their peak, Peter stepped forward to draw their
attention away from emotion and toward God. Peter
reminded us that when men do not know their own
hearts and cannot trust their hearts, God knows our
heart! More importantly, by faith and through the Holy
Ghost, God purifies our hearts.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
God’s Word Purifies the Heart
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I
might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
The psalmist offered God’s Word as the powerful remedy
for both a lying heart and a lustful heart. Just as the writer
had prophets and priests to minister the Word to him, we
must have preachers and teachers that bring God’s Word to
us. We must attend church services and classes to hear
God’s Word, but then it is our responsibility to hide that
word in our heart. The Hebrew word chosen by the psalmist
for “hide” means to store up like a treasure! When we treat
God’s Word like a treasure of truth, it replaces the lies of the
heart and eclipses cheap passions.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
David and the Psalms deal with the heart in the
context of worship. They seem to offer us a regiment
of worship, Bible study, and Holy Spirit renewal as the
pathway to a pure heart!
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Blessed are the pure in heart for they
shall see GOD. Matthew 5:8
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
When we combine those messages, we learn that the
heart lets God see us, and the heart enables us to see
God. Take the next few moments and consider what
improper passions might be standing between your
heart and God. Then think about the emotions that
most often confuse your decisions. Privately answer
the following questions:
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
1. What passions of the flesh do you struggle with the most?
2. What passions of the eye most often demand your attention?
3. What prideful passions do you pursue to exalt your-self?
4. Name a time when you rushed to a decision and later learned you
made the wrong choice. Which emotion pressured your decision?
5* Are there personal and church worship opportunities-of which you
could take better advantage? Name them.
6. What can you do to glean most from a sermon or Bible lesson?
How can you treat the Word like a treasure?
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
A Pure Mind
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the
minds of them which believe not, lest the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of
God, should shine unto them” (II Corinthians 4:4).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
If the heart is the place where man fights his own
passions, then the mind is certainly Satan’s
battlefield of choice. He tries to burden our minds
with temptation, depression, and other unhealthy
thoughts in an attempt to spoil our thinking and
blind our faith.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Submit Your Mind
“Casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the
knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ” (II Corinthians I0:5).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Our thoughts are generated from the passions of our
heart, so it would stand to reason that when the Word
of God and worship become our passion, our thoughts
will align with God’s. Nevertheless, Satan tries to
invade our minds with a new distraction every day. It’s
important to point out, though, that Satan’s temptation
does not automatically become our sin. The Epistle of
James explains it this way:
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
“But every man is tempted, when he is
drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it
bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is
finished, bringeth forth death”
(James 1 :14-15).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
The devil would like us to believe that we have instantly
sinned when he has tempted us, but according to James,
temptation has to connect with our lust, and together they must
conceive sin. In James’ writing, the word conceive means “to
seize or take and indulge.” You will be tempted to transgress
God’s Word every day of your life. Satan tempts us with
things that in the past have been a passion of ours. When we
dwell on that temptation, making it our own thought, it leads
to sin. When that thought moves from your mind into your
heart, embracing your lust, sin is imminent. Once you take
action to satisfy or indulge a lustful thought, you have sinned.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
In this media-saturated culture, it is impossible to eliminate
every external thought or temptation with which the enemy
tries to attack us, but we can prevent them from dwelling in
our minds. It is ironic, however, that when protecting the
mind, thoughts alone will not get the job done. In II
Corinthians 10:5, Paul makes it very clear that submitting our
minds requires an active, if not violent, effort on our part! Just
like the old gardener, we must ignore the fluttering
imaginations that Satan sends to distract us and focus our
attention on godly tasks.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Focus on the Task at [land
Here are a few godly tasks that will occupy your mind:
Share a testimony of what God recently did for you with an unsaved
friend.
Walk to class or eat lunch with a classmate who doesn’t have many
friends.
Carry the church prayer list in your wallet or purse, and pray sincerely
for a different person’s need each time you bless your food.
Carry a small card in your wallet or purse that has your two favorite
Bible verses from this lesson on it. When temptation comes, pull out
your card and read the verses aloud.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Despite our active Christian lives, sometimes
distractions and temptations penetrate our minds
and settle into our thoughts. When this happens,
Paul instructed us to aggressively cast them
down and hold them captive. This must be done
immediately, before these thoughts build a
permanent nest!
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Busted Imaginations and lockedup Thoughts
Here are a few practical ways to subdue ungodly
thoughts:
Write down the people, places, and things that
trigger those thoughts. Do everything in your
power to avoid them.
For those people, places, and things that are
impossible to avoid, add a layer of accountability.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
For example:
1) Only fellowship with your problem people in the
presence of a spiritually strong friend or adult.
2) Only visit your problem places at the right time
with the right person.
3) For things like cell phones and computers that are
unavoidable, have a parent or godly leader install
foolproof blocks and filters for you.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
If these steps were easy, it would not
be called “submitting.” Sometimes
making a pact with your friends to take
these steps together makes it easier,
but only do this with the supervision of
a godly adult.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Cleanse Your Mind
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship one with another, and the
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from
all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness” (I John 1:7-9).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
You have repented of your sins, you have been
baptized in the name of Jesus, and you have been
filled with the Holy Ghost. What could possibly go
wrong from here? “Will I really have to deal with
sin again?” In his General Epistle to the church,
John removed all doubt when he said:
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
“if we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling
ourselves” (I John 1:8, NLT).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Still, John did not leave us hanging in the
hopeless snare of sin. He goes on to teach that
through sincere confession and Christ’s blood,
we can be cleansed from all unrighteousness—
including that of the mind.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Light Minded
While we have the promise of Christ’s cleansing
power, it is impossible to ignore that it is a
conditional promise. According to John, believers
can only claim this promise if we walk in the light!
Earlier in the same chapter, John recorded that God
is light in which we must walk:
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
“This then is the message which we have heard
of him, and declare unto you, that God is light,
and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we
have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness,
we lie, and do not the truth” (I John 1:5—6).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
For those hoping to live life their way, walking a dark
path of pleasure and sin, yet claiming the benefits of the
blood, verse six should be a real eye-opener. Yes, the
blood can cleanse us of an impure mind, but the blood is
only accessible in the light, and the light is the truth of
God’s Word. So if believers are to maintain a clean
mind, it only happens as we “walk” or strive to live in
obedience with God’s Word. Just as obedience to God’s
Word in baptism first introduced us to the cleansing
power of the blood, obedience to His Word after baptism
ensures our connection to the blood.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
The Spiritual Mind
“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of
the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things
of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but
to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans
8:5-6).
If we were to tally up the number of hours in a week
that our minds are engaged in spiritual things
compared to the time we spend on earthly things like
entertainment, we all might be in for a surprise.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Brain Time
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
* Sleeping and eating are, of course, needed to live a
healthy life. Nevertheless, both do meet physical
rather than spiritual needs, and when done in excess,
can harm both body and soul. Consider them only in
comparison to the time you spend tending to spiritual
needs.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
School, jobs, and recreation are all important parts of our
busy lives. Some schedule demands are unavoidable, but
others we passively allow to dominate our lives, leaving
little time for the Holy Spirit to minister to our minds. That
is why we have to plan the time, make the time, and protect
the time for spiritual things. Consider the following steps to
increase the time your mind spends on spiritual thoughts:
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Let Positive Thoughts Dominate
“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” (Philippians 4:8).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
It is difficult to have a pure mind when lies, gossip,
negative news stories, hateful arguments, and ugly
attacks dominate our senses. Paul was not just saying
“think happy thoughts!” He was telling us to play an
active role in tuning out lies and liars. Walk away from
gossips. Turn off the so-called hard news and the
ridiculous celebrity news. If a negative person will not let
you encourage them, walk away before they drag you
down. If you can filter, reduce, or eliminate the number
of carnal, impure thoughts that invade your ears and
mind, you increase the Holy Spirit’s chance to cleanse
your mind!
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Renew the Mind
“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind”
(Ephesians 4:2 3).
Your mind is not just a three-pound mass of
nerves and memories. Paul said it is a spiritual
zone. In fact we can safely call it a spiritual
warzone complete with land- mines, ambushes,
hand-to-hand combat, air assaults, and
casualties.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Remember, casting down imaginations and holding your
thoughts captive can take a lot out of you! Pursuing the light
of God’s Word and squirreling away every spare moment to
cleanse your mind can leave you exhausted! You are a
spiritual warrior and your mind is the battlefield. Sometimes
we forget that even the winning soldier is weary after a
battle, and no matter who wins, the battlefield is always
worn and scarred from the fight. In other words, you must
renew your mind in the Spirit!
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye
may prove that is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Planning and prioritizing godly fellowship, Bible
reading, and prayer regiments is important, but
there are some battle scars that only a stop at the
Holy Ghost hospital can heal. Many prayer
warriors and spiritually gifted saints will testify that
some of their worst attacks from Satan came after
a mighty spiritual victory. It is imperative that your
strained, burdened, and war-ravaged mind be
renewed in the Holy Ghost!
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
In Joshua chapter 6, we read of the decisive victory
Israel won over mighty Jericho, a thriving
metropolis with thousands of citizens and
impenetrable walls. Only one chapter later, Israel
takes on the tiny town of Ai with a surprising
outcome:
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
“And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him,
Let not all the people go up; but let about two or
three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and
make not all the people to labour thither; for they
are but few. So there went up thither of the
people about three thousand men: and they fled
before the men of Ai’ (Joshua 7:3-4).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
In the afterglow of a God-given victory, Israel was defeated by a
far weaker foe. They were so confident in their superiority over
Ai that they decided to fight with less than all their resources. But
that wasn’t the real reason for their loss. The Bible tells us that
one man disobeyed God and took treasure from Jericho after
the dust settled from the battle. Achan may have been caught up
in the rush of victory. He probably felt like he deserved some of
the spoil for all his effort. When he lowered his guard and
relaxed his respect for God’s command, the Bible says he
brought the “accursed thing” or impurity into his life and brought
defeat to Israel.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Rest in the Holy Ghost Not the Flesh
“For with stammering lips and another tongue will
he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the
rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and
this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear”
(Isaiah 28:1142).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Isaiah’s reference to stammering lips and another
tongue was a specific prophecy about the
outpouring of the Holy Ghost. While the Holy
Ghost saves, sanctifies, and seals us, we must
also understand that it is our rest. When you are
tired or stressed out, there is no better time to
surrender to the Holy Ghost. Allow the Holy Spirit
to renew and refresh you when you are weary.
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
“Not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to his mercy he saved us,
by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of
the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
When your mind is battle-worn and drained of
spiritual strength, the Holy Ghost will comfort
you, strengthen you, and renew you! However,
Holy Ghost renewal should not only be sought
during times of severe stress, nor should we
wait for annual conferences or retreats. Paul
said we must be renewed daily:
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
“For which cause we faint not; but though our
outward man perish, yet the inward man is
renewed day by day” (II Corinthians 4:16).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
If we do not strive to renew our minds, Paul said
in Romans 12:2 that we will eventually be
“conformed to this world.”
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
“And when he had removed him, he raised up
to them David to he their king; to whom also he
gave testimony, and said, I have found David
the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart,
which shall fulfill all my will” (Acts 13:22).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
The Bible describes David as a man in pursuit of
God’s heart. Because David’s heart was constantly
under spiritual attack by violence and lust, he
prayed:
Create in me a clean heart, 0 God; and renew a right
spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Like David, we must employ prayer, repentance,
and worship in our pursuit of God’s pure heart;
but unlike David, our search for purity is enabled
by the Holy Spirit. In other words, without the
Holy Ghost David could only chase purity. Since
we are filled with the Spirit, we can claim a pure
heart every day!
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
Finally, just as a pure heart can only be found in
God, the same is true of a pure mind. Paul wrote
in Philippians 2:5:
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus.”
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
He was instructing us to think like the Lord and to
have the attitude of Jesus Christ. Jesus had an
attitude of humility, compassion, service, and
sacrifice. While it may seem a tall order for any of
us to attain to His way of thinking, Paul added in,
I Corinthians 2:16:
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Passionate Purity:
The Pursuit of a Pure Heart
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he
may instruct him? But we have the mind of
Christ.”
By studying God’s Word, you can have the mind
of Christ. By praying in the Spirit, you can have
the mind of Christ. By hearing a preacher or
teacher of the gospel you can have the mind of
Christ. A pure heart and mind can be yours!
FORWARD | TO BE CONTINUED…