THE PROCESS OF PURITY
I’ve been giving much thought to the refiners fire exemplified throughout scripture. God uses it quite often in the process of preparing us so He can do great things among us. The fact is that He won’t do any great thing among us unless we live lives of purity.
God told Joshua, “Purify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you“ (Joshua 3:5). The principle communicated is that in order to see God’s involvement in our matters, we must live lives of purity. I strongly believe that the fruition of our potential hinges on our purity. It all boils down to motives and the condition of our heart. And who knows our heart better than our Lord!
I’ve found myself, many times, spending much time and energy planning my future rather than purifying myself; all the while knowing that my plans absent from God, are a waste of time. Oh how hardheaded I am!
The significance of God’s covenant with us is to bring us to Him. Purification is simply an act of submission, a deep cleansing, a burning away and repentance from the impurities that pollute God’s covenant with us. That is why He appeared to Abraham as a “burning furnace” when they cut covenant (Genesis 15).
Purity is the process of God’s preparation in us so He can enact His covenant and show His power and favor. All it takes is our participation in submission. Is it painful? Absolutely! But the rewards of the process will far outweigh the pain of letting go of the things that prevented us from seeing His hand move in our lives.
In other words, our plans must be coupled with purity. The more the purity, the greater the focus, favor, and faith – He will enact His covenant and do wonders among us!
Anxious to read your thoughts,
Pastor Manny
Well I think that we should be pure because if we want to enter into the kingdom we should always be ready. sometimes it good to be pure when your working with the lord because than he can see that you are ready to go to the next level and spread his word.
3Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
You reminded me of this Psalm Pastor… Good stuff…
It is so easy to want to take over my plans, forgetting to let God in or go to Him in prayer-I can be quite stubborn myself. How can we expect the glory of God to be shown in our lives if we refuse to surrender and submit? God will not show His face in a place that is void of Him. In every pursuit, dream, or plan we have to seek after God’s presence in it. When we’re in His presence, our hearts and motives are revealed-then we must allow Him take away what does not belong. It is after seeking and seeing His face that His hand comes and gives us victory.
God is continually doing a work in me when it comes to my motives and this blog illustrates exactly how painful it is. I sometimes avoid the pain because I think it is too much but I know that without going through it, God can’t work in me. I am realizing that I must stop fighting the process and let God do his work in my heart. Painful, but very necessary…
Lord let your will be done in our lives.
I think I’m one of the hardheaded ones to but I’m finding it easier to let go and just do what he says. The purification starts there.
I know that most pure metals come from high intense heat process. Fire burns and eliminates all the impurities.
Definitely something I’ve seen more in my life, it’s still painful but is something I have to allow God to do in order to go and do what He wants me to.
I find it so easy to give people advice ” JUST LET GO AND
SURRENDER TO GOD, HIS WILL NOT YOUR’! I think I had better
start taking my own advice. Alway check my motives and
my heart.
Lord burn, purifying our heart, change our “whys”…
As you said is all in the condition of our hearts, is our motives that have to be purify and also our thoughts and our ambitions. Our desires have to become God’s desires. We can only do that when we worship Him and when we access to His presence all the time and all day long. When our desires connect to God’s will than we know that we are doing something right.
I pray that we will have that desire to surrender our hearts to Jesus. Even though it is painful may we have broken and contrite hearts.
AMEN!!! As we continue to press forward to seek Him in the private with pure motives God will continously pour out of Himself in us.
I just copied Mario’s response on this one, hope that’s allowed…
As you said is all in the condition of our hearts, is our motives that have to be purified and also our thoughts and our ambitions. Our desires have to become God’s desires. We can only do that when we worship Him and when we access to His presence all the time and all day long. When our desires connect to God’s will than we know that we are doing something right.