Topical Bible: The Heart: should be Purified

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In biblical theology, the heart is often seen as the center of human emotion, will, and intellect. It is the seat of moral and spiritual life, influencing thoughts, desires, and actions. The Bible emphasizes the necessity of a purified heart, as it is crucial for a right relationship with God and others.

Biblical Foundation

The call for a purified heart is a recurring theme throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament, the prophet Jeremiah highlights the deceitfulness of the heart, stating, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). This underscores the need for divine intervention in purifying the heart.

The psalmist David, aware of his own sinfulness, pleads with God for a clean heart: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). This prayer reflects the understanding that only God can truly purify the heart.

New Testament Teachings

In the New Testament, Jesus emphasizes the importance of inner purity over external rituals. In the Sermon on the Mount, He declares, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8). This beatitude highlights the promise of divine fellowship for those whose hearts are purified.

The apostle Paul also addresses the need for a pure heart in his letters. In 1 Timothy 1:5, he writes, "The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith" . Here, Paul links a pure heart with love, conscience, and faith, indicating that purity is foundational to Christian living.

Means of Purification

The purification of the heart is primarily a work of God, accomplished through faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 15:9, Peter testifies that God "made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith" . Faith in Christ is the means by which believers receive a purified heart.

The role of the Holy Spirit in heart purification is further emphasized in Titus 3:5, where Paul explains that God "saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit" . The Spirit's work in regeneration and renewal is essential for heart purification.

Practical Implications

A purified heart manifests in a life that seeks to honor God and love others. James 4:8 exhorts believers, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded" . This call to action suggests that believers have a responsibility to pursue purity through repentance and obedience.

The pursuit of a pure heart involves regular self-examination, confession of sin, and a commitment to live according to God's Word. Psalm 119:11 states, "I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You" . Immersing oneself in Scripture is a practical step toward maintaining a pure heart.

Conclusion

The biblical mandate for a purified heart is clear and essential for a vibrant spiritual life. Through faith in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, believers are empowered to live with hearts that are cleansed and devoted to God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Nature and Value of Prayer, and How the Heart Should be ...
... that his purified mind should be daily raised up from all bodily objects to spiritual
things until all his mental activity and all his heart's desire become ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/albert/on cleaving to god/chapter 13 the nature and.htm

I Believe that I have Now Set Forth, Briefly Indeed...
... to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart." And do ...
the soul, he would not have expressed a desire that it should be purified. ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter xi i believe that.htm

Of the Holy Brother James of Fallerone, and How, after his Death ...
... to heaven after death, as it was necessary he should be purified for a time in
purgatory. And this revelation made to Brother John filled his heart with such ...
/.../ugolino/the little flowers of st francis of assisi/chapter li of the holy.htm

The Ninth Chapter: all Things Should be Referred to God as their ...
... CONSOLATION The Ninth Chapter: All Things should be Referred ... to self and to creatures,
will be purified. ... immediately fail interiorly and become dry of heart. ...
/.../kempis/the imitation of christ/the ninth chapter all things.htm

But Yet, Lest it Should Lie Hidden from Men -- Especially from ...
... But yet, lest it should lie hidden from men"especially ... of eternal love was verily
felt in my heart. ... vouchsafed; and he must first be purified and separated ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/lection ix but yet lest.htm

Promises and Threatenings
... make a sunshine in a shady place,' should lighten labour ... there follow it, in verse
4, 'integrity of heart and uprightness ... of what God is to us have purified them ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/promises and threatenings.htm

A Description of Heart-Purity
... upon us by entail, but with this clause or proviso in the will, that we be purified
persons, having the ... Impossible it is that an ignorant heart should be good. ...
/.../16 a description of heart-purity.htm

The Circumcision of the Heart
... that cometh of God, unless his heart be circumcised by ... inward parts are very wickedness,"
should once entertain a thought of being "purified as his ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 17 the circumcision of.htm

That the Ruler Should be Pure in Thought.
... therefore perceive within themselves how purified they ought ... fillets; seeing that
lax cogitations should by no means possess the priestly heart, but reason ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter ii that the ruler.htm

The Deceitfulness of the Human Heart
... For who should "know the things of a man, like the ... there no exception as to the
wickedness of man's heart? ... one toucheth him not." God has "purified his heart ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 123 the deceitfulness of.htm