Benefits of heart purity – Part 2

Purity of heart and partaking of the rapture are not promises for a community. Therefore, having the experience requires personal dedication and expectation. Only the pure in heart “shall ascend into the hill of the Lord.” Nothing else, not even the ability to heal, manifest power, authority or perform miracles, can qualify anyone to stand in God’s presence on that day; onlyholiness can.

Prayer is essential to possess a pure heart, as it does not happen accidentally. Rather, it is an experience we must desire and actively pray for. The psalmist, after examining his heart and recognising his need for purity, prayed: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow,” This should be the prayer of those who genuinely seek a pure heart. We should ask God to remove every stain of sin and the corrupting influence of the nature of Adam, the old man, from our hearts. Such prayers must come from a sincere, passionate and desirous heart. As we request the promised cleansing and purging from God, we must not fail to “ask in faith,” trusting that nothing is impossible with Him.

There is need for power to accompany a pure heart. After Christ prayed for His disciples’ sanctification, He instructed them to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from heaven. This power enabled them to give witness of the gospel of Christ everywhere they went. While peace is for salvation and purity is for sanctification, power is for Holy Ghost baptism. We should not give up on one because we have the other. Our goal should not be only to have a pure heart to make it in the rapture; it should also be to receive power to preach the gospel to others persuasively and bring them to the Lord.

God wants to show Himself strong and powerful to those, whose “heart are perfect towards him.” Such people’s hearts are full of love for God and their neighbours. However, possessing a pure heart while manifesting love without power or sympathy without supernatural authority is not enough. We must seek this power that protects from harm and enables us to witness to others, and reconcile them to God.

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” This is not just a promise, but a prophecy that God is faithful to fulfill in the lives of those who seek Him for it. God’s word will surely be performed for those with obedient, pure hearts. Isaac’s story illustrates this truth. Despite being in an unfavorable environment where the locals opposed him and stopped his work, God remained faithful to His covenant. “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.” Similarly, regardless of whatever has happened in the past, if we stay in the place where God has assigned to us, we will experience prosperity, progress, promotion and blessedness.

Those who choose obstinacy and impurity instead of a pure heart will forfeit God’s blessings. This was the fate of Saul and others who neglected His promises due to disobedience. However, God’s mercy offers a second chance to those who turn from their evil ways and return to Him, like the people of Nineveh. His promise is, “I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.” If sinners repent and return to God genuinely, all prior negative pronouncements on their lives will be revoked and God’s blessings will still be theirs.

Although the prophecies by prophets of old were fulfilled, we have “a more sure word of prophecy” from the only Potentate on high in the new covenant. This prophecy promises that our lives will be filled with light, not darkness, destruction or demonic devastation. More so, the “day star (will) arise in (our) hearts” to guide us on a path of light and “there shall be a performance” of God’s word in our lives. As our hearts are purified, we will see His presence in all that concerns us, as well as in the lives of those for whom we intercede. Ultimately, we will see God face-to-face on the final day and receive our rewards.
• Further Reading (King James Version): Matthew 5:8. Psalms 24:3,4; 89:34. Psalm 51:7,10; Ezekiel 36:26,37; James 1:6. 2 Chronicles 16:9; Luke 10:27,19; Acts 1:8. Genesis 26:2-5,12; Jeremiah 1:12. Jeremiah 18:7,8. 2 Peter 1:19; Luke 1:45.