Introduction (Pure Heart Towards Man)
This post about the pure heart shares a video by Zac Poen on the same topic and is closely related to the previous posts, “The Life not in Want and The Life not in Want – King David’s Life.” A life not in want would necessarily have a pure heart at its core.
Video Link – https://youtu.be/UPppSW6_e64
The link for The life of not in Want – King David’ Life : https://sincerelawrence.com/2022/08/30/the-life-of-not-in-want-king-davids-life/
This video by Zac Pooen has the theme of a pure heart – of love and a good conscience in sincere faith.
This reflection will describe this love from a pure heart as sincere love. It is also helpful to look at the good conscience of sincere faith concerning matters of justice, fairness, and righteousness.
This sincere love and the sincere faith themes are from 1Tim1:5 –
“Now the end (GOAL) of the commandment is charity (love) out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned (sincere without hypocrisy)”
1Tim1:5 carries great significance as it presents the goal of God’s commandments for the believer. These goals are found in the pure heart that manifests two traits
1. sincere love.
2. good conscience of sincere faith
Zac draws from Mat6 forgiveness as a prerequisite for a good conscience (sincere faith). This forgiveness is sought from others and to forgive others. This forgiveness concerns a good conscience among man.
Zac then draws attention to the fact that a person with a pure heart will see God (Mat5:8) in all situations who works all for good (Rom8:28).
Zac’s conviction is that a pure heart will spring forth sincere love and the good conscience of sincere faith.
Pure Heart Towards God
This post complements Zac’s video by offering how scriptures guide the believer’s purity of heart toward God in sincere love and sincere faith.
These scriptures are- 1Jhn:9, Heb10:22, and 1Pet3:21.
1Jhn1:9 is about humbling before God, in fear and trembling of 1Pet1:17, confession of sins seeking forgiveness from God is the believer’s ongoing (daily) initiative of sincere love and sincere faith to reconcile with God. It is a replay of Rom10:9; confession Jesus is Lord.
Heb10:22 is a rich verse –
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
The true heart of Heb10:22, according to Blue Letter Bible (BLB) Greek Lexicon, means a sincere heart.
The “full assurance of faith” in Heb10:22 is God saying, He welcomes the believer to experience the truths of Heb10:22.
The evil conscience of Heb10:22 is the opposite of the good conscience of 1Tim1:5.
Heb10:22 is God’s solution to possess a good conscience towards Him by sprinkling the polluted heart with pure water so the soul and body may be washed clean to meet God’s standard of purity and holiness.
This pure water can be synonymous with the Word of God. 1Pet3:21 offers clues that clarify God’s specific word that leads to a good conscience towards God.
The Word is the belief-hope of Christ’s resurrection and, by extension, the hope of the believers’ resurrection mentioned in 1Pet1:3-5.
This resurrection focus is a replay of Rom10:9’s belief of Jesus’ resurrection on the 3rd day.
1Pet3:21 –
“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”
It is noteworthy that Heb10:22 evil conscience, according to BLB, can mean wicked conscience of the carnal love of the world of 1Jhn2:16. But it also can mean the resentment the believer bears towards God and man for the perceived injustices experienced according to God’s will.
Therefore, the focus of the resurrection of Christ will cleanse the soul and body from the stains of both moral wickedness and resentful thoughts and emotions.
Conclusion
To live a life of pure heart, one needs to –
1. Submit to God to confess their sins daily to seek forgiveness. A forgiven person is free to love and receive love.
2. Draw near to God daily, in full assurance of the faith in the resurrection to clean their conscience and body of moral wickedness of resentment towards God and man. This daily cleansing restores the believers’ souls as mature sons of God (Rom8:14).
Such a person will praise and give thanks to God in all circumstances, enduring in sincere love and sincere faith, for they see God in all things.