Purity is a word greatly prized in the New Testament. Unfortunately, in our day it has been largely written off as quaint, Victorian, prudish. It sounds like a person who isn't fully human, when in fact God's call for us to be pure is precisely his call for us to be purely human - humanity as he intended it to be, uncontaminated by sin.
James calls the opposite of this condition being "double-minded" (James 4:8). He describes such a person as being like "a wave of the sea," driven forward by the wind one minute and backwards the next (James 1:6). It is a life of divided loyalties.
Most of us know what it is like to be a wave on the sea. We are pulled toward this life of Christ, and yet held back by a secret sin for which we haven't been willing to renounce or get help. We long for the adventure of following Christ fully, but we're afraid of the price. We commit to pleasing God alone, only to find ourselves driven to impress others. We go back and forth. It is a miserable way to live.
In Jesus' words, the secret to life is to pursue one thing. It is to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matt. 6:33). It is an unbelievable relief to be delivered from double-mindedness, to finally decide, to stop being torn.
Washed by the Word
If we want to be saved from double-mindedness and pursue purity of heart, we mus "be transformed by the renewing of our mind" (Rom 12:2). An indispensable practice is to have our minds re-formed by immersing them in Scripture. When Paul wrote to the church at Ephasus, he used this analogy: "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish..." (Eph. 5:25-27)
So, how do we read the Bible in a way that will wash our hearts and hel us live like Jesus? Here are a few thoughts...
- Pray First - Ask God to meet you in the Scriptures - It is uniquely in the Bible that we encounter Jesus. So, acknowledge that He is present with you. Ask him to begin to wash your mind and thoughts. He will meet you there.
- Listen to the Holy Spirit - Meditate on a Fairly Brief Passage - You can't meditate quickly. Don't get caught up in trying to read a chapter or a series of verses. If God is speaking to you in just a few phrases, stop and meditate on them. Allow the Spirit to tap you on the shoulder and whisper His purposes to you as you reflect on what He wants you to.
- Be Self-reflective - Read with a Readiness to Surrender - Don't read the Bible merely to find information, to increase your knowledge, or to be able to debate. Do not read it with your wife, friend or coworker in mind. Open your spirit and seek the Word's cleansing work in your life.
- Scripture Memorization - Take One Thought or Verse with You throughout the day - The psalmist says that fruitful living comes to the one who meditates on the law "day and night" (Psalms 1). Meditation is not meant to be spooky; it simply involves sustained attention. It is built on the principle that what th emind repeats, it retains. In addition, as the Psalmist was eluding to, the truth can permeate your mind through song or many other reminders - something in your pocket, review mirror or on your fridge. We have many tools available to us to help us to take this Truth with us throughout our day.
Verses to study as it relates to the Lord's Prayer...
Matthew 6:9-13Romans 8:15-16
Ephesians 2:19
Matthew 7:7-11
Exodus 16:11-21 - "Daily Bread"
John 6:32-35
Matthew 18:23-35
Spiritual Exercise - Pick one phrase from the Lord's prayer and take it with you for a whole day and then journal about it at the end of the day.
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