The Pure in Heart

[Dorothy Mae]

one can sit in one’s room squeezing the eyes tighter and tighter in an effort to produce forgiving feelings (purifying the heart as it were)... endeavoring to stir up the heart to some vague goal.

Since Scripture commands us to purify our hearts and wash within the platter first, then your example of trying to purify the heart must not be the way of the Lord to do so.

Where in scripture do you find how one purifies the heart? What I described above is how one deceives oneself.

And it makes a good point of how not to do something for God.

We purify our hearts from lust and thought for sin and doing evil to our neighbor.

We do not purify our heart by trying to think good. Scriptural purity of heart is not by the power of positive thinking.

When we purify our hearts from evil, then our hearts and minds are free to believe God and do good.

How do you do this exactly and how do you know it isn’t merely self deception?

So long as lust remains in the heart, we will be battling whether to do good or evil, knowing to do good with the mind, but choosing to do evil instead.

or we can get up and do something kind for the offending party.

The reformation of religion by the blood of the Lamb includes doing good deeds, while yet having lust in the heart to do sins elsewhere.

We cannot possible obey the second great commandment, until we are obeying the first with a pure heart, purged and freed from lust of the world.

If a man waits to do good to those who did him wrong until the heart/mind is full of 100% purity, he will excuse himself from all such odious duties. Make the mouth and body obey Gods one knows His instructions to be, and the heart will get in line.

Good deeds are good to do, and any neighbor will be thankful for them, but they do not save the soul alone.

The outward never purifies the inward, even though such things can soothe the soul, else Christ died in vain.

Corrie Ten Boom tells of meeting her prison guard later (a then cruel man) who asked her for forgiveness. She struggled. But when she reached out and shook his outstretched hand, forgiving grace flowed into her.

Flowing grace occurs when the Spirit bears witness to the pure in heart, that the one asking forgiveness is from the heart. There are some who led me by deception down a road of near destruction for over a decade of life, costing me my career and wife, and yet if any of them were to repent and ask forgiveness, the love of God toward them would flow greater than when I idolized them in their ministry of the past.

it is called obedience, to the teachings of Christ.

Which begins within the heart: when the heart is purified first, the good deeds of righteousness of God will surely follow with ease, not being hard to do at all:

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I can give a practical example. Say a man thinks about showing love to his wife by cleaning up the house but realizes his heart is not the purest, He doesn’t want to as it’s boring work so instead he sits on the sofa endeavoring to purify his heart first. He imagines those loving feelings he has for her and waits until his heart is in the right place. Meanwhile she comes home and the place is a mess. Let’s compare this to the man who ignores his resentful feelings and makes his hands clean up the place. Which one loved his wife more?

You want a biblical one? I have one.

 

[ezrider]

Here's an example where Jesus talks about faith and how it is a complete assurance or absolute trust.
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.
23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."
Mark 11:22-24 NKJV

WIP Fine by me! Now, with your definition or understanding of faith, not a single human being on Earth currently has any faith since no one can move mountains. I was using the word 'faith' in a broader sense and I guess it is the way most Christians use it.

There is only one mountain that can be removed by Faith; yet no man made machine could move even one parcel.


Mt Horeb.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

There is only one mountain that can be removed by Faith; yet no man made machine could move even one parcel.


Mt Horeb.

I guess that’s metaphorically speaking?

 

[RBDERRICK]

Where in scripture do you find how one purifies the heart? What I described above is how one deceives oneself.

How do you do this exactly and how do you know it isn’t merely self deception?

If a man waits to do good to those who did him wrong until the heart/mind is full of 100% purity, he will excuse himself from all such odious duties. Make the mouth and body obey Gods one knows His instructions to be, and the heart will get in line.

I can give a practical example. Say a man thinks about showing love to his wife by cleaning up the house but realizes his heart is not the purest, He doesn’t want to as it’s boring work so instead he sits on the sofa endeavoring to purify his heart first. He imagines those loving feelings he has for her and waits until his heart is in the right place. Meanwhile she comes home and the place is a mess. Let’s compare this to the man who ignores his resentful feelings and makes his hands clean up the place. Which one loved his wife more?

You want a biblical one? I have one.

Where in scripture do you find how one purifies the heart?

You need to read the first post.

God commands His people to circumcise their hearts, and not just the flesh. (Deut 10)
Jesus commands us to wash within the platter first, that the outside may be clean also. (Matthew 23:26)
James commands us to purify our hearts, that our hands may be clean also. (4:1-8)
Peter says we purified our souls by obeying the word of God. (1 Peter 1:22)

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

Stiffnecked with God is the double-minded working to do good from an impure heart: it is not done freely and without inner complaint.

 

[RBDERRICK]

Where in scripture do you find how one purifies the heart? What I described above is how one deceives oneself.

How do you do this exactly and how do you know it isn’t merely self deception?

If a man waits to do good to those who did him wrong until the heart/mind is full of 100% purity, he will excuse himself from all such odious duties. Make the mouth and body obey Gods one knows His instructions to be, and the heart will get in line.

I can give a practical example. Say a man thinks about showing love to his wife by cleaning up the house but realizes his heart is not the purest, He doesn’t want to as it’s boring work so instead he sits on the sofa endeavoring to purify his heart first. He imagines those loving feelings he has for her and waits until his heart is in the right place. Meanwhile she comes home and the place is a mess. Let’s compare this to the man who ignores his resentful feelings and makes his hands clean up the place. Which one loved his wife more?

You want a biblical one? I have one.

What I described above is how one deceives oneself.

Which is why I said it does not apply to the Scripture command to purify our heart, which you apparently tried to apply it too.

How do you do this exactly?

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

First we cast down and out, and then we stand guard over our hearts to quench fiery darts of the wicked seeking to enter in again, even as Abraham chased away the foul birds seeking to eat his sacrifice to the Lord:

And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Lust for sin is only in a heart allowing thought for sin to take root and make a nest for itself.

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

and how do you know it isn’t merely self deception?

When one does so in obedience to God, and ceases lusting, envying, evil thinking, etc... that one knows the difference, and the deception of such inward sin and malice of the devil is gone, where only the pure heart and clear mind remain.

Believers do this by the power of God given to become His sons within first, and so be pure of heart and life even as He is in this life.

 

[RBDERRICK]

Where in scripture do you find how one purifies the heart? What I described above is how one deceives oneself.

How do you do this exactly and how do you know it isn’t merely self deception?

If a man waits to do good to those who did him wrong until the heart/mind is full of 100% purity, he will excuse himself from all such odious duties. Make the mouth and body obey Gods one knows His instructions to be, and the heart will get in line.

I can give a practical example. Say a man thinks about showing love to his wife by cleaning up the house but realizes his heart is not the purest, He doesn’t want to as it’s boring work so instead he sits on the sofa endeavoring to purify his heart first. He imagines those loving feelings he has for her and waits until his heart is in the right place. Meanwhile she comes home and the place is a mess. Let’s compare this to the man who ignores his resentful feelings and makes his hands clean up the place. Which one loved his wife more?

You want a biblical one? I have one.

If a man waits to do good to those who did him wrong until the heart/mind is full of 100% purity, he will excuse himself from all such odious duties.

When a person with pure heart sees good to do, it is not odious at all to do so.

Any neighborly sinner and 'honest' thief can and does good things, since all men have free will to do good and evil.

The error is thinking we are justified with God by our good works from an uncleansed heart: good sinners are not the new creatures and brethren of the Lord.

The reformation of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross was for forgiveness of sins, to give man power to do good and His righteousness at all times from a pure heart and cleansed conscience, which the law and blood of bulls could not do.

To keep His commandments without spot, including the second great commandment, we must begin by keeping His first commandment with a whole pure heart, so that it will no more be odious to do well:

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Make the mouth and body obey Gods one knows His instructions to be, and the heart will get in line.

It is certainly true that changing habits can become more natural in time, with less resistance from the mind; however, like teachings of AA, the sinner always remains a sinner in mind.

The natural man does all things naturally, but the spiritual man of God does all things by the Spirit, first within and then walking without.

So it is with Christians still being sinners at heart with lust and are not yet saints pure in heart.

 

[RBDERRICK]

Where in scripture do you find how one purifies the heart? What I described above is how one deceives oneself.

How do you do this exactly and how do you know it isn’t merely self deception?

If a man waits to do good to those who did him wrong until the heart/mind is full of 100% purity, he will excuse himself from all such odious duties. Make the mouth and body obey Gods one knows His instructions to be, and the heart will get in line.

I can give a practical example. Say a man thinks about showing love to his wife by cleaning up the house but realizes his heart is not the purest, He doesn’t want to as it’s boring work so instead he sits on the sofa endeavoring to purify his heart first. He imagines those loving feelings he has for her and waits until his heart is in the right place. Meanwhile she comes home and the place is a mess. Let’s compare this to the man who ignores his resentful feelings and makes his hands clean up the place. Which one loved his wife more?

You want a biblical one? I have one.

I can give a practical example. Say a man thinks about showing love to his wife by cleaning up the house but realizes his heart is not the purest, He doesn’t want to as it’s boring work so instead he sits on the sofa endeavoring to purify his heart first.

An unreal hypothetical is not an example. Examples are to be found in Scripture.

The man possessed with legion was clothed and in his right mind. He was not deceiving himself, nor was he debating within himself about anything, but was ready to follow Jesus and obeyed Him according to His word.

The blind man was made able to see all men clearly, without deception nor useless inward debate, which is double mindedness we are to purify ourselves of.

Christians who remain with unpurified hearts are good sinners only, that still only see men as trees walking: trees can be good and evil, and so is the natural man.

Until we purify our hearts as He is pure by His power to do so with Him, we will never see all things clearly as He does in the world:

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Let’s compare this to the man who ignores his resentful feelings and makes his hands clean up the place. Which one loved his wife more?

Neither, since the first one does not exist, and the second one is only the double minded avoiding a fight, not because of a pure heart of love.

They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

So it is with them that to do anything in sight of God with an unclean heart, which is better than doing nothing at all, but is not justified nor pleasing to God: doing good with God begins within the heart first.

And so the question has no comparison with the good Samaritan, who had no such 'resentful feelings' to overcome when helping his neighbor.

So long as we like to think in our own carnal terms, we will resist obeying the Scripture as written, which plainly commands us to purify the heart of lust by driving all thoughts of sin from the mind.

The wretched double minded of Romans 7 seek to do good to their neighbor, without first doing good to God within the heart, and so the resentments, strivings, and doubts you speak of remain.

Loving and doing good to our neighbors to God's good pleasure, cannot begin until we first love and do good to Jesus by purifying our heart that He seeks to dwell and sup in.

Romans 8 is them that cease being double hearted by purifying and cleansing the whole house within first, destroying the law of sin and death by the law of the Spirit of life, that he may be a good neighbor in all things with a free heart and mind.

Charity of God is freely done from the heart, without resentment, doubting, covetousness, hope for gain, etc...

You want a biblical one? I have one.

According to my reading of Scripture, that I seek to do first in life, I just gave the only one that pleases God.

 

[eddif]

Where in scripture do you find how one purifies the heart? What I described above is how one deceives oneself.

How do you do this exactly and how do you know it isn’t merely self deception?

If a man waits to do good to those who did him wrong until the heart/mind is full of 100% purity, he will excuse himself from all such odious duties. Make the mouth and body obey Gods one knows His instructions to be, and the heart will get in line.

I can give a practical example. Say a man thinks about showing love to his wife by cleaning up the house but realizes his heart is not the purest, He doesn’t want to as it’s boring work so instead he sits on the sofa endeavoring to purify his heart first. He imagines those loving feelings he has for her and waits until his heart is in the right place. Meanwhile she comes home and the place is a mess. Let’s compare this to the man who ignores his resentful feelings and makes his hands clean up the place. Which one loved his wife more?

You want a biblical one? I have one.

This could take some time:
Old man
New man
Carnal mind
Eyes of understanding in Christ
Soul
Spirit
Stony heart
Heart of flesh
Under law
Under grace

I vote for the leading of the quickening spirit being in charge.
We confess sin, and he works in us to will and do of his good pleasure.

I thought the heart was wicked and deceitful, and took the full power of the work of Jesus to deliver us.


You doing ok Stay with it.

eddif

 

[Dorothy Mae]

I can give a practical example. Say a man thinks about showing love to his wife by cleaning up the house but realizes his heart is not the purest, He doesn’t want to as it’s boring work so instead he sits on the sofa endeavoring to purify his heart first.

An unreal hypothetical is not an example. Examples are to be found in Scripture.

That a very real example. Jesus used examples from life around them that men would understand. Are you limiting yourself to first century events to communicate truth? Are those events more spiritual?

The man possessed with legion was clothed and in his right mind. He was not deceiving himself, nor was he debating within himself about anything, but was ready to follow Jesus and obeyed Him according to His word.

Where was he endeavoring to render himself pure in heart? Your scripture does not address the point? Jesus spoke of two brothers asked to do something for their father. One has the right heart attitude but didn’t do anything and the other a bad attitude but obeyed. You know which got the praise?

The blind man was made able to see all men clearly, without deception nor useless inward debate, which is double mindedness we are to purify ourselves of.

Uh, the blind man’s eyes weren’t working. Physical eyes. We make it much less by spiritualizing that healing.

Christians who remain with unpurified hearts are good sinners only, that still only see men as trees walking: trees can be good and evil, and so is the natural man.
Let’s compare this to the man who ignores his resentful feelings and makes his hands clean up the place. Which one loved his wife more?

Neither, since the first one does not exist, and the second one is only the double minded avoiding a fight, not because of a pure heart of love.

You are joking right? You think there aren’t Christians who wait for/excuse themselves insisting the inner attitude needs to be perfect before they act?

They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

So it is with them that to do anything in sight of God with an unclean heart, which is better than doing nothing at all, but is not justified nor pleasing to God: doing good with God begins within the heart first.

God does not demand perfection as the story Jesus told says. God is easy to please but hard to satisfy. Give a cup of cold water to a thirsty child and God rewards whatever the attitude

And so the question has no comparison with the good Samaritan, who had no such 'resentful feelings' to overcome when helping his neighbor.

We have no idea of his feelings.

So long as we like to think in our own carnal terms, we will resist obeying the Scripture as written, which plainly commands us to purify the heart of lust by driving all thoughts of sin from the mind.

The wretched double minded of Romans 7 seek to do good to their neighbor, without first doing good to God within the heart, and so the resentments, strivings, and doubts you speak of remain.

Loving and doing good to our neighbors to God's good pleasure, cannot begin until we first love and do good to Jesus by purifying our heart that He seeks to dwell and sup in.

Then one will wait a lifetime before he helps a neighbor.

Romans 8 is them that cease being double hearted by purifying and cleansing the whole house within first, destroying the law of sin and death by the law of the Spirit of life, that he may be a good neighbor in all things with a free heart and mind.

Charity of God is freely done from the heart, without resentment, doubting, covetousness, hope for gain, etc...

You want a biblical one? I have one.

According to my reading of Scripture, that I seek to do first in life, I just gave the only one that pleases God.

No, the two brothers illustrate that obedience is greater than ensuring oneself one has the right attitude.

RBD, Making yourself obey is the best way to purify your heart. Forgive those who wound you and do them good is the best way to purify the heart of resentment. When a child gives a faulty gift to his father, the father still appreciates it. How much more does God recognize us making ourselves do that which is difficult, heart in it or not?

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Old man
New man
Carnal mind
Eyes of understanding in Christ
Soul
Spirit
Stony heart
Heart of flesh
Under law
Under grace

I vote for the leading of the quickening spirit being in charge.
We confess sin, and he works in us to will and do of his good pleasure.

I thought the heart was wicked and deceitful, and took the full power of the work of Jesus to deliver us.


You doing ok Stay with it.

eddif

I have been walking with the Lord some 50 years and have shed a lot of the christian lingo. Difficult to believe since I also read and understand the KJV, I bet. So those words have less meaning for me than simple words such as “obey Him.”

My life’s goal is to please Him. To do that I have needed to obey Him. It has been so amazing that I can highly recommend it. One only needs to taste a”well done” from Him to hunger for more.

There is a lot that can be said on this but in short, we have our part and He will not do our part. He has His part and we cannot do His part. Wisdom and success is knowing which is whose.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

What I described above is how one deceives oneself.

Which is why I said it does not apply to the Scripture command to purify our heart, which you apparently tried to apply it too.

How do you do this exactly?

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

First we cast down and out, and then we stand guard over our hearts to quench fiery darts of the wicked seeking to enter in again, even as Abraham chased away the foul birds seeking to eat his sacrifice to the Lord:

And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Lust for sin is only in a heart allowing thought for sin to take root and make a nest for itself.

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

and how do you know it isn’t merely self deception?

When one does so in obedience to God, and ceases lusting, envying, evil thinking, etc... that one knows the difference, and the deception of such inward sin and malice of the devil is gone, where only the pure heart and clear mind remain.

Believers do this by the power of God given to become His sons within first, and so be pure of heart and life even as He is in this life.

The practical side of actually obeying the living God does not require any of that. The obedient does not cease envying or evil thoughts or such from time to time as long as he/she walks the earth. We do battle them though. We don’t expect they’re gone for good….not yet. Peter said Jesus was the Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit and a few minutes later the Devil spoke through him.

When Jesus commanded us to forgive others if we want to be forgiven. He didn’t say when we are forgiven we will naturally forgive others because that’s not the human heart. Reminds me of those who say only those without material means who steel. We are if such stuff that we can have all needs and caprices met, internal and external, and we will think nothing of stealing the next man’s needed bread.

If one waits to be sure one has rid one’s heart of all wrong thinking and feelings before obeying God, one never will obey God. This is because as soon as the goal is achieved, 5 minutes later an unexpected unpleasantness happens and we’re back to square 1.

Love means you make your selfishness take a back seat this time and do as He wants, proper feelings or not. Jesus said if we love Him, we do his teachings, not have particular inner feelings flowing.

 

[eddif]

You talking about interesting.
Be of one mind.

The Samaritan would have known offspring of Jews of the dispersion of the destruction of Jerusalem (Ezekiel’s prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem). He would probably had some good words from the humble Jews, and not the arrogant religious Jewish leaders of Jesus’s time.

Why does there seem to be no discussion of the marked Jews of Ezekiel’s time? Some good Jews and some bad Jews. The OP
Wonders why bad exists. The answer of Gods solution is ignored.
When mens hearts were only evil continually the whole of humanity was about to be destroyed. Noah and seven more were allowed to be saved. They were not perfect but there was not continual evil. Now the warning is of eternal hell. Please excuse the bluntness.

Parables do not teach spiritual truth. The disciples did not get the spiritual truth out of seeds and planting. They asked Jesus what the parable meant.
They did not get;
I want you to take me into your being and go to the world planting the word of God and me as the word made flesh.

They just heard a parable about seeds. They did not get the true hidden message. Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke all tell why Jesus taught in parables ( common stories of life). So that hearing they might not hear, and seeing they might not see. The OP is not seeing, but a question is asked how to understand (eyes of understanding to be enlightened).

Jesus delivered people from sickness, blind saw, lame walked, dead arose, etc. this is in itself a parable of sorts. Jesus wanted to give deliverance and provide eternal life in heaven.

eddif

 

[ezrider]

There is only one mountain that can be removed by Faith; yet no man made machine could move even one parcel.


Mt Horeb.

I guess that’s metaphorically speaking?

As Paul used the bondwoman Hagar as an allegory....

Galatians 4:25
For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.


Yes, Mt Sinai, also known as Mt Horeb, the mountain from where comes forth the Law of commandments. It is a mountain that stands in the way of many as they journey towards Mount Zion. Yet it only takes the faith the size of a mustard seed to say to that mountain, be thou removed and cast into the sea, that it no more cast a shadow over the light shining forth from Zion.

But there are many who choose to serve before the shadow of that mountain, loving the darkness rather than the light.

John 3:17-19
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

 

[RBDERRICK]

That a very real example. Jesus used examples from life around them that men would understand. Are you limiting yourself to first century events to communicate truth? Are those events more spiritual?

Where was he endeavoring to render himself pure in heart? Your scripture does not address the point? Jesus spoke of two brothers asked to do something for their father. One has the right heart attitude but didn’t do anything and the other a bad attitude but obeyed. You know which got the praise?

Uh, the blind man’s eyes weren’t working. Physical eyes. We make it much less by spiritualizing that healing.

You are joking right? You think there aren’t Christians who wait for/excuse themselves insisting the inner attitude needs to be perfect before they act?

God does not demand perfection as the story Jesus told says. God is easy to please but hard to satisfy. Give a cup of cold water to a thirsty child and God rewards whatever the attitude

We have no idea of his feelings.

Then one will wait a lifetime before he helps a neighbor.

No, the two brothers illustrate that obedience is greater than ensuring oneself one has the right attitude.

RBD, Making yourself obey is the best way to purify your heart. Forgive those who wound you and do them good is the best way to purify the heart of resentment. When a child gives a faulty gift to his father, the father still appreciates it. How much more does God recognize us making ourselves do that which is difficult, heart in it or not?

Where was he endeavoring to render himself pure in heart?

Until you stop talking in humanist terms about Scriptural commands, you will never understand the doctrine of Christ, much less do it. Purifying our hearts according to the commandment of Jesus is not 'rendering pure our hearts'. It is casting down and destroying all vain imagination and thought for sin, to bring all things in heart and mind to obedience to Christ.

Only then can we possibly obey Him outwardly to please Him and be justified of Him by faith with works from the heart.

Your scripture does not address the point?

Your diversions have yet to address the point of Scripture that started the teaching of being pure in heart:

We are commanded by Jesus and Scripture to wash within of the platter first, that we may do good in His sight in deed and in truth, and not just in lip service and bodily obedience only.

Scripture tells us to purify our hearts. Do you believe the Scripture or not? Do you believe the Scripture is a commandment to be obeyed? Do you believe it is possible to do in this life or not?

 

[Degas]

Then you'll have to answer why God commands us to do, what we cannot do:

The answer is in the very post of mine you quoted: "What it really means is that we should have a spiritual practice".

 

[RBDERRICK]

That a very real example. Jesus used examples from life around them that men would understand. Are you limiting yourself to first century events to communicate truth? Are those events more spiritual?

Where was he endeavoring to render himself pure in heart? Your scripture does not address the point? Jesus spoke of two brothers asked to do something for their father. One has the right heart attitude but didn’t do anything and the other a bad attitude but obeyed. You know which got the praise?

Uh, the blind man’s eyes weren’t working. Physical eyes. We make it much less by spiritualizing that healing.

You are joking right? You think there aren’t Christians who wait for/excuse themselves insisting the inner attitude needs to be perfect before they act?

God does not demand perfection as the story Jesus told says. God is easy to please but hard to satisfy. Give a cup of cold water to a thirsty child and God rewards whatever the attitude

We have no idea of his feelings.

Then one will wait a lifetime before he helps a neighbor.

No, the two brothers illustrate that obedience is greater than ensuring oneself one has the right attitude.

RBD, Making yourself obey is the best way to purify your heart. Forgive those who wound you and do them good is the best way to purify the heart of resentment. When a child gives a faulty gift to his father, the father still appreciates it. How much more does God recognize us making ourselves do that which is difficult, heart in it or not?

RBD, Making yourself obey is the best way to purify your heart.

Dm, this is the very opposite of the doctrine of Christ that rebuked the Pharisees for making themslebves make the outside of the platter clean, thinking that it made themselves clean.

'Fake it till you make it' is the man's will to sanctify himself without inner purification by God.

They seek to prove to themselves and show others they are born of God, when they are still born of the will of man.

1. Anyone can learn a manner of life and make it natural to themselves, without ever changing the inward nature.

2. Learned outward works is the definition of man's religion practiced without God's Spirit.

 

[RBDERRICK]

The answer is in the very post of mine you quoted: "What it really means is that we should have a spiritual practice".

No, it is not an answer to the point made.

You said purifying our hearts doesn't make any sense, because it would mean man can purify his heart, and yet we are commanded by God to do so.

Sinners cannot purify their hearts by themselves alone, but saints in Christ Jesus receive power to do so with Him:

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

Sons of God are given power to do with God, what man cannot do without God.

And so, once again, if you say the commandment to purify our hearts makes no sense, then you'll have to explain why we are commanded by God to do so.

 

[eddif]

No, it is not an answer to the point made.

You said purifying our hearts doesn't make any sense, because it would mean man can purify his heart, and yet we are commanded by God to do so.

Sinners cannot purify their hearts by themselves alone, but saints in Christ Jesus receive power to do so with Him:

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

Sons of God are given power to do with God, what man cannot do without God.

And so, once again, if you say the commandment to purify our hearts makes no sense, then you'll have to explain why we are commanded by God to do so.

I liked your post.

If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness.

Let me check the Holy Spirit out- oh well my part was a little off.

1 John 1:9 kjv
9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Our part is just about we are messed up and depend on him
.
1 Peter 2:24 kjv
24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

I keep coming up with what he did.

The hidden man of the heart seems to be in charge.

Cardiac conduction system - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

eddif

 

[Dorothy Mae]

RBD, Making yourself obey is the best way to purify your heart.

Dm, this is the very opposite of the doctrine of Christ that rebuked the Pharisees for making themslebves make the outside of the platter clean, thinking that it made themselves clean.

'Fake it till you make it' is the man's will to sanctify himself without inner purification by God.

They seek to prove to themselves and show others they are born of God, when they are still born of the will of man.

1. Anyone can learn a manner of life and make it natural to themselves, without ever changing the inward nature.

2. Learned outward works is the definition of man's religion practiced without God's Spirit.

Have you never obeyed the Holy Spirits prompting? Never asked someone to forgive you? Never done good to someone who did you wrong?

Jesus said this, “he who keeps my teaching (obeys) he will be loved by my father and we will come to him and make our abide in him.”

“If you keep my teaching (obey it,) you will know the truth and the truth makes you free.”

“If you love me you will keep my teaching (obey.)”

Those are not cut and paste inserts but quotes from memory. If a christian does not make himself actually do what Jesus taught, he will never come to understand God. There are promises of intimacy with God only for those who obey Him.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

No, it is not an answer to the point made.

You said purifying our hearts doesn't make any sense, because it would mean man can purify his heart, and yet we are commanded by God to do so.

Sinners cannot purify their hearts by themselves alone, but saints in Christ Jesus receive power to do so with Him:

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

Sons of God are given power to do with God, what man cannot do without God.

And so, once again, if you say the commandment to purify our hearts makes no sense, then you'll have to explain why we are commanded by God to do so.

“ Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

You’re not going to like it but this is addressed to people doing wrong to purify their hearts.