Men Possessing Pure Hearts And Hands - Levi Bear

Push Dick, extend Christian greetings and a good morning to each one that is

here. Welcome to the visitors again for maybe the third time, so hopefully

if you'll welcome at this point. I've enjoyed the Sunday School discussion and some

of the things we've heard already this morning, and it's been encouraging. If

you care to, you can turn in your bibles to Psalms for the third

time again this morning as well, m Psalm twenty four. I'll get a

text for the message from there, verse three through five. And the subject

I'd like to look at here this morning is not a favorite subject of mind

to share about, probably for various reasons. The title of the message,

men possessing pure hearts and hands, Men possessing pure hearts and hands. And

I don't know what the first thing that comes to your mind when you think

of thinking about pure hearts and clean hands, probably if you're like me,

when we think of purity, having a pure heart, our mind pretty rapidly

goes to the battle that we have against the lust of the flesh, immoral

thoughts and actions, And that is definitely an aspect of it, an important

one that the Bible the scripture would refer to that many times throughout scripture,

And who would know more about that subject than here in Psalm twenty four,

And that's King David himself, with some of the things that he battled in

his life and the things that he went through. Verse three of chapter twenty

four says, who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who

shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure

heart, who hath not lifted up his soul into vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of

his elevation. Is your desire this morning to ascend to the hill of the

Lord? According to David here, that's what it takes to do that for

whatever all that means, But I think it's something that we want to be

a part of. Says he that hath clean hands and a pure heart.

Did David always have clean hands and a pure heart? We know that he

didn't, and the Bible refers to him as a man after God's own heart,

But that battle was very real to him. Do we desire to stand

in his holy place? Not to forget that David also came out of this

battle victorious. How did he do that? What avenue did he take?

It's what we'd like to look at here. But before we go into some

of that, well, one more verse here in Psalm before we move on,

Psalm fifty one ten, a very familiar verse of David. His plea

was that creating me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right

spirit within me. How did David get through this battle of impure heart?

He asked God to renew his spirit? Psalm one nineteen nine. It says,

wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed? There too

according to his word? That's exactly what it says, filling our heart with

good things. So as you heard in the title, men possessing pure hearts

and hands. And many times when we think of this subject, probably the

man the boys come up in our minds soonest. But even though that's what

the title is, I would very much like to include everyone that's here this

morning. In fact, as I think about it, I think we have

more empty spots on the pew over here than we do over here of young

women that are no longer here. Why is that? I don't I don't

have the answers to all that, but I know that it's we better be

careful that we think it doesn't matter. Over here, talking to a young

man just this week, we're discussing life and how hard it can be and

how many, how many things there are that surround us that try to pull

us away from right living. And my comment to him was, you might

as well accept right now that the world and its allurements will always be there

while we're on this earth, while we're in this body, and it's natural

that they are very attractive, and there are also many of them are very

enjoyable. But as I thought about that a little bit later, I guess

that's true to a certain degree. But as we asked, like David did,

for a clean heart and a renewed mind, I think that many of

these things will become less attractive. So that wasn't all correct as we fill

our heart with good things. Maybe you're sitting here this morning, and when

we think about this subject, we feel utterly hopeless and dirty inside, especially

when we compare ourselves before a holy God. And we're going to go to

the beatitudes and Matthew five here shortly. If you want to turn to that,

and we can relate to many of these beatitudes as it makes sense to

us, we can get a hold of it. With God's help, we

can accomplish it. But if you're like me, when we come to this

pure in heart, it can feel like this thing that's out there that's unattainable.

At least it does to me. And hopefully by the end of this

message we can at least have a glimmer of hope that it is possible to

be pure in heart and in clean hands. I don't think there's one person

here that would not be ashamed to expose all the thoughts that go through their

mind. I know I would be very ashamed. Why is that something to

consider? Remember that God knows our thoughts. But it is also a battle

that we will be in until the day that we die. Don't be don't

let the devil make you think that a wrong fleeting thought is going to send

you to hell. It's what you do with that that matters. Matthew five

verse eight. Sixth beatitude says, Blessed are the pure in heart, for

they shall see God. Now, this pure that it's referring to here is

not necessarily the pure that we were just talking about briefly here, but I

would like to look at this part of it because it all ties together with

purity, moral purity, personal purity. But when we're pure in heart,

like it talks about here, in order to see God, that is what

is at the root of our heart that helps us to feel like we can

attain a pure life. Blessed are the pure in heart? This is These

are Jesus's own words. What did he have in mind? Well? Many

times throughout scripture, pure hair is used in a way that means singleness of

heart, singleness of heart. What's it mean by we shall see God?

I think it can mean a couple things. One is that, of course,

it means that if we live a pure life, eventually we will see

God face to face as we live with him. But I think we can

also see God working in our life as we live a pure life, as

we live a light that is single for God one focus. Do you see

God working in your life? That is what gives us the strength to continue

our journey here? Is to see God working? That is such a blessing.

How would it be if we would serve a God that is dead and

never see the results of a living God, how he works in our life

and in the lives of people around us. It's a wonderful thing. Blessed

or the pure in heart where they shall see God. But if you read

through this chapter and it's a very familiar one, Jesus goes on to warn

and teach about the other pure in heart. Soon after this moral purity.

There in verse twenty seven eight twenty nine, he talks about committing adultery looking

at a woman to lost after her. All these things tie into being pure

in heart, but also starts with serving him in singleness of heart. I

forget where the verse is that mentions oh later on in Matthew actually the next

chapter, chapter six, verse twenty two. Here it says, the light

of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy

whole body shall be full of light if thy nave be single. That's what

that's referring to, is not looking at all the things around us, but

being focused on serving Christ. Our God is a jealous God. He wants

all of our attention. Those of you who have teenagers in your house,

know that teenagers do not always serve mom and dad with a single eye.

In fact, it seems like their eyes everywhere but on the task at hand.

Many times, and sometimes that's exactly the way we do as followers of

Christ, as so called Christians, is maybe our eye is just about as

much on our business life as it is un serving God. There's a quote

I don't remember who said. It goes like this, purity of heart is

to will one thing. Purity of heart is to will one thing. As

I thought about this, this aspect of you know, focused on one thing,

focused on God, and all the other things come out of that.

That's where purity and heart starts. That's where a clean heart starts, clean

hands, you know. In First King's eighteen, verse twenty one, the

familiar account of Elijah there on Mount Carmel, he stood there and he talked

to the people, and he asked them this. He said, how long

halt ye between two opinions? And maybe we think, you know, why

were them people so foolish? Is to not believe God rather than bail.

But many times that's exactly what we do in our life. We have we

halt between two opinions. He said, if the Lord be God, follow

him, But if bail be God, follow him. Now the words make

up your mind one way or the other, there's no middle ground. Also

reminds me of the character and the Pilgrim's Progress. There's a man character in

there named mister facing both ways, and sometimes I feel that way we can

face both ways. I was talking to one of my daughters about and she

said, well, how can you can't face both ways? At once?

I wasn't sure how to explain that exactly. But it just has the idea

of anything but singleness of eye. James Chapter four, lectury to verse there.

As we all know, James doesn't leave a lot to the imagination in

the way that he writes about things like this. James Chapter four, verse

eight says, draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands, ye, sinners, and purify your hearts, ye

double minded. Harry has this idea of being double minded, purity of heart,

clean hands, all in one verse. Is there any significance to that?

Do you think double minded says we'll be unstable in all our ways?

I asked earlier, maybe you feel like it's impossible to attain Do you think

it's possible to have clean hands and an impure heart? I think that it

is. I think we can have clean hands in a filthy heart. That

would bring us back to the idea of Jesus teaching on the scribes and Pharisees.

We don't do bad things, but we have a lot of filth in

our heart and in our mind. That's called double minded. And how we

get help with that is to submit ourselves before God. Resist the devil and

he will flee. Do we really believe that if we resist that he will

flee? Sometimes? I think if we could just grasp that concept, that

promise and really hold it in here, that if we resist, the devil

will flee, I think it would help us a lot. So so far,

mostly what we learn from scripture here is that we need an undivided heart,

and we need clean hearts, and we need clean hands in order to

see God. Now we get to more of the part that I don't enjoy

talking about. And like I said many times that we focus on the men's

side on this, and that's good, but I think it needs to go

across the board. But I say men because men are especially the leaders and

future leaders of homes and churches. Wives are the weaker vessel. Doesn't make

it any less important. But if we don't have leaders with pure hearts and

clean hands, we don't have much. If we ever want to lift up

holy hands in prayer as it talks about in Timothy or Paul says to Timothy,

men lifting up holy hands and praying always, We're gonna have to get

on top of this, clean hands and pure in heart somehow. I have

three questions I would like us to think about. The first one, why

is personal purity important for us? Man? If you want to turn to

First Corinthian six, it has something to say about this. First Corinthian six,

And I'm gonna read fifteen through twenty says know you not that your bodies

are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and

make them the members of in Harlot? God forbid? What know you not?

That which is joined to in Harlot is one body or two saith?

He shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is

one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the

body. But he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What know

you not that your body is a temple of the Holy Ghost? Which is

in you, which you have of God. And you are not your own,

for you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your

body and in your spirit, which are God's Verse eighteen. Is the main

thing I would like to notice there. Why it's so important. He says,

every sin that a man doeth is without the body. But he that

committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. That is a difference, and that's

why it is so important. It is the only sin that is against our

body. Therefore is it important. It's important to maintain it. Also says

that it's a temple of God. Our body is not our own. It

is bought with a price, and that is Jesus shedding his blood for us.

The second thing, how can we maintain it in our lives? How

can we maintain having clean hands and a pure heart? First of all,

we have to get to that point where we have it and our sins are

under the blood. Maybe we sit there and we think, if you only

knew how much baggage we're carrying, you would know that it's impossible for me

to have pure, clean hands and a pure heart. I'd like to read

three different places in First Timothy two in verse Timothy. First of all,

Chris Timothy four, for some reason or another, palled a lot to say

to Timothy regarding these matters. First Timothy, chapter four, verse twelve.

Here he says, let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an

example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit,

in faith, in purity, right there along with all the other important

aspects of the Christian life. In purity. First Timothy five twenty two.

Here Paul says, lay hands suddenly on no want on, no man neither

be partaker of other men's sins. Keep thyself purer, Keep thyself purer.

This has the idea of maintaining a pure life. He says, keep it

now. In Second Timothy two twenty two. Flee also youthful lust, but

follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord

out of a pure heart? Does the Lord even hear us? If we

don't have a pure heart, Maybe we think, well, if no one

else knows that we should be good. But the fact is, if we

regard iniquity in our heart, God will not hear us, which is why

it makes it so vitally important that we have clean hands and a pure heart.

It's not to say that we never fail. We will fail. I

mentioned earlier the shame that comes with and impure life. I'd like to notice

a few things in Isaiah six if you care to turn to that as you

think about how we can gain and maintain purity in our lives. Isaiah chapter

six, Versus one through eight. I'm just going to read verses one through

eight says in the year that King Aziah died, I saw also the Lord

sitting upon a throne high and lifted it up, and his train filled the

temple. Above it stood the seraphims. Each one had six wings. With

twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet. And

with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another and said, Holy,

Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is

full of his glory. And the post of the door moved at the voice

of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said

I woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man

of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean

lips. For mine eyes have seen the King of the Lord of Hosts.

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his

hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar, and

he laid it upon my mouth and said, Lo, this had touched thy

lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and

who will go for us? Then said I here am I send me What

I would like to think about here for a little bit along with this,

how can we maintain purity in our lives is to first get a grasp that

true purity and holiness belong to God alone. They belong to God alone.

And notice here in these verses, the angels that resided in heaven with God

himself, we're not even worthy to look at his presence and covered their faces.

How much more us, as sinful wretches, can we not attain to

the holiness and purity of God. And notice here it wasn't just a holy

God, holy was used for the angels, but here it says holy,

holy, Holy. The second thing that I'd like to look at here is

Isaiah's reaction to the holiness of God. What does he do? Verse five

It says, then said, I woe is me, for I am undone,

and that is us this morning, that is me. Woe is me,

for we are undone. The third thing in verse seven says and he

laid it upon my mouth. This is talking about the live coal from off

the altar. We can depend on God being faithful to bring a live coal

and purge us of our sin if that is what we want, if we

only ask him and then verse eight the last one I read there, then

and only then will we be ready. When God says whom shall I send?

And I say send me, I will go. We're not in position

to go anywhere for God, with an impure heart and unclean hands, we

will not be blessed, especially in eternity. But understanding also that we will

never be perfect in this life. Not to be discouraged. You're not to

discourage us, but understand that we will never be perfect in this life.

True purity and holiness are reserved for God alone until we are with Him in

glory. In fact, in first John one, verse eight, it says

that if we say that we have no sin, that we lie and we

deceive ourselves. John first, John three, two and three are the promises

there that say we will be like Him in glory. Then and only then

will we be truly pure at heart. Maybe in our minds sometimes we are

deceived into thinking that if we struggle with impure thoughts actions, that we just

need to stop those thoughts somehow stop the actions. But I'm here to tell

you that it will never last that way. It will never work. Somewhere,

we have to grab the thought that deep inside, at the root in

our heart, there's a root problem. It's because we haven't given ourselves over.

We haven't asked God to renew our heart because we love the sin too

much. I'll say it like this, we can maintain purity in our lives

in a gospel sense, if that makes any sense to you. Little play

on words there that it mean we can maintain purity in a gospel sense.

In some ways, you could look at it as in this life we are

gold as a Christian. We are gold mixed with dross. That is a

dirty part of gold, that is mind. But we will be turned into

pure gold some day. That's a promise. It doesn't work. Did you

stop determine within ourselves to stop sinning will never last. I think if we

could, like I said earlier, if we can just grasp that thought that

when we get ahold of the power of God in our life, would we

allow his power to permeate our heart, to get ahold of us, he

will give us a longing for purity and a loathing for impurity. The third

and last point, I would like a question here for us, how will

my purity affect the church, my marriage, and my relationships in general?

I mentioned earlier about lifting up holy hands in prayer. That's one major aspect

aspect of the Christian life that is non existent if we mean, if we

have impure hearts. And the other thing that it does is it produces powerless

Christianity if that even makes sense. But you get the idea. We call

ourselves Christians, but we're powerless in all three areas the church, marriage,

and relationships in general, they'll be very dysfunctional. James says, double minded

people are unstable. And I mentioned earlier a little bit about the leadership qualities

of men. Pretty much goes down the tube, goes down the sewer.

If you want to say it that way, when we allow impure living immoral

lives, we almost always along with immoral lives comes selfish living, deceitfulness,

lying becomes second nature to an immoral person. I would just like to leave

us with a bit of a stepping stone to accomplishing this thing of lean hands

and a pure heart. In case you're overwhelmed with the thought that it could

never be mean, just like to read a verse from First John, first

chapter as a basis to this stepping stone. Very familiar, But do we

really believe it if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to

forgive us our sins and de cleanse us from all unrighteousness. First of all,

I would say, we need to start with a new acknowledging that it

is unrighteous to live in moral lives. If we don't start there, then

the rest does us no good. Like Isaiah said, woe is me,

I am a man of unclean lips, unclean hands, in pure heart.

We need a live coal from the altar to purchase it. Definitely takes a

large measure of faith not to be Sometimes I feel like at least I don't

think about faith enough. We can get nowhere the Christian life does not make

sense to the smartest philosopher alive without faith. In fact, I know a

young man that had so much potential. He was one of the brightest men

I've ever came across, and he served the Lord in his youth, and

today he is living with every woman he can find. How does that make

sense with a smart person? He couldn't come to grips with how the Christian

life works because he couldn't under Faith takes faith. Faith takes believing in something

we can't see, and that didn't work for him. But it will take

faith. Romans five, verse one. It says we're justified by what by

faith? There is no other way. Justified means the legal action of our

sins not being held against us any longer buried in the depths of the sea.

In your mind here this morning, if you would say to yourself,

if I was in Christ and Christ in me, I believe that He could

create in me a pure heart and clean hand, could we do we believe

that? If we would say that, if I was in Christ and Christ

in me, I believe that he could create a clean heart and clean hands.

Pure heart and clean hands. It is true, and it can be.

It is that way as we walk that journey of faith. It's going

to be a journey. Believe me, it is. It is for all

of us. Slowly we will begin to hate the things that we used to

love, and love the things that we used to hate. That is what

happens in the life of a Christian. Does that mean we know longer will

have temptations and the world no longer is attractive, not at all. But

it also doesn't leave room for anywhere in life that just because we are part

of a people that maybe doesn't have rules or focus on things like this,

that it makes any difference. This is about pure and heart between you and

God, no matter where you find yourself. I just want to read Romans

five one through six. In closing Romans five one through six, Therefore,

being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Father Jesus Christ,

by whom also we have access by faith into this grace where and we

stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so,

but we glory in tribulations, also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience,

experience and experience, hope and hope maketh not a shame, because the

love of God has shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which

is given unto us, for when we were yet without strength. In due

time, Christ died for the ungodly, just like to leave you with those

verses and cling to those promises that although we won't be perfect in this life,

there's an aspect that we can be victorious in our Christian life. My God bless