Purify

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3 ESV.


This morning during worship, I had a renewed sense and desire to be searched by the Lord, to have Him direct His holy gaze into my heart and bring to the light the wicked ways within me. I went to this verse...


Search me, O God, and know my heart!
  Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
  and lead me in the way everlasting!
Psalm 139:23-24 ESV

I also visited this classic verse from King David's psalm...


Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10 ESV

The bible says that we should purify ourselves as He is pure. It had been a while, too long of a while, since I had asked the Lord to search me and reveal any grievous ways within me. As followers of the holy One, we should be asking the Lord to remove the unholy things from our hearts. If I am to be intimate with Him, I must come to Him on His terms.

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
   And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
   who does not lift up his soul to what is false
   and does not swear deceitfully.
Psalm 24:3-4 ESV


And so it is. For us to be close to the pure One, we must purify ourselves. One way to do that is to ask the righteous judge to refine us, search us, and reveal any sinful, grievous ways within us.


Let's ask Him today, and never stop.