A Pure Heart (Read 1 Timothy 1:1-11)
The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith (1 Tim. 1:5).
Most of us are a strange mixture of good and bad. We find a man who is a brilliant physician, but he wastes his money on gambling. We find the lady who is an outstanding actress, but what the public doesn't know is that she's an alcoholic. Often it is those who are most powerful that reveal the most painful weaknesses.
Paul encourages Timothy to teach people the right and good type of love "that comes from a pure heart." The interpretation of "pure" translated here can be "clean" as opposed to "dirty." It grew to refer to things that were originally a mixture of good and bad, but have been purified. When the wheat is separated from the chaff, it is pure. An army that is quiet and disciplined is pure in the sense that it has become a first-class fighting unit. This is the kind of heart Paul wants Ephesians to have - a heart that has been purified from all filth and impure desires.
We also need a pure heart. Your heart will be purified when the love of Christ urges you to give to others, and to seek what is best for them instead of focusing on your own enrichment, popularity, and reputation. Love and a pure heart go hand in hand. You will only be able to know true love if you have a pure heart - and the more of God's love that is in your heart, the purer your love will be.
God of love, cleanse and purify my heart so that my love is pure. Amen.
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