How does one get a pure heart?

zoidar said:

I'm looking for advice. Over the last years my heart has been more and more mudded up, the clean slate does more and more look like someone has spilled coffee over it. I don't know if it has to do with me living too worldly (like I have worldly hobbies, go to the cinema and stuff). I have tried to be a good example of Christ, doing good, but it hasn't changed anything. I have also attended church regularily, and I'm in a prayer group on messenger. I'm just tired of struggeling with my heart.

God bless!

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Here's Paul's solution:

“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;” (2 Corinthians 10:5) (KJV 1900)

We censor every impure thought or imagination. And change the channel in our thinking on any thought that does not conform to obedience to Christ.

And we replace it with:

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Knowing Jesus is God and God is love, Jesus is Lord of our lives when love rules our thoughts and actions.

Great question. I can't say my heart is pure, but when it gets overly coffee stained, I seek God's will, not mine. His will is pure; mine, not always sure where it is going.

Keith Green had a song about that,

zoidar said:

I don't know if it has to do with me living too worldly (like I have worldly hobbies, go to the cinema and stuff).

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I don't know about your case, but in Jesus' parable about The Sower & The Seed, the Seed being choked out by "the cares of this world" was a real possibility.

I think no one's heart is pure and that's why we need Jesus and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. What's important is to acknowledge that we have an impure heart and have a sincere desire to become more pure.

MMXX said:

I think no one's heart is pure and that's why we need Jesus and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. What's important is to acknowledge that we have an impure heart and have a sincere desire to become more pure.

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“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV 1900) But; “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9 (KJV 1900)

This is the daily battle we have until we die;

“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Galatians 5:17 (KJV 1900)

zoidar said:

I have tried to be a good example of Christ, doing good, but it hasn't changed anything. I have also attended church regularily, and I'm in a prayer group on messenger. !

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How’s your personal relationship with God??

Being a good example, doing good, attending church regularly all sounds religiously good but not sufficient to take you to that place of peace with God. Purity is a work in progress.

zoidar said:

I'm looking for advice. Over the last years my heart has been more and more mudded up, the clean slate does more and more look like someone has spilled coffee over it. I don't know if it has to do with me living too worldly (like I have worldly hobbies, go to the cinema and stuff). I have tried to be a good example of Christ, doing good, but it hasn't changed anything. I have also attended church regularily, and I'm in a prayer group on messenger. I'm just tired of struggeling with my heart.

God bless!

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Dear brother,
Don’t lose heart. It is right to be concerned about our hearts. For this is what we have heard:
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. -Proverbs 4:23

I understand that you are concerned how to get a pure heart. This is what we have heard:

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word. -Psalms 119:9

Is it impossible ? No. If it is impossible why Jesus have to trouble Himself to die for us. For this is what we have heard:
as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, -Ephesians 5:25
that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, -Ephesians 5:26

Here we heard that we can be cleansed by His words. So, brother, do you have the words of Christ in your hearts? If not, start meditating His words and hold onto His words with vigilance.

Brother if you are concerned whether living world way, affect living in pure way. It does. This is what we have heard:

5 For those who identify with their old nature set their minds on the things of the old nature, but those who identify with the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 Having one’s mind controlled by the old nature is death, but having one’s mind controlled by the Spirit is life and shalom. - Roman 8:5-6

What are things of the Spirit ? This is what we have heard:
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. -John 6:63

So brother, keep the word of Christ with vigilance in your heart. In this way, Christ can cleanse your heart.

zoidar said:

I'm looking for advice. Over the last years my heart has been more and more mudded up, the clean slate does more and more look like someone has spilled coffee over it. I don't know if it has to do with me living too worldly (like I have worldly hobbies, go to the cinema and stuff). I have tried to be a good example of Christ, doing good, but it hasn't changed anything. I have also attended church regularily, and I'm in a prayer group on messenger. I'm just tired of struggeling with my heart.

God bless!

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(Heb 4:10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
(Heb 4:11) Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

God is already pleased with you because you trust in Jesus - your performance day to day does not sway God's view of you as righteous; it doesn't matter how much you miss the mark, or how much you find the mark - nothing you do affects God's view of you. rest from your efforts to be a good Christian, and simply yield to His leading. God needs people to speak through who share interest in hobbies; He needs people to speak through in and around cinemas; and you can only be a good example of Christ if you do as He did - be led by God. strive to rest from your efforts to be good, and just stay in fellowship with Him and seek His leading of the moment all through each day - the good you do that counts is the good He leads you to do - not the good that you think you should do.

the more you can shift your focus from what you should or shouldn't do to what He wants you to do at any given time, the more peace you will find, and the more real fruit you will bear - He can only lead you when you are resting from leading yourself, and have your ear inclined toward Him.

Stay away from anything you know is wrong, even going to the cinema. It sounds like you know that is a "worldly" activity so maybe your conscience is speaking to you. Best to listen.

God took me off movies many years ago and I am glad because many or most are demonic in nature. I would stay away from the cinema but this is between you and God.

Ecclesiastes 9:3

Ecclesiastes 8:11

zoidar said:

I'm looking for advice. Over the last years my heart has been more and more mudded up, the clean slate does more and more look like someone has spilled coffee over it. I don't know if it has to do with me living too worldly (like I have worldly hobbies, go to the cinema and stuff). I have tried to be a good example of Christ, doing good, but it hasn't changed anything. I have also attended church regularily, and I'm in a prayer group on messenger. I'm just tired of struggeling with my heart.

God bless!

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I think that what matters the most is to spend lot of time reading God's word and listening Him and talking to Him. He is the only way to be holy.