The more you know of God’s character, the more you will realize the need to wash your hands and purify your heart before you can get close to Him. The closer you get to holy God, the more obvious even your smallest sins become. ![]() Create in us a clean heart so that all that we say and do will honor you. This is what makes you unclean.' Heavenly Father, we know that it is important to have clean hands, but even more important to have a clean heart. If, however, you are like the psalmist and understand the holiness of God, you will adjust your life to His standards and respond to His prompting so that you may have deeper fellowship with Him. Out of your hearts come evil thoughts, greed, cheating, and envy. The most painful thing about this war is that it involves our own brethren. If you follow only God’s basic commandments but resist every time God gives you specific, personal directions, you will never fully experience the depths of God’s Person. We, in historic Adventism, have been involved in a spiritual war. However, if you persist in your sin, sin will separate you from God and keep you from enjoying close fellowship with Him. The moment you become a Christian you begin a relationship with the Lord. Priests washed their hands before serving in the temple to symbolize that only those who were cleansed could worship holy God. In Old Testament times, one’s hands represented one’s activities. It is an affront to holy God to assume that we can indulge in our sin and blatantly disobey His word, then brazenly enter the holy of holies. There is no easy access to God for those with unclean hands or an impure heart. God has rigid requirements for those who want to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him. False speaking will shut any man out of heaven, for a liar shall not enter into God's house, whatever may be his professions or doings.Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. The Christian man's word is his only oath but that is as good as twenty oaths of other men. " Does not swear deceitfully." The saints are men of honor still. Does the world satisfy you? Then you have your reward and portion in this life make much of it, for you will know no other joy. He who is content with husks will be reckoned with the swine. ![]() The worldling lifts up his soul in carnal delights, which are mere empty vanities but the saint loves more substantial things like Jehoshaphat, he is lifted up in the ways of the Lord. The man who is born for heaven " does not lift up his soul to what is false." All men have their joys by which their souls are lifted up. The pure in heart shall see God all others are but blind bats. The very life of our being lies in the inner nature, and hence the imperative need of purity within. We may wash the outside of the cup and the plate as long as we please, but if the inward parts be filthy, we are filthy altogether in the sight of God, for our hearts are more truly ourselves than our hands are. But " clean hands" will not suffice unless they are connected with " a pure heart." True religion is heart-work. If our hands are not clean, let us wash them in Jesus' precious blood, and so let us lift up pure hands unto God. It is to be feared that many professors have perverted the doctrine of justification by faith in such a way as to treat good works with contempt if so, they will receive everlasting contempt at the last great day. ![]() Outward practical holiness is a very precious mark of grace.
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