All that we are called to as children of God can be distilled into one word: love.
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40
Love is the reason to pursue purity. When you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, body and mind, you are choosing to put everything of yourself into being His.
We can not do this alone. No one can be pure by sheer force of will. Yes, you have to make the choice to pursue purity moment by moment. But it is only because of the loving mercy and tender care of Jesus that any of stands a chance.
Every single one of us struggles. Jesus knows your struggle to love Him with all of yourself.
Love Him With…
When I find myself battling in a certain area, scripture helps my heart and mind focus where God wants me to.
Love Him with your body.
There are many scriptures addressing physical purity. The Lord cares what we do with our bodies. Not only is it is a reflection of our hearts, but it is also taking care of His own possession – you!
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Love Him with your mind.
Faulty thinking often gets us in trouble. Maybe we have not fully aligned our worldview with His, or we’ve allowed our thoughts to wander down inappropriate trails.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ 2 Corinthians 10:5
Love Him with your heart.
There are over 1000 scriptures about our hearts. Jesus really really cares about your heart. It is the wellspring of life.
Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
Help in the Word
Today we have a free resource for you. You can print these Purity of Heart memory verse cards to keep with you, or to put them in strategic places around your home, helping you keep your mind fixed on God’s truth.
Download Purity of Heart verses
Join us tomorrow to learn about more verses specifically focused on purity of mind and body.
Thank you so much for the printable cards, Patti! I’m printing mine up right now! :) And by the way, I love the truth and simplicity of this statement: “Love is the reason to pursue purity.” Although the path isn’t always easy, because our humanity gets in the way, the reason for pursing holiness and purity is actually quite elementary. Wonderful, encouraging post!