Purity of heart

John knows that purity of heart is contrary to how he lives due to the tendencies of his wayward nature. Yet he realises that holy living ought to be his passion as a believer in Christ. Only when he loves God with single-minded devotion, John realises, will he gain true freedom from captivity to his wayward thoughts. Even in imagination, John confesses that engaging in impurity leaves a psychological impact that is not always immediately eradicated by confession. However, each time John confesses to God, accepts His forgiveness and help and makes a new beginning, he is never disheartened because he knows he is always forgiven.
There are periods when John has the freedom to enter into God’s presence because he is walking in step with the Spirit and God’s Word. Those periods of joy strengthen John’s faith and hope in God.
There is a connection between purity and openness of heart. While we do not display our difficulties openly everywhere, we should also not shut ourselves up as though we are superhuman, exempt from struggles. Once, in a private gathering with trusted friends, John did not shy away from sharing his struggles; he put real flesh and blood on particular challenges of the life of faith, talking openly about things like possessions, passion and sexuality, suffering, and fear of rejection, especially the fear of each one of us, born of experience, that we might in the end, be found unworthy of love. His vulnerability encouraged others to be vulnerable, and they decided to meet regularly to encourage each other in their walk of faith. A recent change is that John now refuses to engage in bad language. Some jokes can intensify the battle among friends striving to remain pure in heart.
There is no friendship without the purification of suffering. There is no love of one’s neighbour without the cross. The cross alone makes known the unfathomable depths of love and purifies our heart.