Purity Means Deliverance

Luke 1:74-75 says, “That -- He would grant unto us, that we... might serve Him without fears in holiness and righteousness before Him, all our days.”

My Dear Comrades, I hope I do not tire you by returning once again to the subject of a pure heart. This matter is so important, not only to the Christian Church and the Salvation Army, but to the whole world, that it must be brought forward again.

Holiness has been a great blessing to us in the past, and I am certain it will be an even greater blessing in the future. That is why it must remain at the forefront. You must see its value and clearly understand its meaning.

If you are not living in the peace, power, and joy that holiness brings, it may be because of misunderstandings about it. The devil’s ability to lead people astray in this matter—like in many others—depends greatly on his power to deceive.

So, how can I help you better understand what is meant by purity of heart?

You will remember that in my last letter, I explained what we do not mean. A pure heart does not mean a person cannot be tempted or will never suffer. Nor does it mean that someone who has been cleansed from impurity can no longer sin, or has reached a point beyond growth in faith, hope, love, and the graces of the Holy Spirit.

So then, what is a pure heart?

A pure heart has been cleansed by the Holy Spirit from all sin, and can please God in all it does, to love Him fully, and to love others as oneself. Where this is true, it can rightly be said that God has made that heart pure, just as He is pure.

But some may ask, Doesn’t God do this at conversion? Doesn’t He make a person completely holy the moment He forgives their sins?

My answer is no. Although great work is done at conversion, complete deliverance from sin does not happen all at once. God breaks the power of sin over a person, but the removal of sin from the heart and life is not yet complete.

Let me explain this by describing three states of the soul in relation to sin: 1. Before conversion, sin is the master of the soul. Some desire, habit, or selfish passion controls the person and directs their actions. What does this mean? It means the person is in bondage.

They may see that sin is wrong. They may hate it, struggle against it, and resolve to stop, but they find themselves doing what they do not want to do, and failing to do what they wish to do.

This is the experience of every unconverted person who understands the seriousness of sin. For some, the ruling sin may be obvious, such as drunkenness, lust, dishonesty, or gambling. For others, it may be more hidden, such as pride, ambition, selfishness, or unbelief. But in every case, sin is in control.

2. When a person is saved, they receive not only forgiveness but also freedom from sin’s control.

The chains are broken. The prison doors are opened. They are free. Instead of being ruled by sin, they now have power over it. Instead of being driven toward destruction, they are free to follow God and walk in His will. However, as great as this change is, it is still not complete. While sin no longer rules, its tendencies remain. These inner roots, what Scripture calls “roots of bitterness” continue to cause struggle.

Over time, these inner conflicts may lead to repeated cycles of sin and repentance.

3. Then comes the third stage. Tired of the struggle, grieved by the pride, anger, envy, and selfishness still within, the soul cries out for complete freedom: “Is there no full cure?

Can I never be free from this inward struggle?”

To this cry, God responds with a promise: “I will cleanse you… I will give you a new heart… I will put My Spirit within you…” Then the soul believes. The Holy Spirit comes in power. And this third stage is reached: freedom from all sin.

The Three States Summarised Ɣ In the first stage, the soul is under sin Ɣ In the second stage, the soul is over sin Ɣ In the third stage, the soul is free from sin So I ask you, my comrades—which stage are you in?

Examine yourselves. Have you received a pure heart?

Some of you can say with confidence that God has fully sanctified you—that He keeps your whole spirit, soul, and body pure, and will continue to do so. Give Him all the glory. Walk in His light, and remain in fellowship with Him.

But to those who know they do not yet have a pure heart, I ask: Will you receive one now?

God is ready to cleanse you. What is holding you back?

Now is the time. Surrender everything to Him, and come before Him in faith.