POSITIVE HEART TRAITS (4)

“He who has clean hands and a PURE HEART…” – Psalm 24:4a 

The capstones of POSITIVE CHARACTER TRAITS are humble, pure, and true hearts: “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, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully” (Psa.24:3-4a). God is most concerned with our hearts. He puts great value on humility, purity, and truth in the heart. Jesus doesn’t waste time speaking to our external lives; rather He transforms hearts. When we experience this heart shift, our attitudes, behaviour, and actions ultimately change.

HUMBLE HEART: This trait was epitomised by our Lord Jesus Himself – “for I am gentle and LOWLY in HEART, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt.11:29-30). He is our Model in Humility: “And being found in appearance as a man, He HUMBLED HIMSELF and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name” (Phil.2:8-9). To be Christ’s disciple demands a humble heart, shaped in the image of that possessed by Jesus. He was the King who took off His crown and left His throne to give His people life!

The humble heart is the launching pad for divine elevation: “The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground” (Psa.147:6). The Lord Jesus declared: “And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt.23:12; Lk.14:11). James instructed: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (Jam.4:10). Peter also admonished: “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, nd be clothed with HUMILITY, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1Pet.5:5b-6).

Heart humility is to know who we truly are and accept our strengths with gratitude, our limitations with sincerity, and the world around us with appreciation. Humility is rewarded with God’s guidance and wisdom: “The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way” (Psa.25:9). Humility is the primary prerequisite to honour: “Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility” (Pro.15:33b; 18:12); “A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor” (Pro.29:23). The humble is the sure recipient of Wisdom: “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom” (Pro.11:2). The humble heart is greatly rewarded: “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life” (Pro.22:4).

PURE HEART: “Blessed are the PURE in HEART, for they shall see God” (Mt.5:8). He blesses the pure-hearted with His Goodness: “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart” (Psa.73:1). Royalty reserves a place for the pure-hearted: “He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the king will be his friend” (Pro.22:11).

Paul stressed the Primacy of Purity in his letters to Timothy: “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a PURE HEART, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith” (1Tim.1:5); “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a PURE HEART” (1Tim.2:22). Peter also gave prominence to possessing a Pure Heart: “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a PURE HEART” (1Pet.1:22). Love, without purity of heart, is tantamount to lust! While human beings may fool themselves about the condition of their heart, God is never fooled: “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts” (Pro.21:2).

TRUE HEART: “Let us draw near with a TRUE HEART in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb.10:22). The person who deserves to live in the Presence of God is he who “speaks the truth in his heart” (Psa.15:2b).