DRAWING NEAR
April 18
Entering the Kingdom
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matt.
5:8).
Religion comes in many forms. Almost every conceivable belief or
behavior has been incorporated into some religious system at some
point in time. But really there are only two kinds of religion: one
says you can earn your way to heaven; the other says you must trust
in Jesus Christ alone. One is the religion of human achievement; the
other is the religion of divine accomplishment.
Those who rely on their achievements tend to compare themselves to
others. But that's a relative, self-justifying standard because you
can always find someone worse than yourself to base the comparison
on.
Jesus eliminated all human standards when He said, "You are to be
perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). Even the
Jewish religious leaders, who were generally thought to be the
epitome of righteousness, didn't qualify according to that standard.
In fact, Jesus told the people that their righteousness had to exceed
that of the scribes and Pharisees if they wanted to enter heaven
(Matt. 5:20). That must have shocked them, but Jesus wasn't speaking
of conformity to external religious ceremonies. He was calling for
pure hearts.
God doesn't compare you to liars, thieves, cheaters, child abusers,
or murderers. He compares you to Himself. His absolute holy character
is the standard by which He measures your suitability for heaven.
Apart from Christ, everyone fails that standard because "all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). But the
glorious truth of salvation is that Jesus Christ came to earth to
purify our hearts. He took our sin upon Himself, paid its penalty,
then bestowed His own righteousness upon us (Rom. 4:24). He keeps us
pure by continually cleansing our sin and empowering us to do His
will.
Your faith in Christ--not your personal achievements--is what makes
you pure. Let that truth bring joy to your heart and praise to your
lips!
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank the Lord for accomplishing salvation on your behalf and
for granting you saving faith. Pray that your thoughts and
actions today will evidence a pure heart.
For Further Study:
Read Psalm 24:1-5 and Ezekiel 36:25-29.
Who is acceptable to God? How does God purify the hearts of His
people?
Drawing Near, Copyright c 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Psalm 24:1-5 (NKJV)
24:1 The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, The world and
those who dwell therein.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the
waters.
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His
holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his
soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from
the God of his salvation.
Ezekiel 36:25-29
25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean;
I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I
will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart
of flesh.
27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My
statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
28 "Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers;
you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
29 "I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for
the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
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In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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