Psalm 15:1-5; 24:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:13-17.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. John 14:27.
There is a peace to be had, which transcends the limits of a robust bank account, material wealth, a successful career and, indeed, everything that goes with being happy and successful in accordance with this world’s standards.
It is the peace that comes from a pure heart and a godly character, which only Jesus Christ can give, through the forgiveness of sin and preservation of the heart from further defilement by His continual presence inside of it.
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his Holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully”. Psalm 24:3-4.
“Clean hands”, in the context of the Scripture above, is a metaphor for good character or good works; such works that cannot be impugned by evil motives, selfish ambitions or glory seeking, which are vices associated with the unconverted, sinful heart of man. The connection between the condition of the heart and the human character (or works of the hands) is clearly defined in the Holy Bible, God’s Holy Word. See the following scriptures for instance: 2 Kings 22:16,17; Jonah 3:3-10; Luke 6:45; 1 Corinthians 3:13-17; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4; Revelation 20:11,12.
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of his heart his mouth speaketh”. Luke 6:45.
From the explanation given above it follows, then, that a peaceful and pure heart is the result of a holy character, made possible by a consistent works of righteousness. Any claim, or self assurance, of a peaceful and pure heart, without the outward
manifestation of a holy character must be seen as a false claim by all true, God-fearing believers in Christ.
It is easy for Satan to deceive anyone into thinking they are acceptable before God but what should actually give us such confidence must be a proven godly character, or works, that is outwardly manifest for all to see. Though Korah, Dathan and Abiram claimed that they were holy and in harmonious communion with God, yet Korah was full of bitter envy against Aaron, and had a covetous heart for the High Priest’s office (Numbers 16:8-11); Dathan and Abiram, on the other hand, were a duo of rebellious men and instigators of discontent among the Israelites. They had no respect for Moses the servant of God (Numbers 16:12-14).
They were all destroyed by God for the sinners they actually were; their self appraisals notwithstanding. See Numbers 16:19-35.
“For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth”. 2 Corinthians 10:18.
Read also the following: 1 John 3:21; 4:17; 2 Corinthians 4:1, 2; 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12.
“Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe”. 1 Thessalonians 2:10.
From the analogy drawn in the story of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, we can see that it is possible for man to be deceived into thinking himself to be what he is not. This is that point in the true Christian’s life where they should be very careful and unassuming.
Our judgment of ourselves should be sober, humble and in consonance with the truth of God’s Word, while bearing in mind that it is what God says of our conduct that stands as His final verdict in the end. See Romans 12:3; Luke 16:15; Isaiah 57:15; 1 Peter 5:6.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to the fruit of his doings”. Jeremiah 17:9.
We shall consider the following points to help us understand the teaching better:
- The Hidden Vices Of The Heart Which Damns The Soul.
Jeremiah 17:9; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Mark 7:21-23. - God’s Way of Exposing And Dealing With The Vices Of The Heart.
Deuteronomy 8:2; 1 Peter 1:6,7; James 1:2-4; Hebrews 12:4-13. - Peace And Purity of Heart: The Sure Way To Heaven.
Matthew 5:8,9; Galatians 5:22-26; Psalm 15:1-5; 24:3-6.
The human heart is the object of a great contention between the Kingdom of God and Satan. This is so because the heart is the place where man conceives, accepts or rejects decisions, which in turn either brings him under God’s control or Satan’s. The Spiritual Kingdom which gains control of any heart owns that person until it is wrested from it by the other Kingdom; either by the unforced rhythm of God’s grace or the unfortunate malicious coercion and deception of Satan and his many agents. Unfortunately Satan’s strategy seems to appeal more to most people because it is entirely based on deception, to which the unregenerate heart is easily susceptible, as also revealed in Jeremiah 17:9.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to the fruits of his doings”.
Today we shall be studying under the topic:
1. The Hidden Vices Of The Heart Which Damns The Soul
Jeremiah 17:9; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Mark 7:21-23; Proverbs 4:23.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life” Proverbs 4:23.
The scripture above aptly captures the essence of a righteous life. The question to ask, though, is; what should we guard our hearts against?
As we grow from childhood, teenage, adolescence and all through to adulthood, we develop habits from what we see, hear, touch, feel, taste, think e.t.c. All of these help to shape our character which in turn gives each of us our distinct personality. But who influences what we see, hear, touch, feel, taste, think? God’s Kingdom or Satan’s? Most people started out pretty well with Satan as their greatest influence, so that by the time they are old enough to make decisions their hearts are already conditioned to make the wrong, sinful choices which further estranges them from the Holy God in whose image and likeness they were supposed to have been created. Read Genesis 6:1-12; Romans 3:10-18; 1:21-32.
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”. Genesis 6:5.
Satan tries to have an early lead in the lives of people so that he could influence their outlook at life. His common tools in executing this strategy are: violent movies, pornography, romantic movies or literatures (telenovella), immoral music videos, worldly music, worldly fashion, love of money… to mention but a few. It is needless to say that a life influenced by Satan falls under his lordship, unless rescued by the grace of God, through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:1-9.
“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience..” Ephesians 2:1-2.
Even when we have been forgiven our sins, at repentance, as evidenced by the following scriptures: Colossians 2:13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:18,19; yet the Satanic influences of our past life still bears heavily on our hearts so much that if we are to be spared a relapse into sin, that evil fountain in the heart, from which all those unrighteousness is spewed, must be dried up. This, however, cannot be done without our co-operation because God works on us only to the extent that we allow Him, so that He would be justified in either rewarding or punishing us based on our individual decisions.
2 Corinthians 5:10; Colossians 3:23-25; Romans 14:12.
The process by which God dries up the fountain of sin from the heart and makes it a spring of life is variously called conversion, sanctification or circumcision of the heart. This is quite different from repentance; for whereas repentance deals with the forgiveness of sins, conversion on the other hand deals with the restoration of godly character back into the heart which over time had been grossly corrupted by satanic influences and sinful practices. God forgives our sins when we repent and confess them, but He changes our characters when, after repentance, we completely surrender our entire life to Him and live each day by faith in Him alone, through Jesus Christ.
Let’s look at some examples from two scriptures:
“…..Verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter the Kingdom of heaven”. Matthew 18:3
These words were spoken by Jesus Christ to His disciples who had earlier on repented of their sins and forsaken all to follow Him; but they had yet to deal with their ungodly characters which often contradicted their repentance. Matthew 18:1-2.
Now, let’s look at the second scripture below:
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord….” Acts. 3:19.
This admonition above was given to persons who had yet to repent from their sins, therefore there was the need both for repentance and conversion of the heart.
Below are five salient points to help us understand the topic more clearly.
1. Repentance deals with the sins manifestly committed. Luke 3:1-3; Acts 19:4; 2:37-38
2. Conversion deals with the character embedded in the heart of the repentant sinner, whose sins have been forgiven. This is the point where regeneration of the fallen nature should begin in earnest, as God, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the cooperation of the Christian, works to restore them back to the newness of life in which man was originally created. John 3:3; Matthew 18:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:1-3.
3. Conversion or sanctification of the heart is necessary in order to deal with the hidden vices of the heart which satanic influences, over time, had deeply entrenched in the character of the now repented sinner. This work of grace removes besetting or habitual sins. Hebrew 12:1
4. The hidden vices of the heart, if left unattended to in the manner explained above, could be likened to a sleeping evil waiting to be awaken. Repentance is not an end in itself, but a means to an end, which is newness of life in Christ. For a man’s life to be adjudged as new, it must be free both of the manifested and hidden sins. We are more likely to confess the manifested sins and make no effort to deal with the hidden vices of the heart, which actually gave rise to those sins: this is a no win situation because we could easily relapse into sin again. Mark 7:21-23; 1 Peter 2:1-3.
“But it happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire”. 2 Peter 2:22
5. The Lord wants us to be converted and become like innocent children whose heart within is pure and their works without are done with no pre-meditation to do evil. Until we are such we cannot say we are truly born again. If our sins have been washed away yet we do not press on to be rid of the corrupted nature that breeds sin, we would still lose the kingdom of God.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. John 3:3
GOD’S WAY OF EXPOSING AND DEALING WITH THE VICES OF THE HEART. Deuteronomy 8:2, 1 Peter 1:6,7; James 1:2-4; Hebrews 12:4-13.
We ended the first sub-topic with the Lord’s call to all Christians to be converted and become like innocent children, whose heart within is pure, and their works without are done with no premeditation to do evil. This can only become possible as we surrender our lives entirely to Jesus Christ, granting Him exclusive rights to do as He pleases with us, wheresoever, howsoever, through whomsoever and by whatsoever means He chooses. Where this selflessness is achieved, the Lord begins the work of regeneration of the soul in earnest. Colossians 3:17-24; Galatians 2:19-20.
“I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.
If God were to make our bad habits and characters to simply vanish on the day we repented of our sins, then, there would be no basis for ascertaining who is a righteous person, or who is not; the place of trials and temptations, as tools for establishing obedience and conformity to God’s word, would’ve been defeated.
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptation; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-5.
At repentance, it is as though the penitent sinner receives God’s forgiveness on the agreement they would pursue a course of living that would ensure the practice of righteousness for the rest of their lives. John 8:10-11; Romans 6:1-2.
To the extent they are committed to doing this God helps them, not only in granting them the daily grace needed, but also in revealing the hidden vices of their heart in ways only His divine wisdom can devise. Luke 2:34, 35; Deuteronomy 8:2.
“Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:35.
How does God do this? Well, by allowing us to pass through and respond to the trials, temptations or unfavourable conditions or circumstances that are associated with everyday life, He gives us the opportunity to know the bad character that lies hidden within our hearts so that we could, through the grace He richly supplies, bring them to Jesus Christ in prayers (If we choose to) for destruction.
“…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8.
“…Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5.
The goal set to be achieved here is a peaceful and pure heart, devoid of the clamour, rancor and agitations that is characteristic of the unrepentant and converted heart. Whereas the natural man sees temptations or trials as an avenue to indulge the flesh, the Christian who has repented of their sins should see them as an opportunity to deal with the tendency to commit sin, by partnership with Christ. Below are six (6) salient points to enable us understand this partnership with Jesus Christ better:
1. Jesus Christ teaches that those who must be perfected and freed from the vices of their heart should learn to give up any rights to seek a redress from offenders. This is so because He seeks to help us overcome our sinful emotions rather than to pacify or gratify them.
“For I through the law am dead to the law that I might live unto God.” Galatians 2:19
The Scripture above reveals a most interesting principle for a selfless Christian living, which is the key to dealing with the hidden vices of the heart. We must understand that all human conflicts emanate from the assertion of their individual or collective rights as guaranteed to them by the natural or constituted laws. As a rule, therefore, if you must avoid any manner of conflict with anyone, you have to train yourself to forfeit your right to seek a redress from them; bearing in mind that what may seem like a loss here is actually a spiritual gain which is of greater value. Matthew 5:38-48, Romans 12:17-21; 1 Peter 2:21-23; 3:8-12.
2. Emotions like jealousy, malice, envy, anger, wrath, covetousness, lust, etc, can be aroused by the things we see, hear, touch, feel, perceive or think upon. The object of such provocations or temptations should not be our focus: rather the emotions they arouse in us should be the target for subjugation. Those objects causing the provocations only serve to let you know you are capable of such sinful emotions, which is not the normal life for a born again child of God. For instance, you cannot go about chasing away indecently dressed persons from the street in order to be freed from lust. It would be easier that you allow God to deal with the lust in your heart as you surrender that area of your life to Him in prayer, coupled with fasting. The same goes with anger and other sinful emotions: you cannot stop people arousing them in you, but you can ask God Almighty to give you a heart that is free of such emotions, so that you cannot be moved by the motions of sin. Colossians 3:5-8; Psalm 141:1-4.
“Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.” Psalm 141:3,4.
3. A Christian must not consider other persons as enemies. Even those who hate you are only giving you the opportunity to practice the art of unconditional love, which is God’s kind of love for the sinner. John 3:16; Romans 5:6-10; Matthew 5:43-48.
“For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same?” Matthew 5:46
When we treat others as enemies because that is their approach towards us, we only succeed in nurturing the vices of our own heart, which otherwise should be removed in order for us to be perfected for God’s kingdom.
4. Learn to appreciate God for the unfavourable circumstances which He allowed to come your way, because by them you can learn the virtue of endurance, which mostly is the forerunner of God’s blessings. Philippians 4:11-13; Deuteronomy 8:3; 2 Corinthians 12:6-10.
“And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
5. Learn to accept criticism with meekness because you might just be under a test for pride, ego or self righteousness. Romans 12:10,16; Mark 15:3-5; Luke 23:33-39.
“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to; but to think soberly according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:3.
6. Finally, we must understand that a Christian has no rights or privileges to seek or pursue outside of the grace of God. To truly surrender your life to Christ is to relinquish your claims to anything He will not expressly give or permit you to have. Consequently we must always seek to know His will concerning anything we intend doing. Where that is denied us, we would not risk suffering disappointment or harboring hatred against some perceived oppressors or suppressors, knowing that God’s will had been done. Philippians 4:4-7; Psalm 37:3-11.
“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6.
As we round up this study, we shall be doing so, naturally, under the last sub-topic below.
3. PEACE AND PURITY: THE SURE WAY TO HEAVEN.
Matthew 5:8,9; Galatians 5:22-26; Psalms 15:1-5; 24:1-6.
Unless we understand why the human heart is “…deceitful and desperately wicked…” we wouldn’t see the reason why we should always submit ourselves to God, through Jesus Christ, for Him to help us overcome the evil vices bound up inside of it.
If we keep justifying our sinful acts as part of that human nature we claim we cannot do without, we would only be strengthening the malicious plans of Satan and his agents against our souls; for it is evident that they would stop at nothing (except against the power of God through Jesus Christ) in their effort to lure the soul to hell fire and eternal damnation.
On the other hand, if we realize our helplessness against these satanic vices of the heart (as this study seeks to help us to) and we turn to God, through Jesus Christ, for the destruction of those sinful habits and characters, we would surely be reformed, refined and regenerated back into the image and likeness of God, which was the actual initial nature we had at our creation before it was lost in sin. See Genesis 1:26,27; 3:1-24; 6:1-6; Romans 3:10-18; 23-26; 8:1-11.
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11.
We, as Christians, have mostly gotten God’s plan of salvation wrongly, and have institutionalized that error into the very fabric of the doctrine of salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.
The very fact that most professing Christians end up in hell, rather than in heaven where they had thought they were bound for, must raise this question in the hearts of well meaning Christians: is God’s plan of salvation for man a failure?
No! It is not a failure; rather we the beneficiaries have failed to follow the laid down principles for the salvation and regeneration of the soul, as clearly revealed in the Holy Bible by God Himself, through the Holy Spirit. This plan, if followed carefully and in total submission to Jesus Christ, would lead the penitent sinner to eternal light and everlasting life in heaven.
“And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3.
Our mistake stems from the fact that we think the plan of God for our salvation must be spontaneous; that a man says a few words of penitence and everything falls into place for him, and the next minute he is a saint. However, the scripture teaches quite differently on this. To illustrate: if falling into sin is the outcome of a person’s decision, would coming out of that same life of sin not be also? Man chooses to live in sin, and he must exercise that same will also if he must stop living in sin. God only supplies the grace which helps man to actualize his desire to depart from sin and live for Jesus Christ in righteousness, truth and holiness of life. Grace, therefore, is the catalyst which helps anyone to live in holiness as the true child of God that they desire to be, in the midst of this sinful world.
Should there be no willingness on man’s part to depart from sin, then God would find no basis for the exercise of His mercy in granting man this grace for the salvation of his soul. John 3:16; Philippians 2:12-26.
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”. Verse 12.
The scripture above does not suggest a spontaneous but a progressive work of grace aimed at bringing the repentant soul into deeper experiences of God’s redemptive work through Jesus Christ, which ultimately leads to a total transformation of character and therefore, a new way of living which God had ordained for all who would have peace and purity of heart before Him and before all men. 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:11-32
Having said all this, however, we must now try to balance the delicate and confusing issue between salvation from sin (repentance and forgiveness) and eternal salvation of the soul (final redemption or glorification of the soul). The first one is the free gift of God to whoever is ready to accept and confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Saviour. No works are required as pre-requisite to obtaining this salvation from sin because, at this stage, the sinner is not capable of any righteous act good enough in the eyes of the Holy God from whom he seeks forgiveness; so he must come through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. John 3:16-18; Ephesians 2:1-9; Colossians 2:13-15; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Acts 16:29-34; Romans 10:8-11.
But, on the other hand, the final salvation or eternal redemption of the soul (that was previously saved from sin without works) must be by a proven life of righteousness, truth and holiness; John 8:30-32; Hebrews 3:14; 10:35-39; 6:9-1; Matthew 24:13.
This is where the Christian’s journey to heaven really begins. Ephesians 2:10.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Having said all that have been said, the next question to ask is, what is God’s plan in helping fallen mankind to be restored back to His image and likeness, so He could live in peace and purity of heart with God — now on earth and forever in heaven?
For us to correctly answer this question, we must first understand the concept of salvation by grace, through faith in Christ our Lord, which is as follows:
Salvation, as a concept, represents that general idea of the work, or process, of God’s saving grace in man, which begins with genuine repentance from sin, then conversion (or sanctification) of the heart, then justification by the manifestation of a life of consistent good works, and, finally, glorification of the justified soul at death or at the rapture of the church — whichever comes first.
Ezekiel 36:25-27.
All of those works of grace must be fulfilled in a person’s life before they can be said to be truly saved. However, the experiences could come as a one-off work of grace (as it was with the thief on the cross Luke 23:39-43) or as a progressive work of regeneration, as we continue in our daily walk and services with Jesus Christ for a lifetime. God alone determines how we each experience His grace. Hebrews 3:14; 10:35-39.
Below are five (5) salient points that would help bring this to our understanding:
1. REPENTANCE: “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you”. Ezekiel 36:25. God’s grace only works for us when we exercise faith in Christ’s ability to forgive and wash away our sins. Therefore, our relationship with God begins when our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus.
In the early days of their earthly ministry both Jesus Christ and His disciples were emphatic on the place of genuine repentance as a condition for acceptance into God’s Kingdom. Matthew 4:17-23; Luke 3:1-9; Mark 6:7-12; Luke 24:45-47; Acts 5:30,31; 2 Corinthians 7:9,10; 2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 36:25.
“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name (Jesus’ name) among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”. Luke 24:47.
2. CONVERSION OF THE HEART: Ezekiel 36:26.
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh”. Ezekiel 36:26.
The second step in our relationship with God is the conversion of the heart. This is that process of the work of grace that transforms the heart of the person whose sins have been forgiven and washed away with the blood of Jesus Christ; it is converted (by grace coupled with that person’s willingness to submit their lives totally to Christ) from a heart once filled with sinful, satanic vices into a heart filled with the virtues of Jesus Christ’s life.
Conversion of the heart is the same as being born again, or being sanctified because it denotes a genuine newness of life. Matthew 18:1-3; John 3:3.
3. JUSTIFICATION: Romans 5:1-2; 8:1-2; Ezekiel 36:27.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death”. Romans 8:1-2.
The third step in our relationship with God is our justification. Whether we become justified or not depends on whether our hearts have been converted in the manner discussed in (2) above or not. Justification is an act of God; it is not something you can do for yourself but, rather, something God does for you by virtue of your standing before Him. It is that work of grace by which God deems us as having fully satisfied His requirement for acceptance as His children, through our faith in and total obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty”. 2 Corinthians 6:17,18.
4. GLORIFICATION. Romans 8:28-30.
The first three steps in our relationship with God as discussed above, which are: Repentance, Conversion of heart and Justification are all works of grace that must of necessity be perfected in the life of the Christian before he could be glorified. Whereas these three works of grace take place during the Christian’s life time here on earth, glorification of the soul takes place after death or at the rapture, which ever comes first.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44; 51-53;
1 John 3:1-3; Revelation 7:9-17;
2 Timothy 4:6-8; Revelation 3:5.
“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels”. Revelation 3:5.
The cumulative effect of those first three works of grace in the life of the Christian is peace and purity, which lead the way to the Believer’s future glory in heaven.
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” 1 John 3:2,3.
THE END