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Purifying, Vitalizing Power, August 17
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10
.
The Lord purifies the heart very much as we air a room. We do not close the
doors and windows, and throw in some purifying substance; but we open the doors
and throw wide the windows, and let heaven’s purifying atmosphere flow in....
The windows of impulse, of feeling must be opened up toward heaven, and the
dust of selfishness and earthliness must be expelled. The grace of God must sweep
through the chambers of the mind, the imagination must have heavenly themes for
contemplation, and every element of the nature must be purified and vitalized by
the Spirit of God.
He who lives the principles of Bible religion, will not be found weak in moral
power. Under the ennobling influence of the Holy Spirit, the tastes and inclinations
become pure and holy. Nothing takes so strong a hold upon the affections, nothing
reaches so fully down to the deepest motives of action, nothing exerts so potent an
influence upon the life, and gives so great firmness and stability to the character,
as the religion of Christ. It leads its possessor ever upward, inspiring him with
noble purposes, teaching him propriety of deportment, and imparting a becoming
dignity to every action.
The church is the object of God’s tenderest love and care. If the members
will allow Him, He will reveal His character through them. He says to them,
“Ye are the light of the world” (
Matthew 5:14
). Those who walk and talk with
God practice the gentleness of Christ. In their lives, forbearance, meekness, and
self-restraint are united with holy earnestness and diligence. As they advance
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heavenward, the sharp, rough edges of character are worn off, and godliness is
seen. The Holy Spirit, full of grace and power, works upon mind and heart.
The heart in which Jesus makes his abode will be quickened, purified, guided,
and ruled by the Holy Spirit, and the human agent will make strenuous efforts
to bring his character into harmony with God. He will avoid everything that is
contrary to the revealed will and mind of God.
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