Pure Heart

Colossians 2 is FULL of things I could say about having a pure heart.

I could talk about the beautiful prayer of Paul’s that he prays in verses 2-5 for the church in Colosse.

I could write about the warnings of false teachings. Warnings that still apply today. The words of Paul warning Christians to stay away from false teachings because they are inadequate to meet our spiritual needs. They are hollow, deceitful, humanistic and worldy. They are spiritually shallow and often arrogant. The false teachings are powerless against the sinful, God defying desires of the body. (From firebible notes) False teachings are still alive and well in the church today and we need to be reminded to remain rooted in God’s Word!

I could write about other verses and thoughts from this chapter but I chose verses 9-12.

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.”

I have that line under-lined in my Bible with the words “Our Heart” written in the margin.

A Pure Heart

We are circumcised by Christ, a circumcision of the heart.

The Old Testament act of circumcision served as a sign that an Israelite was in a covenant relationship with God. It symbolized the cutting away, or separation, from wickedness, sin, ungodliness and all things unholy. When we are saved, and come under the new covenant with Christ, we receive a new circumcision that symbolizes the putting off of the sinful nature. It is a spiritual act where Christ cuts away our old nature of rebellion and gives us a renewed spiritual nature with life-transforming power.

This whole thought of being circumcised in Christ reminds me of these amazingly powerful verses in Ezekiel.

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19-20

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36:25-27

Seriously, go and underline those verses in your Bible. Aren’t they beautiful?

A new, pure heart of flesh that is undivided, moving only in the things of God. A pure heart with life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

That is New Testament circumcision. That is the cry of my heart.

To daily have this heart of stone be refreshed and remade and renewed into a godly heart of flesh. That my heart would remain steadfast, obedient and reliant on the power of Christ.

Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”