Now is a good time to reach into the darkest corners of your heart and sweep it clean.
Matthew 15:18-19 (CSB)
But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.
Just as dust in a house quickly reappears after cleaning it, so too can sin in the heart if it is not kept in check.
Psalm 51:10 (CSB)
God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Keeping a house free from dust takes effort and keeping a heart free from sin takes effort too. If you take a good look at your thoughts, words and actions and you see that sin is residing in your heart, repent and ask God for His forgiveness. Have regular inspections of your heart and continue to sweep out any sin that is in there.
Matthew 5:8 (CSB)
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
This is a quality, that as a follower of Jesus Christ, you must have to enter His kingdom but it is also a quality that Jesus gives to His followers.
In these last days, we must spring clean our hearts thoroughly. We are all sinners, there is only one sinless person and that is Jesus. We can, though, try our best and be as much like Jesus as we possibly can be. Knowing the sins we are guilty of and doing something about it is good, but there is often sin we are guilty of and we don’t recognise it as sin or we turn a blind eye to it. This is where we must put more effort into the spring cleaning of our hearts. God wants us to get rid of the sin we are guilty of and have a pure heart.
Ezekiel 36:25-26
I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Two sins humans are guilty of are unbelief and idolatry. We must believe 100% in God. Many people have idols in their lives, which puts God in second place and that is a great sin. Do you put your job, money, possessions before God? Do you idolise a tv star, sports star etc? If you do, think very carefully about this, you are committing a great sin.
Deuteronomy 5:7 (CSB)
Do not have other gods besides me.
This is the first and most important command of The Ten Commandments. To have other gods means to put anything else before God, this is called idolatry.
Titus 2:11-13 (CSB)
For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ.
Can you now see how important it is for us to give our hearts a regular spring clean. We need to recognise any sin that is in our heart and deal with it quickly. Don’t let sin build up in your heart. When Jesus returns we need to have a pure heart.
Hebrews 10:22 (CSB)
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.
It is because of Jesus Christ’s shed blood on the cross that we can draw near to God. Repent of your sins and ask God for His forgiveness. Believe in Jesus Christ and that He died for your sins on the cross, was buried and that God raised Him to life on the third day. Jesus ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God. Jesus is returning to earth again, be ready for when He arrives.
Philippians 4:8-9 (CSB)
Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy – dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Righteous living depends on right thinking. Do not allow negative thoughts and imaginations to take root in your heart, because that will control you. Instead let the mind of Christ dwell within you. Focus on Jesus and He will guard your heart.
Onward Christian Soldiers 