The Plan Revealed

Does anyone noticing the wonder of Christmas know where this sense of wonder comes from? Do we understand the power of the Holy Spirit who puts hearts at rest, fills us with generosity, gives us this unusual joy that begins a few weeks earlier than the day? Do we know why our hearts are more deeply grieved at the losses of loved ones now more than ever? What is it about Christmas that brings out emotions, makes us smile at excited children, or even produces a ‘bah, humbug’ in attempts to avoid the delight of it?

I know Christmas is challenging for some. Those with limited budget, or no faith, or another faith, or the loss of dear ones, yet there is this thing in the air. Some call it the spirit of the season, or related to the delights of giving and receiving, but could it be that this is the Spirit of God reminding us that love came down? That He did not want heaven without us? That we, sinful and proud of our own goodness really know nothing about goodness until that Baby was born?

The reality of Christmas is that God loves us, yet He cannot welcome us to Himself because of our sin. Sin separates. It separates relationships, married people, fathers from their children, but most seriously, us from our Creator. What is He to do about that? Christmas is the beginning of a plan created long before humanity appeared:

He (Jesus) was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you (1 Peter 1:20)

While the Jews who knew the promise did not expect a baby, nevertheless that was how the plan unfolded, “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” (Ephesians 1:4)

Redemption’s blueprint was drafted in love: “This is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) His plan to deal with sin removed the barrier for all who respond to this Babe who grew to manhood, and who calls as the Father sends: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37)

And for those who are called and who come, their lives are changed forever, and this is part of the wonder. The power of God, even is hinted to those at Christmas who know nothing or very little about the child born in a manger. For those who do, the Bible says:

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:30–31)

And because of this, I see and feel the wonder this day, and most all other days...

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Romans 11:33)

PRAY: Lord, for many this season is only about gifts and glitter, a mad rush to measure up to the expectations of others — real or imagined. It can bring headaches too, and sad memories, pressures and no joy at all. For those who hurt or even hate this time of year, I pray that they will discover the plan of God that started before the world began, and was made known beginning with a baby in a wooden straw-filled manger who eventually cried “It is finished” from a blood-stained wooden cross.

Purify my heart . . .

 

Of all the Beatitudes, this one intrigues me the most: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). Who does not want to see God? Yet the route to that is far more demanding than all that comes before Jesus’ sermon on how to be blessed. I understand being poor in spirit, mourning for sin, meekness, hunger for righteousness and being merciful, but purity of heart is more of a mystery.

A book by Thomas Watson called The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1–12 and written in the mid-1600s, describes what purity is and what it is not. There’s more, but this is enough to rattle my comfort zone.

Watson describes purity first as in God. He is utterly and totally pure, like light yet beyond our comprehension. However, there is also a created purity in His angels and was once in Adam before sin entered the world. There is also an evangelical purity where grace is mingled with some sin, like soil in gold ore, like dust in fresh air, like a coarse selvage on a fine cloth, or Nebuchadnezzar’s image, part silver, and part clay (Daniel 2:35). It is a desire for purity and a loathing for our impurity.

Watson also says there can be no faith at all in an impure heart. We must guard our hearts and keep them pure from the love of sin. Purity is the end goal of belonging to God: “Even as he chose us in (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him . . . .” (Ephesians 1:4) If my heart is not pure and my Christian life consists only of externals, then I’m like the Pharisees to whom Jesus said,

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:25–28)

My heart is where God dwells. Therefore, it must be kept pure and holy. Watson lists several signs of that not happening.

He says, and the Bible agrees, that purity is not about being a ‘nice’ person who does not commit gross sins. Instead, an impure person is oblivious to sins of the heart such as unbelief, hardness of heart, vanity of thoughts (see Romans 7:23). On the other hand, those with impure hearts might profess faith yet are ignorant of sin, of Christ and have no love for God (I cannot love what I don’t know). That person is not troubled about sin and sees no need of purity of heart, like a person with cancer but doesn’t know it.

Impurity of heart can also be aware of sin and enjoy it. The Bible talks about regarding iniquity in our hearts. Watson says this is looking at sin lustfully, delighting in it. The NT calls it “pleasure in unrighteousness” (see 2 Thessalonians 2:12) and making provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14) without any regard for God’s warnings about sin.

An unbelieving heart is an impure heart also. The Bible says “an evil, unbelieving heart” will lead us to fall away from God (Hebrews 3:12). Unbelief is God-affronting, hardens the heart, breeds hypocrisy, and causes fear of all kinds. It is the root of apostasy.

Also, an impure heart is covetous. This is the root of discontent, theft, murder, perjury, and other unjust and dark sins as well as lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Covetousness mocks faith and holiness but it can entangle people in legalistic religious systems. Watson says thousands of sermons lie buried in earthly hearts.

Lord Jesus, as I read Watson’s lists, my awareness of sin in my heart becomes acute. How easily I can mar the beauty of a pure heart with thoughts and ideas that are sinful junk. I know the joy of seeing You at work and seeing You smiling at obedience and yet allow that view to be hindered. Such foolishness. Help me to confess and repent all that is necessary to enable the purity of heart that is mine because of faith in You.

READ Ephesians 1:2-28. What do I have in Christ? How should remembering His blessings affect my heart?