I had a song running through my head today . . . or at least a line from a song that took up residence in my mind for the day.  🙂  I think the song may be titled, “Highway To Heaven”, but the line that stuck with me is, “it’s a highway to heaven . . . none can go up there . . . but the pure in heart . . . well, it’s a highway to heaven . . . walking on the King’s highway!”

The phrase that continually jumped out at me was the idea of “pure in heart“.  I believe God has given me another acrostic to provide the framework for a sermon He has been giving me.  What does it mean to be pure in heart?  I think there is a lot that can go into that, but here are five areas that should help lead us toward being pure in heart.

• Pure in Humor — “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.  For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person — such a man is an idolater — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”  Ephesians 5:2-5

• Pure in Eyes — Remember the old church preschool song?  “Oh, be careful little eyes what you see . . .”.   “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.  Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.”  Psalm 119:36-37  “And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”  Matthew 18:9

• Pure in Attitude — “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”  Ephesians 4:22-24

• Pure in Relationships — ” Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”  1 Timothy 5:1-2

• Pure in Teaching — “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.  Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”  2 Timothy 1:13-14

There’s the basic outline and a handful of scriptures that God is giving me to flesh out into a sermon. 🙂  I pray that you and I would pursue God faithfully and be found “pure in HEART” because we have paid attention to purity in our Humor, Eyes, Attitude, Relationships, and Teaching!