In my devotional time this morning, as always, I include the daily reading from Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost for His Highest”. Today’s word was on seeking/attaining God’s vision through personal purity.

Instead of trying to surmise the teaching, I will simply copy it and allow you to read, what for me are, the very penetrating words of the Holy Spirit through the pen of Oswald Chambers.

"Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

Purity is not innocence, it is much more. Purity is the outcome of sustained spiritual sympathy with God. We have to grow in purity. The life with God may be right and the inner purity remain unsullied, and yet every now and again the bloom on the outside may be sullied. God does not shield us from this possibility, because in this way we realize the necessity of maintaining the vision by personal purity. If the spiritual bloom of our life with God is getting impaired in the tiniest degree, we must leave off everything and get it put right. Remember that vision depends on character - the pure in heart see God.
God makes us pure by His sovereign grace, but we have something to look after, this bodily life by which we come in contact with other people and with other points of view, it is these that are apt to sully. Not only must the inner sanctuary be kept right with God, but the outer courts as well are to be brought into perfect accord with the purity God gives us by His grace. The spiritual understanding is blurred immediately the outer court is sullied. If we are going to retain personal contact with the Lord Jesus Christ, it will mean there are some things we must scorn to do or to think, some legitimate things we must scorn to touch.
A practical way of keeping personal purity unsullied in relation to other people is to say to yourself - That man, that woman, perfect in Christ Jesus! That friend, that relative, perfect in Christ Jesus!

From the very first line of this devotional, I was cut to the core. "Purity is not innocence, it is much more. Purity is the outcome of sustained spiritual sympathy with God". Sustained spiritual sympathy with God!

You know, as I type this post today, I realize I could go on and on….but I will resist and simply utter a prayer that you would be open to what the Holy Spirit may want to teach YOU through these words. May we all grow in the knowledge and into the perfection of Christ Jesus!