POST #33: JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Pure in heart... no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus...

"Blessed are the pure in heart, 

for they shall see GOD."

~Matthew 5:8~

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1 John 3 is full of encouraging words:

" See how great a love the FATHER has bestowed on us, 

that we would be called children of GOD; and such we are. 

For this reason the world does not know us, 

because it did not know HIM. 

2 Beloved, now we are children of GOD, 

and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. 

We know that when HE appears, we will be like HIM, 

because we will see HIM just as HE is. 

3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on HIM purifies himself, 

just as HE is pure.

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4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; 

and sin is lawlessness.

5 You know that HE appeared in order to take away sins; 

and in HIM there is no sin. 

6 No one who abides in HIM sins; 

no one who sins has seen HIM or knows HIM. 

7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; 

the one who practices righteousness is righteous, 

just as HE is righteous; 

8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; 

for the devil has sinned from the beginning. 

The SON OF GOD appeared for this purpose, 

to destroy the works of the devil. 

9 No one who is born of GOD practices sin, 

because HIS seed abides in him; 

and he cannot sin, because he is born of GOD. 

10 By this the children of GOD 

and the children of the devil are obvious: 

anyone who does not practice righteousness 

is not of GOD, 

nor the one who does not love his brother."

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Let's face it! 
We have all sinned! 
SIGH! 
As Romans 3 makes it clear, 
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD..."
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The questions for you and me are:

• "Do I make sin my practice?"
• "Do I practice sin?"

If you go to http://www.biblegateway.com/ and do a word search of SIN, you might find the following:

• The word SIN is in the Bible 1364 times. 
• SINNED? 88 times. 
• SINNING? 22 times. 
• SINNER? 63 times. 

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Galatians 5 refers to SIN as "acts of the flesh" and lists them accordingly, 

•  "...sexual immorality, 
• impurity and 
• debauchery; 
• idolatry 
• witchcraft; 
•  hatred, 
• discord, 
• jealousy, 
• fits of rage, 
•  selfish ambition, 
• dissensions, 
• factions and 
• envy; 
•  drunkenness, 
• orgies, and the like."

Galatians 5 continues by saying,
   "I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of GOD." 
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 So, what would it look like to live the opposite? To live with the "acts of the spirit"?  Could we write it something like this? 

•  "...sexual morality, 
• purity and 
• self discipline; 
• JESUS; 
•  love, 
• harmony, 
• giving honor, 
• fits of joy, 
• humility, 
•  collaboration / cooperation, 
• unity and 
• honoring the differences; 
•  filled with the SPIRIT, 
• fellowship with believers, and the like. 

 I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will inherit the kingdom of GOD."    
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So, what happens if I mess up? If I'm living in JESUS and for JESUS, "in the SPIRIT"... He takes the blow... the punishment... the condemnation... 
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Romans 8 says, 

 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation 

 for those who are in CHRIST JESUS..." 

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 So, no turning back my friend! JESUS has you covered. Live intentionally!  Make sure that there is no sin that is a "practice" in your life.
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Each new day, we step out of the bed and STAND ON HOLY GROUND - AS IF WE HAVE NEVER SINNED... HOLY... PURE...  ready to see GOD!
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 ~BLESSED~

Oh, the JOY!

GIGATTAATTGIG