And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. (Luke 8:8, 15 KJV)
The good soil represents the kind of heart we want to have, so a closer look is in order. The first description of the "good soil" kind of heart is that it is "honest and good". The word translated as "honest" is kalos, and is can also be translated as fair, excellent, or honorable. Vine's Expository Dictionary defines this word as "fair, right, honorable, of such conduct as deserves esteem".
Blueletterbible.com lists a usage of the word that is particularly enlightening. Kalos, it says, can be used to mean "beautiful by reason of purity of heart and life, and hence praiseworthy". Isn't that a lovely description? Beautiful because of the purity of heart and life. Imagine that. It is the kind of heart we are supposed to have in order to be fruitful in the kingdom of God.
The question all of us must answer is whether or not our heart is beautiful because of the purity there. Is our heart so pure that it manifests itself in purity of life? How can we know? The lifestyle we choose, the choices we make, the things we do when no one is looking, the way we treat others, are all products of our purity of heart, and they all demonstrate the truth of our heart.
If we want to be beautiful by reason of the purity of our lives, we must start by having purity of heart. But how? How do we achieve purity of heart? We can't buy it. The psalmist found that he could not achieve a pure heart on his own at all. In fact, he found that there was something very important that prevented a clean heart. "Create in me a clean heart," he prayed. (Psalm 51:10). The creation of a clean heart, however, only came after an acknowledgment of sin.
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. (Psalms 51:2-3 KJV)
Can you see it? The way to have this beautiful life of purity is to admit our sins, confess them, and ask God to cleanse us. Purity of life comes only from purity of heart, and that comes only by the forgiveness of God.
Is there something in your life that needs to go? For what do you need to seek forgiveness from God?
Pray today (for ourselves and our loved ones) that our sin would be "ever before us" and that it would propel us to the only One who can forgive and cleanse.
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Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/07/tracking-storms-and-more.html
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