At the end of the day, or at least at the end of the chapter...(Luke 15), it was the older brother who claimed he did everything right...who did NOT enter the father’s house. He was left on the outside looking in, while the younger brother who had truly repented from his heart... was taken in to the father’s house to feast and celebrate. (Yesterday’s post)

Do you know why...the older brother did not go in to the father’s house for the banquet?

You really don’t have to be an educated theologian to see why: - this older brother had some ‘heart issues’. Truth be told, his heart was defiled. And believe it or not, a defiled heart can keep you out of the father’s house. I know that does not land well nor ‘fit’ with much of what you hear taught today, but someone has to pull the curtain away so we can see what God has to say about the matter.

There are many professing believers today who will tell you they ‘long to see the return of the Lord’, even believing passionately that ‘day’ is growing closer than it ever has before. But I think we might want to look at some more verses that are easy to ‘skim over’ that could prove to be a bit unsettling yet, remarkably insightful. (Not to mention encouraging for those whom have ears to hear)

Just ‘who’...are the ones that will ‘see Him’ (Jesus) when He returns? May I offer up three separate statements by three individuals while reminding you of how “every word shall be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses.” (2 Cor. 13:1; Deut. 19:15). These three statements were uttered/written by Jesus, John, and Paul... (assuming Paul wrote Hebrews) 

So just who is going to ‘see the Lord’?

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” - Jesus (Matt. 5:8)

“We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is, and everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” -John (1 John 3:2-3)

“...without holiness...no one will see the Lord.” -Paul (Heb. 12:14)

Were you aware how easy it is to discern what is in a person’s heart? Just listen to what they say...since ‘from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks’. (Matt. 15:18-20; 12:33-37) “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matt. 6:25)

How about I give you a minute or two to chew on that one?

When Jesus was confronted by some Pharisees wanting to know why His disciples were not lining up with their traditions (Mark 7:5), Jesus turned it around quickly wanting to know why they were so reluctant to line up with God’s commandments. He called them out saying how Isaiah nailed it in describing them and their willingness to ‘honor God with their lips but their hearts were far...from Him.” (7:6)

Isn’t that interesting...that He calls them out on where their ‘hearts’ are in comparison to the outward things we usually become more preoccupied with. I mean...Jesus just flat out tells them they ‘worship in vain’. (7:7)

As you read through that chapter, He explains exactly how this problem of defiled hearts have come about...they lay aside the commandments of God and teach in place...their traditions. He was telling them they make God’s word of ‘no effect’. (13). And what is the result as we read further down towards vs.21-23...? Look what men’s’ hearts become filled with that defiles them.

Unless we are willing to come to God with ALL our heart, in total surrender, there is absolutely no way that God can, or will...begin the process of purifying our hearts. And when God is the one doing the leading and the purifying, He doesn’t do it half-way. But here’s where we might have missed a memo or two....this process of having our hearts purified...doesn’t happen just because we say ‘Lord, Lord...I believe in You!’ We actually have a role in this as we follow and obey. (Heb. 5:9; Luke 6:46)

The Holy Spirit begins to point out these ‘areas of sin’ so that we can confess them and then repent, or turn from them...and do them no more. And in the same way God led the people to clear the land of Canaanite nations, so He does with our hearts in removing everything that defiles them. Look what Paul writes to Timothy in his first letter to him, explaining what the goal of the commands are: that we have ‘love from a pure heart’.

Peter writes that we are to be ‘obedient children...not conforming to the former lusts’...reminding us that God has called us to be ‘holy in ALL our conduct because He who has called us is Holy’.(1 Pet. 1:14-16)

Which brings me back to that short list of words I mentioned the other day...words we ‘Christians’ tend to toss around all the time but never really come to the knowledge of truth in what they mean. How would you define ‘holiness’, let alone explain how one becomes...’holy’ or as Peter says: “be holy”. Have you ever given that much thought?

Or...is your default setting wired in such a way that you just believe those ‘traditions and doctrines of men’ that Jesus said does us no good. I bet you have heard them before...how we can ‘never be holy’ so we just ‘trust Christ’ and He then sees us as being ‘holy’.

Friends...if that was the case, then why would Paul write: “Having these promises, beloved, let us cleans ourselves from ALL filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Cor. 7:1). Why toss in this ‘fear’ thing, unless there might be some serious consequences if we don’t follow through on ‘doing’ what he instructs us to do there. And what is up with needing to ‘cleanse’ our ‘spirit’?

Someone is sure to want to point out where Isaiah declares that our ‘righteousness is as filthy rags’. (Isa. 64:6). But if you need some context for that, take a look at 1 Cor. 13:1-3 and that might help. We can be involved with so many ‘spiritual things’, including good works, yet still not manifest the genuine love of God in our lives. So all those works of righteousness profit us nothing. In case you forgot what that genuine love looks like, then read the next few verses to be reminded. That is the kind of love/fruit that comes from a heart that has been purified, or ‘perfected in love’. (1 John 4:12,17)

And that is the kind of ‘fruit’ that God is looking for to be manifested in our lives. That fruit really does matter to God. (Gal. 5:22-23; Matt. 12:33-34)

But getting back to this subject on ‘holiness’ and what it means to be ‘holy’... You are aware (I hope) that this picture of a bridegroom coming back for His bride is used repeatedly in scripture. Take Eph. 5:25-28, for example. We are told how Christ loves His church (called out ones) and He desires to “sanctify and cleanse her’ so that He can present her to Himself as a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish”. Do you give much thought as to how this ‘process’ works? Or have you been misled to believe that you just ‘sort of show up holy when you get to heaven...and as long as you do your best to be good, go to church, and avoid those ‘big sins’, then God sees you as holy?

In the story of the Ten Virgins (Matt. 25:1-11), it too involves the church waiting on the return of the bridegroom who delayed his coming. All ten ended up falling asleep and then at midnight, during a time of great darkness, the warning cry went out. We read where only five of them were ‘ready’ when the door to the wedding was opened up to them and they went in. Then the door was shut and the foolish virgins were left on the outside knocking and pleading to be let in.

Have you ever noticed in Revelation 19 where it is said to “be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife...has made herself ready.” (7). Just ‘how’ does she....do this? May I encourage you go back and re-read 2 Cor. 7:1 and 1 John 3:2-3 and see if that does not resonate with your spirit?

And we read where Paul was burdened for the church, his heart wanting nothing more than to ‘present the believing church as a pure virgin to Christ’ in marriage. But his fear was that believers could easily be deceived and end up following another Jesus and/or receiving another gospel and spirit ...and for all practical purposes, being ‘carried away’ by ‘doctrines taught by demons’. (2 Cor. 11:2-4; 1Tim. 4:1). I think it is easy for us to forget that the devil himself can ‘disguise himself as an angel of light, and his servants as ‘ministers of righteousness’. (2 Cor. 11:14-15; Matt. 7:15)

I’m sure some of you get tired of the ‘heavy hand’ that can come with some of these messages, but I would be doing you a great disservice if I did not declare to you the ‘whole counsel’ of God. (Acts 20:27). So I will continue to ‘sound the alarm’ even at the risk of annoying some and driving off others. This is too serious of a message to ignore. I will expound more upon this tomorrow, Lord willing.