AUDIO

[September 17]
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. Psalm 24:3, 4
THOSE who have made a full consecration of heart to the Lord constitute the pure in heart under the law of love. But notwithstanding the purity of their hearts, their intentions, their wills, to fulfil the royal law of love, these have a battle to wage. The law of their members, depraved through inherited sin, is the strong law of selfishness, in opposition to the new law to which they have pledged themselves—the law of love. Yet their inability to live up to the requirements of that new law must be through no lack of will, no lack of intention of the pure, loyal heart. Whatever failure they make, however short they may come at times of obtaining the victory, it must be solely because of weakness of the flesh and the besetments of the Adversary, which their pure hearts failed to resist. Here the Lord's promises are helpful, assuring them that he knows their weaknesses and frailties, as well as the wiles of the devil and the influence of the spirit of the world, which are contrary to the spirit of love. He tells them that they may go freely to the throne of heavenly grace, there to obtain mercy in respect to their failures to live up to the high standard which their hearts acknowledge and to which they strive to conform. He also assures them that they may find grace to help in every time of need. Z'12-336 R5123:4 (Hymn 150)