“Only the pure in heart want to”

I was googling this morning looking for a specific C.S. Lewis quote. I couldn’t find it and instead found this one:

“It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to.”

– C.S. Lewis, The Problem Of Pain

It meshed very well with my dark reverie on the bus ride this morning. It is becoming clearer to me that purity of heart is a high calling, and, I believe, really God’s achievement. I can affect purity of manners and speech, I can strive to keep my eyes pure, watch my language, keep my temper in check, and even be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

These are all good things. But my inner core, is it golden or cardboard? And if my heart is not pure, how does it get purified? Only God can do it; there is no other way. He is the great Alchemist who can turn the hard, discarded rocks that beat in our chests into hearts of gold. Pure. And blessed!

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

– Psalm 51:10 (ESV)

5 thoughts on ““Only the pure in heart want to”

  1. Very good post Bill! My son is a scout and it’s a shame more people don’t think about that oath.

    I don’t know if it’s possible to have too much C.S. Lewis.

  2. C.S lewis apparently agrees with everyone. I wonder what he would say with everyone quoting him all the time? probably something very witty, and unexpected.

    Regardless.

    i think I could grow tremendously if I read ps 51:10 everyday.

    What do you think?

    Or mabye, I would grow if I wanted ps 51:10 everyday.

    –steven

  3. C.S. Lewis . . . the most quotable author I’ve ever read, without a doubt. If I wanted to I could post on nothing but C.S. Lewis quotes!

    I think wanting Ps 51:10 everyday would be a good thing for me to do.

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