From this verse, we can see that the Lord hopes that we can empty ourselves and relinquish our own old notions, to be people with pure obedience, because only people with pure hearts can hear God’s voice and follow the footsteps of God. Think back to 2000 years ago when the Lord Jesus preached the gospel of heaven and did the work of redemption. At that time, although the way of repentance preached by the Lord Jesus was beyond the scope of the Law, all those who sincerely believed in God and waited for the coming of Messiah, like Peter, John, James and other disciples with sober minds, listened to the preaching of the Lord Jesus, and were unswerving in following the Lord Jesus. It was because they saw that the words of the Lord Jesus can make the lame walk and resurrect the dead, etc., and that His words possess the same power and authority as the words that the Creator used to create the heavens and earth and all things. It was also because they saw that the Lord Jesus was filled with lovingkindness and mercy, forgiving the sins of man and also teaching His followers to love their neighbor as themselves, love their enemies, and be patient and forbearing, which brought people ways of practice. On the contrary, the Pharisees clung to the letters of the Old Testament of the Bible and condemned and resisted the Lord Jesus. They not only themselves refused to seek or investigate the true way, but deceived and stopped Jewish people from seeking and accepting the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption so that many Jews without discernment blindly looked up to, idolized, and obeyed them and thus lost the Lord Jesus’ salvation. The Pharisees even colluded together with the Roman government to crucify the Lord Jesus—committed a heinous crime—and consequently they were punished by God. The Pharisees who didn’t focus on hearing God’s voice and see God’s deeds and Jewish people who are deceived by them are not the pure in heart, but people who believe in God and yet rejects and oppose Him and thus lose God’s salvation forever. The Lord Jesus has ever prophesied, “For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in His day. But first must He suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.” The Lord predicted that He would be rejected by the world again when He comes back in the last days. That is, some people will resist and condemn the returned Lord’s work just like the Jewish community in the Age of Grace. If we want to welcome the Lord Jesus’ return, should we be with pure hearts to put aside ourselves in those matters we cannot see clearly, pray and seek the truth to gain God’s inspiration and guidance so as not to miss God’s salvation?

I’d like to share a passage of God’s words, “If there will always exist human impurities, revelations of their corrupt natures, and adulterations of human notions and imaginations, then internally, people must be completely muddled. How can this not affect their entry into truth? Only people with sober minds can understand the truth, and only people with pure hearts can see God. Only by emptying themselves will they be capable of receiving the truth with ease. When people’s hearts are in turmoil, it is difficult for them to understand the truth.”