In or Out of the Body?

He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the king will be his friend. The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, but He overthrows the words of the faithless. . . . Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge. . . so that your trust may be in the Lord . . . make no friendship with an angry man and with a furious man do NOT go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul. (Proverbs 11:11-25)

The "pure" heart is free of contamination. It is not harmful in ANY way. "Grace" is defined a unmerited favor in the CHRISTian realm and as "simple elegance" for a general definition. Either way we define purity and grace, we come up with a heart that is not contaminated or poisoned by this world but rather overflows with elegance and underserved kindness in words and deeds. The more we focus upon God and His Word, the more our heart is shaped into this image and our life reflects it. The more we give in to this world's agenda of entitlement and selfishness, the more we get "lost" in the bitterness, anger, and frustrations of this world. In a society that challenges our very core beliefs, everything we say and do reflects our heart, our beliefs, and our faith (or lack thereof), in a God Who is still Alpha and Omega! One faith, One Lord, One baptism . . . One Body . . . . Are you in or out?