In this second installment of Has Your Heart Been Healed?, David Grabbe points out that even though God has done the major heavy lifting in obtaining our release from bondage, we as the firstfruits have an obligation to cooperate and work hard in putting sin out of our lives all the way to our being harvested, as symbolized by Pentecost. God creates the new heart, but we must do our part. God does not create character by fiat. The hearts that we aspire must resemble God’s heart--pure and undefiled. The pure in heart, limited at this time to the Israel of God, are begotten of God. Jesus affirmed that God’s Word (defined as Truth) is the means to sanctify and cleanse our minds. When we take Christ’s word into our minds on a daily basis, our minds are sanctified and cleansed incrementally.

Character God’s word Holy Overcoming Pure in heart Truth Wicker basket story