God's expectation for a pure heart and right motives in doing for others is foundational to living a life that is truly reflective of His character and teachings. He desires His followers to act out of genuine love, humility, and a desire to serve, rather than from self-interest or the desire for recognition. Such purity in action cultivates deeper spiritual maturity, strengthens community bonds, and most importantly, glorifies God in the most authentic way possible.
[00:00:00] Let us pray, bread together on our knees
[00:00:07] Let us pray, bread together on our knees
[00:00:14] When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun
[00:00:21] Oh Lord, never see all the need
[00:00:27] Welcome to the Bible Speaks with Elgin Carelock.
[00:00:30] The Bible Speaks is a weekly ministry of Harvest International.
[00:00:33] Our prayer is that the Bible Speaks will encourage you in your study of God's word.
[00:00:38] You will be able to contact Elgin at the address given at the end of this broadcast.
[00:00:44] And now, here's Elgin.
[00:00:46] A man shall be commended according to his wisdom, but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.
[00:00:54] Romans Chapter 12, Verse 8
[00:00:58] Brothers and sisters, I welcome you once more and again to another episode of Words of Inspiration.
[00:01:06] And today, I wanted to discuss motives.
[00:01:12] What is your motive?
[00:01:15] What is in your heart?
[00:01:19] Our Scriptural Inspiration comes from Proverbs, Chapter 21, Verse 2.
[00:01:26] And reading from the New Living Translation, it reads,
[00:01:31] People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.
[00:01:40] Guy's expectation for purity of heart and motives when doing for others is a core biblical principle,
[00:01:48] reflecting his desire for authenticity and genuine love in the actions of his followers.
[00:01:55] This expectation is rooted in the understanding that the heart is a wellspring of all human action
[00:02:02] and intentions as found in Proverbs 4, Verse 23, which reads,
[00:02:09] Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
[00:02:16] In this context, guarding your heart means not letting the world dictate your expectations.
[00:02:22] If you do something for someone, the joy of bringing God glory is enough.
[00:02:28] Don't let the world convince you because you paid for dinner, you deserve something after.
[00:02:36] Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their hypocritical behavior,
[00:02:42] where their outward actions appeared righteous but were done for selfish motives,
[00:02:48] such as seeking social recognition or moral superiority found in Matthew 6, Verses 1-6.
[00:02:58] He admonished his followers to give, pray and fast in secret,
[00:03:03] not to earn praise from others but to maintain a sincere focus on God,
[00:03:09] ensuring that their deeds were motivated by a genuine desire to please him,
[00:03:15] not by the desire for human approval.
[00:03:19] Wrong motives can even affect your prayers.
[00:03:23] James 4, Verse 3 reads,
[00:03:26] You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions.
[00:03:35] What James is saying is there are things we pray for that go unanswered because we have the wrong motives.
[00:03:42] God is omniscient. He knows what you're thinking about before you do,
[00:03:48] so when you come to him with false motives he will not grant them,
[00:03:53] and if you're not careful you may cause some form of chastisement as a result.
[00:03:59] Having right motives in our action is deeply pleasing to God
[00:04:04] and brings him glory because it aligns our hearts with his character and his purposes.
[00:04:10] God is inherently good and seeks genuine relationships with his followers,
[00:04:15] thus when believers act from pure motives such as love, compassion and a desire for God's will,
[00:04:24] they reflect his nature to the world.
[00:04:28] This level of authenticity not only honors God but also serves as a powerful testimony to his transformative work in human lives.
[00:04:38] When we perform acts of kindness, charity or service not for personal gain or public recognition
[00:04:47] but out of selfless love and commitment to God, they manifest a reality of God's kingdom on earth.
[00:04:56] This glorifies God by showing that the faith professed by us is not just rhetoric
[00:05:03] but demonstrated through tangible, love driven works.
[00:05:08] Such actions draw others toward God as they visibly display the grace and mercy of God flowing through his people.
[00:05:17] Ultimately right motives ensures that our deeds are not tainted by hypocrisy or selfishness
[00:05:25] which can undermine the message of the Gospel.
[00:05:28] Instead they sustain the integrity of our witness and magnify God's goodness,
[00:05:35] leading others to honor and worship Him.
[00:05:40] Brothers and sisters, God's expectation for a pure heart and right motives in doing for others
[00:05:47] is foundational to a living of a life that is truly reflective of his character and teaching.
[00:05:55] He desires his followers to act out of genuine love, humility and a desire to serve
[00:06:02] rather than from self-interest or the desire for recognition.
[00:06:07] Such purity in action cultivates deeper spiritual maturity, strengthens community bonds
[00:06:14] and most importantly glorifies God in the most authentic way possible.
[00:06:20] I thank you once again for spending this time with me and I look forward to our conversation on tomorrow.
[00:06:28] Until then, God bless.
[00:06:55] Post Office Box 6690 Ocala, Florida 34478
[00:07:00] Again that's Harvest International Post Office Box 6690 Ocala, Florida 34478