Clean Hands and a Pure Heart
Elder David A. Bednar
“The purpose of our mortal journey is not merely to see the sights on earth or to expend our allotment of time on self-centered pursuits; rather, we are to ‘walk in newness of life’, to become sanctified by yielding our hearts unto God, and to obtain ‘the mind of Christ’.”
“…to have our hearts changed by the Holy Spirit…” is the ultimate purpose of the gospel and thus why Christ came to perform the atonement.
So often I get into the habit of thinking that Christ came merely to save me from my sins. That’s nice and good, but stopping there is so sad. The exciting part of the atonement to me is the transformation into something so amazing through Christ Jesus. “The infinite Atonement is for both the sinner and saint in each of us.”
“Repentance of our sins and seeking forgiveness are spiritually necessary, and we must always remember to do so. But remission of sin is not the only or even the ultimate purpose of the gospel. To have our hearts changed by the Holy Spirit…is the covenant responsibility we have accepted.”
I was richly edified as Elder Bednar emphasized the “becoming” aspect of the atonement and of this gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Brothers and sisters,” he said, “it is possible for us to have clean hands, but not have a pure heart.” He continues a little later, “Clean hands alone will not be enough when we stand before Him who is pure…”
So while I may stop doing bad, if I don’t then progress on and become good, I am missing out. That jump from removing sins of commission in our lives to limiting sins of omission is one of faith and of truly understanding the gospel.
That’s the whole purpose…to BECOME like God, so that when we see him again, we will be prepared, we will know him, because we are like him. And what a joyous day that will be if we have sought to repent and then to come unto Christ.