I was asked recently how we can know if our motives are pure. Clearly, doing the right thing for a selfish or sinful reason is wrong. But how can we know if our motives are right?It is very difficult to be objective with ourselves. Asking someone else is prone to failure since others are made of the same flesh as we are. However, we do have a perfect indicator that can discern motives as well as actions.
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Heb 4:12-13 ESV).
God's Word, the Bible, cuts through the haze of our subjective feelings, doubts, and confusion. It helps us know whether we are doing right or wrong, and it guides us into the right motives for doing these things. Think about the amount of biblical revelation that deals with the motivation and thinking behind what we do. The Bible does not stop with telling us what we should do; it tells us why we should do it and how we should think about it.
My simple answer to how we can know if our motives are pure is to read the Bible. Soak in God's Word. Meditate on the Scriptures. Make your first thought or reaction to any situation God's Word. Let it flow out of you as you let it "dwell richly" in you (Col 3:16). Christians should have "Scripture-marinated" lives. As we understand God's Word, God's Holy Spirit will apply that truth to our hearts in very pointed and specific ways.
When we realize that the Bible directs our thinking and not just our acting, we will become more aware of the many commands to think in a certain way. God's Holy Spirit will convict us when we are out of line with God's Word, but we must know God's Word.
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