p free from evil thoughts?

Ans. The pure heart and mind do not entertain an evil thought. As soon
as such thoughts are presented they are banished. In 2 Cor. 10:5 we read
how such things are dealt with. "Casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." An
evil thought thus captivated does not enter into the heart and therefore
does not become a sin to us. The apostle James says, "When lust hath
conceived, it bringeth forth sin." The evil thought must first enter
into the heart and be conceived into a desire before it becomes sin.

This world is full of sin and iniquity on every hand. We may hear
profanity as we pass along the street, or we may see iniquity before our
eyes daily as we come in contact with the world, we may pick up a
secular paper and read of murder and theft, and thus these evil thoughts
may enter into our minds, but they do not conceive or take root in our
hearts. They are brought into captivity and banished from us. If when
reading or hearing of a murder or theft, someone should see an
opportunity to commit a similar deed and resolve in his heart that he
would do so at his first opportunity, that person would have conceived
the thought in his heart, and in the sight of God he would be a murderer
or a thief, even though he never had the opportunity to carry out the
design. The heart that is purified by the cleansing blood of Christ and
momently kept in the efficacy of that blood, is the sacred
dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit, who has the full and exclusive
control of the heart.

As long as our will is kept in line with the will of God the Holy Spirit
will abide. The word of God says, "Greater is he that is in you than he
that is in the world," and, "No man can enter into a strong man's house
and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man." The
strong man--the Holy Spirit--is in his own house, and it is impossible
for sin to enter in unless we by our own will consent to it. The word of
God speaks of the Holy Spirit as the seal. This thought is practically
illustrated by the common use of a seal in canning fruit. We may be ever
so careful with fruit in getting it properly prepared for the can, but
if we set it away without the seal, it will not be long until the fruit
is spoiled. It requires the seal to keep the fruit from spoiling. There
is something in the air whic