THE BEATITUDES
(The Pure in Heart will see God - August 21, 2022)
Series Big Idea: "People in God's Kingdom will be known by several characteristics"
Sermon Big Idea: "A clear view of God requires a pure heart"
Key Scripture (Matthew 5:1-12)
Today we come to the sixth beatitude in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. Remember, these are not things we do to get God to accept us, these are characteristics of who we are as Christians.
(Matthew 5:1-12)
1 When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He began to teach them, saying: 3 “The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 4 Those who mourn are blessed, for they will be comforted. 5 The gentle are blessed, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled. 7 The merciful are blessed, for they will be shown mercy. 8 The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God. 9 The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 “You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. 12 Be glad and rejoice because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
What did Jesus mean by “pure in heart?” Obviously, we could never exhaust everything that could be said about this verse, but I do want us to explore several things that we see in the text itself.
In the Bible, the heart is seen as the inside of a person. It has been said that this is where our personality comes from. But the heart is not just the emotions of a person. The Bible says things like “bowels of compassion” and the “feeling in my stomach.” The Jews especially expressed their emotion this way during this period of history. So, the mind and the heart really go together or work together.
(Proverbs 23:7) for it’s like someone calculating inwardly. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
What you think in your mind usually affects your will, which ultimately affects your emotions. (Proverbs 4:23) Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. God is ultimately looking for a changed heart (Romans 12:2) Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
The Bible says in 1 Samuel there was a tall, dark, and handsome man to be anointed as the first king of Israel. His name was Saul. But Saul began to disobey God and Samuel the prophet, priest, and the last judge of Israel gave the bad news to him that he was not going to experience a kingly lineage. God would not use his family in this way.
If God doesn’t look at the physical appearance of a person, then what is He looking for? (1 Samuel 16:7) But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” The man who would ultimately become King would be David.
Jesus used the adjective “pure” to describe the heart. In this context, the word means to clean from filth and iniquity or free from sin. This has to do with attitude, integrity, and singleness of heart. So, the word “pure” goes beyond just motive. There are many people who are sincere and never come to God.
In 1 Kings 18, there is a story told concerning the 450 prophets of Baal. Elijah the prophet of God challenged them to prove their god existed. They shouted, marched, danced, and cut themselves trying to call fire down from their god to consume the sacrifice they had put on the altar. They did this all day, but nothing happened. Elijah called upon God to consume the sacrifice and God immediately responded. The false prophets of Baal must have been so tired, bewildered, and bloody at the end of the day. But don’t think for a moment they weren’t sincere. They were just sincerely wrong! Pure deeds are the result of pure motives.
Pastor John MacArthur mentions five kinds of purity. There is Primitive purity that only exists in God and is where purity comes from. There is Created purity which is what creation was before sin. Ultimate purity is described in (1 John 3:2) Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is. Another he mentions is Positional purity and is what we have in Christ now. When we believe in Christ, God sees us in Him. Finally, there is Practical purity. This is living out a life of purity. It is with this that we as humans struggle the most. (2 Corinthians 7:1) Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God. God desires us to be as practically pure as we can be can possibly be.
Those who are positionally pure in Christ will see God. They will live pure lives with pure motives. Of course, we are going to fail at times as humans, but the Apostle Paul explains in Ephesians 6 how to put on the full armor of God. And when we fail, we can be forgiven (1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Conclusion:
(Proverbs 20:9) Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin?” No, our hearts are cleansed by faith (Acts 15:9) He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. We can’t do it by good works but by believing in the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses all sin.
If you want a pure heart, accept the sacrifice Jesus has made on the cross. It has already been done! Accept it! If you are already a Christian, then purify your heart through the words of Jesus and through prayer. (John 15:3) You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Stay in God’s Word and pray. But that is not the end of the verse. What happens if we are pure? He says we will see God!
This word is in future tense meaning that we will continue to see God for ourselves. This means that at salvation we began living in the presence of God and began to realize He is there. We see Him with spiritual eyes. Someone has said, “Purity of heart cleanses the eyes of the soul so that God is visible.” One day we will see Him with our physical eyes. (1 John 3:2) Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.
Pastor Beaver's thoughts and ideas are inspired by:
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