Blessed Are the Pure in Heart_ Beatitudes (6)
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August 18, 2019 |
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 Senior Pastor Rev. Jaerock Lee
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Matt. 5:8
Some people say they will go to heaven because they didn't harm anybody and lived a good life. Even though they think they live a good life, they should know they are full of iniquities and sins in the light of the Word of God that is the truth (Rom. 3:10).
Even though they hate others, they might think they are sinless only if they didn't harm those whom they hate. However, God says harboring hate is already sin (1 John 3:15; Matt. 5:28). If we have just a little bit of hatred, lust, greed, arrogance, lies, jealousy, or anger, we can't say we're pure in heart.
Those who are truly pure in heart do not put their minds on meaningless things but walk the right way with unchanging heart.
1. The Pure in Heart
Being pure means having no moral failing or guilt. The biblical meaning is to have spiritual knowledge and education, so one does not only act in a godly manner outwardly but also possesses a holy and sanctified heart.
In Matthew 15, Pharisees and scribes ask Jesus about His disciples not washing their hands. They lived a godly life according to the Law and the traditions of the elders, so they thought they were holy. They had a rule that eating with unwashed hands is not clean before God.
Jesus answered them, "It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man." He later rebuked those people in Matt. 23:27 saying, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs…"
God wants our inner being to be beautiful and not just our outward appearances. That is why He said in 1 Sam. 16:7, "…for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." He let Samuel anoint David, a young shepherd boy.
2. How To Have Pure Heart
What do we have to do to have pure heart that God desires? Those who get angry must cast away anger and become gentle. Those who are arrogant must humble themselves and serve others. Those who hate should change their heart so that they can love even their enemies.
We have to cast away all evil that God hates and struggle against sins to the point of shedding blood (1 Thess. 5:22; Heb. 12:4). We can have a pure heart to the extent that we realize and cast away the sins and evil in us. We have to keep the word of God and fill ourselves with the truth. Of course purity of heart can't be acquired by man's efforts alone (Rom. 7:22-24).
1 Tim. 4:5 says, "for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer." We have to realize the truth through the word of God and receive God's grace, strength, and help of the Holy Spirit through fervent prayers.
In order to do this, we need to exert our effort to practice the word of God. We shouldn't just try to do it once or twice but pray until we're actually changed along with fasting. Then, we can eventually cast away all sins and cultivate a pure heart.
Those who have pure heart walk the right way. A gentile woman called Ruth became a widow at a young age without having any children. Her mother-in-law urged her to go back to her own family, but she followed her mother-in-law all the way (Ruth 1:16-17). As a result, Ruth met a rich and gentle man named Boaz and made a happy family with him. She became the great grandmother of King David and her name was included in the genealogy of Jesus.
3. Blessing for the Pure in Heart
Matthew 5:8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." However, many parts of the Bible say men can't see God and they will die if they see Him (John 1:18, Judges 13:22).
On the contrary, Exodus 33:11 says, "Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend." When God made His presence at Mt. Sinai to the people of Israel, they couldn't go near the mountain in fear of being killed. But Moses saw God at a close proximity (Exo. 20:18-19). Furthermore, Gen. 5:21-24 tells us Enoch walked with God. He communicated with God all the time and God took care of everything in his life.
We should understand 'walking' and 'being' with God are 2 different things. To be with God is to be protected by His angels. He protects us when we try to live by the Word, but God walks with us if we completely cast away sins and cultivate holiness of heart like Enoch.
Why is it that some people can't see God while others see God face to face or walk with Him? 3 John 1:11 says, "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God." Those who are pure in heart can see God, but if one's heart is unclean God can't be seen.
Stephen in Acts 7 had such a pure heart that he interceded for those who were stoning him to death just because he was preaching the gospel. God blessed him to see God's glory and the Lord standing on the right hand of God's throne.
Not everyone can see the Lord and God the Father in heaven at close proximity. Everyone has different spiritual light emanating and different dwelling places according to the extent to which they cultivated holiness.
The blessing for the pure in heart is not just being able to see the image of God the Father. It includes receiving answers to their prayers and meeting and experiencing Him. Through their earnest crying in prayers, they receive answers and they will have testimonies in their everyday lives (Jer. 29:12-13).
Some new believers receive answers to their prayers even though they are not really living in the truth. They receive answers to their heart's desires as they please God within their measure of faith, although they're not completely pure in heart.
Also, sometimes we receive various gifts of the Holy Spirit and experience the living God. All these things are 'seeing God partially' (1 Cor. 12:4-11).
If we love God, we shouldn't be staying at a level of children's faith. We should try our best to cast away evil from our heart and cultivate holiness. In doing so, we should be mature children of God who understand His heart.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I hope you will cultivate the pure heart and receive God's blessings. Cast away all sins, evil, and filth in the heart to cultivate holiness. Then, you can receive anything you ask for in prayer and prosper in all things. I pray in the name of the Lord that, in so doing, you will reach even New Jerusalem where you can see God face to face.
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