The pure in heart will see God

By Ron.v.Leerdam

Brothers & sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, Whilst Psalm 139 is absolutely true, we have not been created to be puppets on a string. Our God who knows what we are going to say even before a word is on our tongue says,

‘Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.’ Matthew 5:8

Last Thursday was ‘Ascension Day’. My wife & I witnessed an amazing sunrise. We read an article on the subject of the ascension which was most encouraging. You can read it Here. The disciples were gazing up into the sky ‘slackjawed’ watching their Master, teacher and Lord ascend. We are not told how long they were standing staring, but the Lord sent them an angel to speak,

“This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11

They had seen Jesus with their own eyes. He is now in heaven, the disciples and we also, can but live by faith. By faith we see the ascended Lord Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling as king of kings and Lord of Lord with all authority in heaven and earth, and among many other things, ‘interceding for the salvation, well-being, protection and preservation of all those who have been chosen and given the gift of saving faith.’
Living by faith is not always easy as we walk this earthly journey often wrestling with the living God. We long to be pure in heart and often would pray, ‘Lord dispel the darkness and the doubts that rise up in my heart with the light of your glorious Gospel truth.’

Can you tell me, why did Moses want to see God? Because Moses wanted the assurance that God would be with his people and teach Moses his ways. His plea was, “Show me your Glory, Lord” No-one can see God and live! Moses’ heart was filled with a longing for God. This was evident in the way Moses lived his life. He did see the glory of God. The people of Israel saw it in his face when He returned from the mountain. His hearts’ desire was that His holy, all seeing and righteous God would be glorified. How his heart was broken and filled with grief when his people set up an idol – the golden calf – in the place of the God who with his mighty hand had delivered them out of the land of slavery. How Moses must have wished that God’s people bearing His Name would trust God to supply all their needs. In spite of the fact that they were a stiff-necked and rebellious people, God graciously provided Manna for each day of their sojourn providing water to sate their thirst and delivering them from all their enemies.

Jesus says, ‘blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.’ Often I pray, ‘Lord, let me see what you are seeing.’ If we are honest, too often we see our own sins and short-comings. The previous beatitudes give us the response of the person who has been touched by the Gospel of grace and truth and everlasting life. Jesus indeed blesses the poor in spirit – for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Those who mourn because of they realise that they deserve God’s condemnation are comforted as God says, “Your sins are taken away.”
We are comforted by the knowledge that we are never alone.

“O Lord you have searched me and you know me …
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence? …
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in
the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:1,7,23,24

The pure in heart are not those who are perfect and never make mistakes. Indeed, If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9;

But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in him, must live as Jesus lived. 1 John 2:5-6

My friends, the Psalmist says,
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does
not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.
He will receive blessing from the LORD and
vindication from God his Saviour.
Such is the generation of those who seek him, who
seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied. They long for the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
They long to see the kingdom of God realised in their own lives.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Having received, tasted God’s mercy, the Christian is merciful towards others.
Do they have a predisposition towards mercy?
Forgiving those who sin against them – even 70 times 7.

A Christian is before he acts.

Actions result from what you are – your primary predisposition or character.
But there is a deeper dimension which is helpful to explore.
Augustine in his confessions said,
“Our hearts are restless till they find rest in God.“
He touches on an aspect of this beatitude that is fundamental.
Having seen God, tasted his grace in Christ, our hearts have been purified and are also being purified. Jesus is touching on the aspect of sanctification, that is the process of being made holy. Out of what lives in a person’s heart flows the action.
The heart has to do with one’s intentions, will and the seat of one’s being.
“Guard your heart for from it flows the well-spring of life.”
“It is what comes out of the heart that corrupts …”
Paul after his conversion was able say, “I live, yet not I, but Christ who lives in me.” The Holy Spirit controls the very centre of our being – our heart, will, thinking, outlook and as a result, our actions.

Yet we are not puppets on a string. We are called to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Hence all our actions are to be the result of the spiritual rebirth that God has done in us by His Spirit. But what about when we fail, fall short and offend our holy, just and righteous God?

Like king David who had committed adultery and tried to cover his sin by murdering Uriah the Hittite we would pray, Lord, “Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, o God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. My sacrifice, o God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Ps. 51:9-12,17

What is does it mean to be pure?
We have an example of purity in our chemistry books. Pure gold does not have any other element mixed in it. The purer the gold, the more valuable it is. Scripture uses the analogy of the Christian’s life being continually refined – till he or she is presented pure – without fault or blemish. The aim is that our life might reflect who we are in Christ.
Who has a pure heart?
Who has a heart that is not mixed, divided, filled with any deceit or malice?

Purity of heart is manifest in the sincerity that is ground in truth.

There are many who do not have mixed hearts – their hearts are pure – focused on seeking one thing, but they are not guided by the truth. We can think of the purity of heart and the sincere devotion displayed by the prophets of Baal as they prayed and cried out, even shedding their own blood to wake their god and answer with fire.

The Pharisee’s hearts were filled with hypocrisy. They refused to acknowledge the Messiah – the Lord Jesus Christ. So often their motives were mixed, seeking the glory and praise of people, instead of that of God.
Who has a heart that is ‘after God’s heart?’
David is an example.
Scripture says,
Kings 11:4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

So to have a pure heart does not mean that we never sin. The man after God’s own heart committed adultery. So what does it mean? Jesus is saying that those who have a pure heart will see God.

In a sense it is seeing God by faith as He really is and loving His heart – knowing and doing the things God loves which transforms our lives.

As we set our hearts on the things of God, we see more and more His glory. The whole of our life is a proclamation of who we are – what we are. So we must look at the well-spring of our being. Are we keeping in step with the Spirit of God?
What lives in our hearts?
What is the motivation of our being?
Is it of God?
Is it of self?
People will see by the way we behave as to whether the Spirit of God is controlling our whole being.

“They will know you are Christians by your love.”

This love is manifest in our attitude towards others. In the beginning, God said, “It is not good that man is alone.”
In the beatitudes Jesus – the master teacher, sent by God – outlines the nature of the new kingdom. It is about restoring relationships that have been severed by sin.
God has changed the hearts of these citizens. He has changed their attitudes towards Himself. He has changed their attitude towards other people. It is now possible for these citizens – when they keep in step with the Holy Spirit – to enjoy relationships which reflect the way God intended. The redeemed of God have heard Almighty God say,
“I am your God and you are my people.”
He has written His law on our hearts so that we love the things God loves and are being refined like gold in the furnace. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. How can we grow in this fruit?

By looking at God. Look at the person of Jesus.

By seeing yourself and the world through God’s eyes. The saints have a freedom in the Lord which the world cannot take away. The world cannot take away the contentment and promise and faith and trust and hope which the blessed/happy believer enjoys. We have freedom to enjoy with thankfulness all God’s good gifts and look forward to the day when God will be all in all.

Amen.