The “BEATITUDES” Part 6

“Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.” NIV

Pure means “not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material”. We read the label “100% pure olive oil.” Or “100% pure honey” etc. It means the substance is not mixed with any other. The full 100% of the product was described with no mixing or contamination.

What is pure in heart means? It means the heart is not mixed with or contaminated. Your heart stays focused. It shows an unadulterated, singly focused heart.

Now the Greek word used for pure in Matthew 5:8 is ‘Katharos’, which means clean, with no blame, no guilt. Understanding the meaning of the word, who can be pure in heart? Can anyone be uncontaminated, pure, clean, with no blame and guilt? Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts–murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” Matthew 15:19. The impurity and unrighteousness of the heart is the problem of humankind. White, black, brown, Asian, middle eastern, Spanish all suffer from impure and unrighteous hearts.

Bible also says in Revelation 21:27, “Nothing impure will ever enter it (heaven), nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” In other words, nothing impure will see God or stand in His presence.
To see God or to stand in the presence of God, the pre-condition is you must be pure.

The Bible says in Psalms 24, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Then it answers in the next verses. It says, “he who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully.”

Beloved, if this is the case, who in the world can be pure? The purity of the heart is an impossible thing because of the fallen condition of our hearts. A rich young ruler came to follow Jesus and boasted he kept all the law from his childhood. However, when Jesus asked to go and sell all the things he owned, give to the poor and then follow him, he became sad. Because he was very wealthy and would not let it loose. He could not follow Jesus. Jesus in this context meant the single-focused heart and the truthful nature of the heart. The statement he always obeyed the commandments of God is far from the truth. The disciples then asked this question, who then can be saved? Jesus gave an important and thought-provoking answer to their question- “with men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Remember David confessed his serious sins and then prayed this way, “Create in me a pure heart, O God.” (Psalms 51:10).

You see God initiates, creates a pure heart, and then continues the work of purity in you. God creates in us what is impossible for us and enables us to pursue it. Bible says in Titus 2:14, “He (Jesus) gave himself for us, to rescue us from all wickedness and to make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good.” Jesus makes you pure and purified because He died in your place for all your impurities, sins, and shortcomings. He makes you pure by his divine and sinless blood shed for your sake. There is an old hymn that sings like this. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

In short, God says he purifies your heart by creating a new heart in you when you obey God and come to Jesus Christ who died for your impurities and unrighteousness. Act 15:9 says God does not discriminate between people. He has one and only one way to make people pure and purified so that they can see God and live in his presence. Listen it says there, “He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.” (Acts 15:9). He purified Jews and Gentiles by their faith in Him.

This is a simple truth. You cannot achieve pure heart by your best efforts because the human heart is deceitful even beyond our understanding. All evil thinking, lies, hypocrisies, immoralities, deceptions, unfair practices, lust, cheating, murder and all come from there. God is holy and pure. God is the only one who can make your heart pure. And how he makes you pure and purified is by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, who carried all your impurities and sins on his divine shoulders and then paid it off. This is the good news called the Gospel. You will see the Lord and you will live in His presence only if you are cleansed by the blood of Christ. Listen to what John 1:8-9 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.”

When God makes you pure by your faith in Jesus Christ, you are pure in heart indeed!

Got a moment for today’s prayer? “Father in heaven, I want to be pure. Initiate your work in me. Create in me a new heart. I confess my sins and shortcomings to you. Please forgive me. I believe Jesus died and rose again for my sins. I accept him as my savior and Lord. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.”