Matthew 5:8

Introduction

When we look at the beatitudes is about living with a kingdom mindset.

Blessed are the pure in heart vs. 8a

We will begin this evening by looking at the word pure

Pure means cleansed from dirt, filth and contamination.

This term is often used of metals that had been refined until all the impurities have been removed leaving only the pure metal.

In that sense it means that the metal is unmixed, unalloyed and unadulterated.

When applied to the heart here in verse 8, it gives the idea of pure motive— of single-mindedness, undivided devotion, spiritual integrity, and true righteousness.

Double-mindedness has alway plagued the church. As believers we want to serve God and follow the world at the same time.

In Matthew 6:24 Jesus tells us this is impossible

Matthew 6:24 “24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

James said it this way

James 4:4 “4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

in verse 8 of the same chapter he tells us how to fix it ]

James 4:8 “8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

As believers our goal should be single-mindedness, and though we often fail, it should be our deep desire to have the mind of Christ.

Purity of heart is more than sincerity

We can think of many religious people that are sincere in their beliefs, but ultimately lead to worthless and sinful things.

The pagan priest who opposed Elijah in 1 Kings 18 demonstrated great sincerity in their beliefs as they cut their bodies to get Baal to send down fire to consume their sacrifice

Though sincere it did not produce results or help them see the error in their paganist beliefs.

The scribes and Pharisees believed they could please God by tithing mint, anise and cummin, but they omitted law, judgement, mercy and faith.

Matthew 23:23–26 “23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.”

Thomas Watson said “morality can drown a man as fast as a vice” and “A vessel can sink with gold or with dung”

Though we may be extremely religious and constantly involved in good things, we cannot please God unless our hearts are right with Him.

The Bible has a lot to say about our heart.

The heart is the control center of the mind and will as well as emotions

Proverbs 23:7 “7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.”

God requires a pure heart

Proverbs 4:23 “23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.”

The cause of the worldwide flood was a heart issue

Genesis 6:5 “5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

David in Psalm 51 tells us this

Psalm 51:6 “6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”

Then he asks God to give him a clean heart and a right spirit

Psalm 51:10 “10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.”

Asaph wrote this in Psalm 73.

Psalm 73:1 “1 Truly God is good to Israel, Even to such as are of a clean heart.”

Jeremiah wrote this

Jeremiah 17:9–10 “9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

In psalm 78 the Bible tells us about the integrity of David as he lead Israel

Psalm 78:72 “72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.”

1 Samuel 13:14 “14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.”

Saul lost his kingship because he no longer had a heart after God

David often failed, but his heart was sensitive to the Lord

Psalm 19:14 “14 Let the words of my mouth, And the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

Psalm 26:2 “2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my reins and my heart.”

One writer wrote this about Psalm 119.

The evidence of true hearted commitment to God is found in all the first 175 verses of Psalm 119, the fact that his flesh sometimes overruled his heart is the final admission of verse 176

Psalm 119:176 “176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; For I do not forget thy commandments.”

How do we live a pure life?

We must realize that we are unable to live a single moment of purity without the Lord’s guidance and power

Proverbs 20:9 “9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?”

Someone said this “Cleansing begins with a recognition of weakness. Weakness that reaches out for the strength of God.”

We must stay in God’s word

It is impossible to stay in the will of God outside of the word of God.

We must walk in the Spirit

Galatians 5:16 “16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

We must pray

Prayer is how we get ahold of God

Luke 18:1 “1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”

The result of a pure heart vs. 8b

We shall see God

Intimate knowledge of and fellowship with God is reserved for the pure.

When our hearts are purified at salvation we begin to live in the presence of God.

We begin to see and to understand him with our new spiritual eyes.

To see God was the greatest hope of old testament saints

Psalm 42:1–2 “1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I come and appear before God?”

Job 42:5 “5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: But now mine eye seeth thee.”

Purity of Heart cleanses the eyes of the soul so that God becomes visible

F.F. Bullard wrote this

When I in righteousness at last, Thy glorious face shall see; When all the weary night has passed, and I awake with Thee, to view the glories that abide, then and only then will I be satisfied

Conclusion

How is your heart? How are your motives? Are you doing the right thing for the right reason.