Pure in Heart

Intro

Matthew 5:8 NASB95

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

  If we sow a thought, we reap an act;

If we sow an act, we reap a habit;

If we sow a habit, we reap character;

If we sow character, we reap a destiny.1

1 Michael P. Green, ed., Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 Sermon Illustrations Arranged by Topic and Indexed Exhaustively, Revised edition of: The expositor’s illustration file. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989).

Our Character speaks volumes, it is who we are on the inside

what and who we follow and treasure

The beatitude we study today is not a trait of our character, but our character in total

The focus of our heart is the substance of our character

Pure in Heart

Matthew 5:8 NASB95

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

 Not in the head; for men may have pure notions and impure hearts; not in the hand, or action, or in outward conversation only; so the Pharisees were outwardly righteous before men, but inwardly full of impurity; but in heart1

1 John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament, vol. 1, The Baptist Commentary Series (London: Mathews and Leigh, 1809), 38.

D.L. Moody used to say, “If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.” The Pharisees lived for reputation, not character.

1 Tim 1:5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Our aim is to thrive in faith, we cannot do that if our heart, and therefore our character is divided

The divided self

Christ said we cannot serve two master

Matt 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

either you serve God and he is the focus of your heart, or you serve another/something other

There is no “both” option

at some point you will have to choose between the two, and the truth of your heart will be shown

Our heart cannot be divided

our actions reflect our heart, our words reflect our heart

this is why we must have a pure one! Which is seeking after the one One.

Focus on One

Psalm 73

after watching the lost prosper, the Psalmist cries out that his purity was all in vain. “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence.”

v 17, “Until I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.”

“washed my hands in innocence” The pure heart evidenced by innocent hands. Even though stricken and chastised, he remained innocent and pure in heart

Prov. 22:11 He who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend.

pure heart and gracious speech. Our words matter, they reflect the pure heart

Ti 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

not just the heart but all things! Mind and conscience! All of who we are is to be pure

focused on the One true God, not of the things of this world but God alone.

it only takes a little to defile the purity of your heart

(the brownie story)

Call to God

Pr 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

With everything, watch over it.

Like you watch over your children, your credit score, your bank account, your investments, the food that you eat

even more so!

What you allow your heart to love, is revealed in your character

“The focus of our heart is the substance of our character”

it only takes a little bit to spoil it all

Ps 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

The Psalmist prayer to God to create in him a pure heart should be our daily prayer

remove the things that defile me, and increase the things that purify

when we find our selves entrapped in sin, every single time I have found that such a person and stopped spending time in God’s word, stopped praying daily as they should, find that their heart has been defiled.

get on our knees before God and asking him to create in us a pure heart. Remove the things that are not of Him, the things that defile us.

Will see God

1 Cor 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

Matthew 5:8 NASB95

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

The pure in heart will see God—now with the eyes of faith and finally in the dazzling brilliance of the beatific vision in whose light no deceit can exist (cf. Heb 12:14; 1 John 3:1–3; Rev 21:22–27).1

1 D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 135.

This promise is in partial fulfillment now but later will be complete

partial in that we see God through the lens of faith

Matthew 5:8 NASB95

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Quote from Charles Spurgeon:

“Foul hearts make dim eyes God-ward. To clear the eye we must cleanse the heart. Only purity has any idea of God, or any true vision of him. It is a great reward to be able to see God; and, on the other hand, it is of great help towards being pure in heart to have a true sight of the thrice-holy One. There are no pure hearts on earth unless the Lord has made them so, and none shall see God in heaven who have not been purified by grace while here below. Lord, create in me a clean heart, that I may behold thee, both now and for ever!”

complete in the day we stand before him, and spend eternity with him,

Rev 22:4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

Being pure in heart starts with a relationship