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Matthew 5:1-2, 8
In Matthew 5:8 Jesus teaches us, “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” Amen! A pure heart is the center-point of a relationship with God. Sincerity is a good word to describe this blessing. God knows when we are being sincere, not simply in our outward appearance that everyone can see, and can be a disguise, but a sincerity – a purity of our hearts is what God desires for us to have. God gives this instruction way back in the Old Testament as He chose a king for Israel, not a king in which the people chose as was the case with King Saul, but a king who would have the distinguishing characteristics that God desires. 1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV) explains this process as the Prophet Samuel was led by the LORD in choosing a new king [David] over his brothers who, by man’s standards, should have been chosen before David, “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” The blessing that will be given for the pure in heart is, “For they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
This is a promise that God knows the true feelings of our hearts.
This is a blessing for those who are pure in heart to the LORD.
The best example that I can find in the Bible for helping us to understand this blessing is that of the Pharisees. They were considered the most holy people of the day as they were the people of the High Priest of the Law. They were the people of Israel that were appointed to the work of the temple. They were considered the most holy people by the people, including themselves. But their hearts were not pure to the LORD. They did not show mercy to those in need but used them as stepping stones to show how much better they were than them. They were righteous in their own eyes and pressed this opinion on the public as to raise themselves above others. This is exactly what Lucifer (Satan) did to get himself thrown out of heaven. He strives to trap us in this same scenario so that he can keep us from having the pure relationship with God that God desires of us. Jesus states in Matthew 5:20 (HCSB), “For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus said this because He knew that the hearts of the Pharisees were not pure in their actions to God but were only seeking the praises of man. The Pharisees were considered the most righteous in the eyes of man, but in the eyes of God were not righteous at all.
Dear LORD,
We can put on the face of a Christian and say all the right things that Christians say, but if our hearts are not pure in our intentions, we are not righteous at all. Please help us to see the importance of having a pure heart – sincere in our actions and words and in our claim to salvation in Christ Jesus, that we would bring glory to You through our lives and truly be Your children – in Christ. In Jesus name I pray, amen.