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Matthew 5:8
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
“Getting a little bit repetitive, I’ve said that a few weeks in a row. In case you didn’t hear the announcements, just trying to help facilitate a little this year, maybe there’s some folks, and usually there are, maybe we don’t know you very well, but folks that are in the area for the Thanksgiving holiday, and don’t really have family to go be with, or close friends, a season of life maybe you’re in. We have sign-ups as you head out, where folks are signing up to host somebody or a family for the Thanksgiving dinner, or you also can if you’re looking for a place just to hang out with some Christians and some people, you can sign up too, and we can get you in touch with some folks that you can spend this Thanksgiving in good fellowship, and have just a good time with some folks. Also in the bulletin it was announced too, Straight Ahead, if you don’t know too much about it, and I’ll use the opportunity to say it again, Straight Ahead is a unique ministry, I’ve been praying about it for years, learning about them, reading about their newsletters, and they are folks that go into the local detention centers in different communities, with both guys and gals, they go in and just minister to kids. And there’s detention centers that have just opened up their doors wide to have Bible studies. And so we have guys that Monday nights go to a local detention center and they just do a Bible study with some of the young guys. And there are men, young guys that have come to this church too as a result, that are walking with the Lord today. So there’s now another group that are going into another detention center, and it’s just opened up, doors are open for them to just share Jesus, freely, with these young people that are in this one facility for six months at a time. And then there’s a detention center too that we don’t have people going to, but we’ve been asked if we have some ladies that would like to go into a ladies detention center and minister to some ladies, sharing a Bible study and just loving them, as they are at a time where they’re looking for answers to questions, being in that position in their life. So if you’re a lady, or even a guy, there are opportunities. Keep that in mind, you can speak to me, speak to Mike, there might even be a sign-up, I’m not sure if there is. But a neat opportunity for ministry that we have the opportunity to do. Anyhow, let’s say a word of prayer again. We’re going to pick up, we’re in Matthew chapter 5. ‘Lord, thank you, we gather here Sunday mornings, Lord, just to look upon you and to consider your Word. Of course Lord, as we gather here this morning, we can’t physically see you. In fact, I think of some of the Scriptures that we’re told your Spirit, in one sense to us, you’re invisible, yet we can see you in faith, truly see you, truly know you, no doubt about it. And so we gather to have a clearer vision in faith of who you are, Lord. And only you can do that in us, Lord. Only you can open the minds, and the hearts, and give light. I thank you Lord, as we go through your Word that your Word is indeed powerful and that it does certainly accomplish a mighty work in a heart that’s willing to receive, and willing to listen. So, once more as we have this time, Holy Spirit be upon us, be upon me too as we go through your Word, in Jesus name, amen.’
The Pure in Heart
There’s a story about this French Canadian writer, Francois Muriac, and evidently this man, Christian man, struggled for a season in his life, as a Christian, with just the flesh, the desires of the flesh. Well he wanted to be pure as a Christian man, wanted to live a pure life. Yet he found that, well there wasn’t really a good enough reason. When he was, you know, encountering temptation, there wasn’t a really good reason that would help him overcome the temptation, you know, the way he reasoned. So he struggled with it, didn’t want to do it, but yet when the temptation came, there wasn’t yet this deep conviction and motivation that would help him overcome this struggle. He thought maybe marriage would cure his lust problems, so he got married, but found that it was still recurring in his life, still a battle. He then even sought through self-discipline, really seeking to deal with this issue, the issues of lust and things in his heart. And yet he wasn’t having success there either. Then it was the reasoning, ‘Well I’ll just repress it. I’ll try to ignore it. Pretend it’s not there, repress it, keep it down.’ But yet he continued to struggle. Well, one day he was reading Matthew chapter 5, came to verse 8. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” And when he read this Scripture, light just turned on, something hit him there as he read it. There was this realization, seeing God, pure in heart, blessed are the pure in heart. And it hit him, you know, as a Christian man he wanted to be near to God, wanted to have a close walk and fellowship with God. And the light turned on, you know, with the lack of purity, that’s going to have an effect in my walk and relationship with God [a negative effect]. ‘So then what I need is purity.’ And that became a strong motivator in his life. That from there on, because of that realization, man, he didn’t want anything to hinder his walk with God. So that was the conviction he needed, that was the deal he needed when it came to temptation. He found that over time, there was this motivation in his heart so that he became stronger and stronger in resisting temptation. I remember with some folks talking about just good reasons not to sin, you know, good reasons, lot’s of good reasons we could list. Of course, you think what you sow, you know, you reap what you sow the Bible says. So you think about some of the ugly things you can reap into your life and bring into your life through sin. So that, as we were discussing in this one group, that’s a good motivator not to sin. Of course, we talked also about the fear of God, you know, God we’re told in the Scripture, God chastises those that he loves, disciplines us, and that’s not pleasant. Clearly it even says in the Scripture it’s not pleasant. So that’s a motivator. But as we discussed this, one of my friends piped in, and he says, ‘You know, I think one of the greatest motivators and the reason why I seek not to sin, is because I don’t want to hurt the one I love. I don’t want to hurt the one I love.’ And so after that, for a few days, I got to consider that, and I thought about that, and I said, ‘It’s just like Joseph with Potipher’s wife, in that particular situation he ran out the door and he said to her, he said, ‘How could I sin against God, how could I do this? I’m going to do this.’ So he ran out the door, and was able to, repeatedly, we’re told, day after day with this gal, stand against this sin. And no doubt, that heart, that heart is a powerful step towards the process of living the victorious Christian life. And Jesus has something to say about this, as we’ve already noted, and we’re going to kind of dig into this week as we pick up with verse 8 in chapter 5.
The Beatitudes, Matthew 5:1-12
Let’s begin though again with verse 1. And you know, the neat thing about reading this passage over and over, is we grow in faith. And there’s some wonderful things that are here. Chapter 5, verses 1-12, “ And seeing the multitudes, he went up on a mountain, and when he was seated his disciples came to him. Then he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” So, the sixth beatitude, the sixth time as we’ve noted each week, Jesus on the side of this mount above the Sea of Galilee, multitude around him. Sixth time, he says “Blessed, blessed”, that Greek word meaning “joy”, “perfectly happy”, ‘perfectly happy are you, if these things that he’s sharing, these certain things are true in your life.’ ‘Blessed are you’, verse 3, ‘if you understand your spiritual condition, your spiritual poverty, if you see that for what it is.’ ‘Blessed are you if you then mourn, and are broken over your spiritual state, as you realize it and then are broken over it.’ ‘And blessed are you, if you’ve then longed to change, and in longing to change, hunger and seek after righteousness, the very righteousness of God [not your own], blessed are you.’ ‘And blessed are you, because you are then filled, and then being filled, as a result, as we saw last week, then you become merciful and compassionate towards others, blessed are you.’ And now, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart”, another translation, “Happy are the clean in heart”, or this could also actually be rendered, “Happy are the holy, happy are the holy.” Now those are words that, you know, in our society, that you would think wouldn’t go together, ‘happy are the holy.’ You would think in our society, ‘happy are the unholy.’ But Jesus is essentially saying here, “Happy are the holy”. You know, where is true happiness found? It’s found right here, it’s not found in pleasure. The British poet, lord Byron, lived a life of pleasure beyond just about what anybody did. In fact, he had a lot of romance, love affairs and all that, and he wrote the book “Don Juan”, you know, when we speak of a Don Juan, this particular man, seeking pleasure in that, yet he wrote about his life, “The worm, the canker and grief are mine alone.” That’s what he (this lord Byron) said about his life. Happiness, happiness isn’t found in pleasure, it isn’t found in money, no, it’s not found in that either. Jay Gould, the 19th century American millionaire, had a lot of money. In fact, even at one time he tried to corner the whole world gold market, in fact, in doing that on September 24th 1864, he brought a worldwide financial panic, he had so much money, as he sought to do that. But this man had a ton of loot. When dying, he said, “I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth.” [see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Gould.] Happiness, where’s it found? It’s not found in pleasure, not found in money, it’s not found in position and fame either. Lord Beaconsfield was a man who had a lot of position in life, a lot of fame, and he wrote about his life “Youth is a mistake, manhood a struggle, old-age a regret.” [chuckles] That doesn’t sound like a happy life. Personal accomplishment and success, is happiness found there? No, Alexander the Great, this guy, man, as far as success and accomplishment, in his young thirties, he conquered the entire world, militarily, conquered it all. Young thirties, after he did that, he went into his tent, and he wept, “There are no more world’s to conquer” he said. He just wept. Had conquered the whole world at that time. So success and accomplishment, a lot of people will tell you happiness is found there, but it isn’t. Extreme intellect and human reasoning, is happiness found there? Well, the French writer, Voltaire [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire], considered one of the central figures of the ‘Age of Enlightenment’ wrote one day “I wish I had never been born.” So happiness, the world says ‘happiness, happiness, happiness, it ain’t happiness’. 2,000 years ago Jesus said “Blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed, perfect happiness, and this is where it’s found. And he says here “Happy are the holy, happy are the holy”, that’s the answer, that’s the deal, right here, Matthew chapter 5. “Blessed are the pure in heart, happy are the holy”, happiness and holiness go hand in hand, they go hand in hand. Therefore, the unholy life is not a happy life. If somebody’s living a life that’s unholy, they do not know true happiness. And the Bible is very clear, sin never produces joy, it never produces happiness. In fact, it brings death is what it brings. It might give a temporary thrill, maybe a little bit of a good time for a short time, but if you’re seeking to find satisfaction in the world in one way or another, in the end you’ll find yourself just like these other guys, going “the worm, the canker, grief, that’s mine, I must be he most miserable person, my life’s been a struggle, a mistake, I wish I had never been born.” And maybe that’s you here this morning. Maybe you’ve had those thoughts, you’ve had those very thoughts. ‘Wish I’d never been born, boy, life is miserable, canker, that’s me, man.’ Maybe that’s you this morning. Maybe you’ve been working through that. Maybe you’re feeling empty, feeling miserable, maybe it’s because you’ve been looking in the wrong place. In the Old Testament the Bible talks about the springs and wells of the world, you know, those wells that the world has dug, you know, you go in there and try to get that need met, and you find out the well is cracked, it’s empty, there’s nothing there. But Jesus said, ‘I’ve got stuff you can drink of, man, it’s abundant life, it’s abundant life. Today, you want to be happy? Jesus says “Blessed are the pure in heart”, “Happy are the holy.” Man, just think about it, holy life, there’s no regrets with the holy life, there’s no regrets. No waking up early the next day ashamed, ‘you know, I can’t believe I did that last night.’ Ashamed, embarrassed. You know, waking up when you’re living a holy life like that, none of the awkwardness or uneasiness, trying to hide things from people, you know, the things you’ve done, you’re trying to hide if from them, worried your spouse might find out, or your friend, or your parent, none of that stuff, nor the pain, the pain that comes, and the hurt from your mistakes, that you have to live with, nor the grief that you’ve hurt other people. Some people are so grieved because they’ve hurt people so badly. There’s none of that if you’re living a holy live. There’s none of the fretting and worrying, you know, ‘Is the business deal going to work out? Is that guy going to take advantage of me? Are they being fair with me? You know, I’ve got that investment, what are they going to do with it?’ None of the worrying about that stuff anymore, keeping you up at night, you know, about the people at the business, are they really being faithful with their time? What are they doing with your money?---none of that. No looking over the shoulder, going ‘What’s going to come next? What are they going to do? What are they going to do with me now? It goes on and on and on, there’s no STDs with holiness, no addictions of any kind, none of that stuff, none of those hooks you can get into your life, it’s a great life. Indeed happiness and holiness, they go hand in hand. “Blessed are the pure in heart.”
What is meant by “pure”?
Now, what is meant by “pure”? You know, the American Heritage Talking Dictionary, which I need sometimes because I can’t say it sometimes, because I can’t say words, so, it tells me how to say it, talking dictionary, and it tells me how to say the word. But what is meant by “pure”? It defines it this way, “Having a homogenous or uniform composition, not mixed. Free from adultarance or impurities, free of dirt, defilement or pollution. Free of foreign elements. Containing nothing inappropriate or extraneous.” So, pure. The Greek word for “pure” here is katharos. It’s where we get our word “cathartic”. And of course, in medicine, a cathartic agent is used to clean an infected area. And as it cleans it, it’s then made pure, which is important. It’s used in counseling, that term too, cathartic to refer to a cathartic experience where somebody has confessed their sin and now they feel free of it, in a sense, cleansed from it and pure of it. [Strongs #2513, katharos (lit. or fig.):-clean, clear, pure.] In the Greek culture it was also used to refer to the hands that had been washed, made clean or the wheat that had been winnowed, the chaff had been winnowed away and had been removed, so you just had the good stuff, the kernels. Maybe you’ve listened to Jon Courson, but he has a good illustration that’s often used, and by the way, Jon Courson will be here in February, so if you like listening to him on the radio, he’s going to be doing the “Couple’s Retreat” this February. They refer to Ivory Soap, saying they thought of their soap as being 99.9999999 percent pure, the pure deal, real soap, no perfumes, no additives, no coloring, you know, this is pure soap, Ivory. And so in that sense, pure, although it’s .0000001 percent impure, but Ivory, pure.
What is meant by heart in “pure
in heart”?
Pure in heart, so what he’s saying exactly then is ‘the heart’. What is the heart? You know, in our society you think of the physical heart, and then somehow there’s a spiritual connection with that. The Greek culture was a little bit different. The heart is the center of the emotion, the mind and the will, it’s the center of the person. In the Greek culture, it was seen as the center of thinking, so you could actually in the Greek culture where you saw the word “heart” you could put the word “mind.” The Greeks thought of it as “the mind.” The heart was that in the sense of the intellect and thinking. And that’s true, too, in Proverbs chapter 23, verse 7, “For as he thinks in his heart…” I can’t think with this heart down here [pointing to his heart], but I can think with this one up here [pointing to his head], but the spiritual sense “As he thinks in his heart, so he is.” So the center of one’s being, the personality, the total person, the fount of which all of life flows, the very center of who you are, that’s the heart. And it includes the way you reason and think, the way you look at life. In the Bible we also see the heart is the “seat of all troubles”, for we’re told ‘out of the heart all the evil proceeds,’ all the evil proceeds out of the heart. So according to the Scripture, my problem isn’t the environment, it wasn’t my parents, the way they raised me, or if I didn’t have parents, it wasn’t the economic means of my family, that I was raised in poverty, that’s my problem, or I had too much, that’s my problem, that’s not the issue. The Bible says the issue is “the heart.” All of life’s issues are right there where you’re seated, right there in the center of who you are, that’s where it’s all dealt with, right there. It’s not the environment. And the Bible proves that at the very beginning, first verses of Genesis, is you have this perfect world, paradise, you have man, no environmental issues, and man falls pretty hard, does some pretty bad stuff [due to an extremely crafty and powerful archangel named Lucifer, Satan, the Devil who fills men’s hearts with his evil broadcasts of wrath and the works of the flesh, cf. Galatians 5:19-21]. So it’s the heart. So the heart’s the very center of who I am, yet at the same time, man, that’s where all the issues are dealt with. So, pure in heart. Pure in heart, then, there’s that statement of being cleansed in the heart, having stuff dealt with down there, stuff removed, where now we have this focus, this purity, the state of being where there aren’t any issues, nothing bad left there, the defiling stuff is taken away. It’s to be without hypocrisy, undivided (not double-minded), focused, singleness of heart, pure in heart.
How the Bible defines purity---three different ways
Now when the Bible speaks of purity, and purity in heart, it does so in a number of ways. When you see “pure, pure, pure”, you know, referring to me, it refers to purity in my life in three different ways. 1) One of the ways it refers to, there’s the sense of purity in the perfect sense, and right now there’s not perfect purity in any of our lives. But the Bible does refer to me in that way, in the sense of the future, speaking of perfect, purity, perfect in every way---that some day, 1st John, chapter 3, verse 2, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be like, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” We shall be like him, and he’s perfectly holy and I will be like him, perfectly one day, in the kingdom of heaven, and I can’t wait to get there. 2) Secondly, the Bible also speaks to purity in the sense of a positional purity, and it is also what I am right now. That when I came to Christ as a Christian (or Messianic Jewish believer in Jesus), and became a Christian, before that, I was not in this place, but when I came to Christ I realized my state, I realized I needed help, I was poor in spirit, I was a sinner and I needed a Savior and I turned to him and he saved me. The Bible says that at that point, positionally, I became pure---meaning that when God now looks at me, though I have issues in my heart and issues in my life, all kinds of struggles, don’t even have to go too far on the clock, all kinds of struggles---yet when God looks at me, he looks at me right now and he sees me positionally pure, in the true sense he sees Christ. So he sees the righteousness of Christ. And it is for that reason I can have fellowship with him, because he’s Holy and I am unholy, but yet he looks and he sees Christ, and now there’s that holiness, so I can have fellowship with him. So, perfectly pure, in the future, positionally pure today. 3) And then there’s this sense of practical purity, that’s also included in this word that Jesus is saying here, “Blessed are the pure in heart”, the practical purity, what we term sanctification. That I’m positionally pure, but now I’m working it out in my life, this practical growing and maturing and becoming more and more like Christ, more and more learning in the life of the Spirit. That practical sense of becoming what I am in Christ. Colossians chapter 3, turn there, we’ll just read it together. This is essentially what Paul is saying here. Colossians chapter 3 verses 1-11, “If then you are raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” So your life is hidden with him, and you’re positionally pure. “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” So, future purity, perfectly. “Therefore” now we’re talking practically, “put to death your members which are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked and you lived in them, but now you yourselves are to put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge, according to the image of him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, Barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but of Christ is all and in all.” So right there you see 1) positionally, 2) you see future, perfectly, but then he says 3) practical, practical, a day-to-day deal, happening more and more in your life. So, “Blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the pure in heart…” I think here too of when somebody comes to Christ, what’s being stated here, when I became a Christian, this work started to happen in my life, where, before I was a Christian, I looked at life a certain way, things didn’t bother me so much, I could look at things and think about things and hear things [that were classified wrong, sin by the Bible’s definition of sin (1 John 3:4)] and it didn’t really bother me so much. But then as I became a Christian, and I started to grow in the Lord, now suddenly there is this work going on in me, and I’m like, you know, I don’t like to look at that, that bothers me, I don’t like to hear that, just the sound of that kind of rubs me now the wrong way. And I think of even this election [November 2004] this last couple weeks, and they’re talking all about values and morality, and then you know, talking about these evangelicals that went out and voted for values and morality, but then there’s the responses. Maybe you’re reading in the New York Times or the newspapers about others that have stood and said, ‘You know, values and morality? But we have values and morality, and how are they any better than us?’ But then as I hear what they say values and morality are, and like I can’t relate. I can’t relate to what they call morality. I have this work going on in my life, and I see life now very differently as a result. And so when I hear about certain things, like partial birth abortion, it just grieves my being, you know, it just really sinks down there deep. I can’t even consider it. I can’t understand how somebody would even think it’s ok, in any situation. And we could go on and on and on, you know, just the media. And I was reading this week in the paper how, and I was thankful to read it, how certain TV stations where going to air a program, and because of the recent rulings with the FCC, they decided to not air this program. I’m sure the program’s fine, I never watched it, in and of itself, and maybe has a good theme. But they were nervous because they know in airing this at prime-time, there are some issues in there. They’ve aired it before, but now they’re worried that the FCC might come out and fine them, and it’s for that reason that they’re not going to air it. But it’s interesting, that there wouldn’t be the conviction in their heart just to say, ‘Well this is wrong, this stuff isn’t good for children to see, or hear, so we’ll keep it off.’ But now, it’s the fear of being fined that is motivating them. But you know, in my heart, I don’t want to watch this stuff. I don’t want to hear this stuff, it’s just in me, it’s just this thing that God is working. I guess it’s what we have here, pure in heart, pure in heart. Ephesians chapter 4, where Paul speaks about this, about the difference, the contrast of what I was before and what I am now. He says, “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understandings darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart, who being past feeling…” ‘Past feeling’, what does that mean? “…having given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” Meaning, past feeling, there’s not that sense of the Spirit’s conviction, there’s not the conscience. They can listen, they can watch, and no problem, and not understand why I would have a problem with it. But now I have become a Christian, and I have this work, this sanctification going on in me, this Spirit, and now this purifying of my life, and now I’m bothered, I’m convicted, it just troubles me, it’s not good, I see it differently, I see it differently.
Hypocritical purity, Pharisaic purity, the world’s
purity---verses true “purity in heart”
Now when Jesus says these things, “Blessed are the pure in heart”, of course he’s also dealing, there’s a crowd around him, religious leaders, there are these people that want to appear pure, that wanted to appear holy and righteous, holier than thou, so they had the outward appearance of it, they had this religious system they had set up, and all these regulations, and man, they just did the regulations so you could watch them do it, so you could just see, yeah, these are Godly people. But then Jesus comes and says ‘You’re a whitewashed tomb, you look one way on the outside, but inside it’s really a different deal, hypocrisy, man, ugliness. You look nice on the outside, as far as the way you want to appear, all religious, but inside there is such vile stuff in your heart, you’re not pure in any way.’ So Jesus comes, and he doesn’t just say “Blessed are the pure”, although it’s rendered that way in Luke, we know when Matthew writes, he says “pure in heart”, ‘right down in the very being, that’s what I’m talking about, I’m taking about true holiness, through and through your very person.’ What is important is holiness throughout all who you are, the very heart. You know, Jesus says ‘You know, you say you haven’t committed adultery, but you’ve thought about it, how’s that any different?’ ‘You say you haven’t murdered, but yet you’ve thought about it. And how’s that any different?’ It’s the same thing, it’s the heart. So you haven’t murdered, but you have hatred in your heart. But now he says ‘Blessed, happy, joyful are the pure in heart, they’ve been cleansed, they’ve been changed by the Spirit of God’, and now there’s this, right in the very center, this change in them, and it’s coming out from their very being, it’s affecting the way they look at life, it’s affecting the very thoughts that they have. It’s not just the way people see them on the outside, it’s their very person that’s changed. He says, Blessed are the pure in heart, it’s all about the heart. When the heart is right, the rest is in line, the rest follows, the actions are the way they are supposed to be. I mean, the heart is right, the mind is right. Somebody has said, “Godliness doesn’t move from the outside in, but from the inside out.” It’s not a religious system, it’s not going to church and going through a ceremony, it’s not having somebody say something over you, it’s something that happens right here. That’s what holiness is. And happy are the holy, blessed are the pure in heart. Solomon said this, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life.” Keep your heart with all diligence, out of all the issues of life are right there in your heart.
How do we then become “pure in heart”?
So, Blessed are the pure in heart, how do we then become pure in heart? How do you become pure in heart? Well, as we’ve noted each time, there is a process that is here, I believe that Jesus is referring to, and as this process happens to me, it is the result that starts to happen in my life. How do I become pure in heart? Well it starts with verse 3, 1) it starts with me realizing my spiritual condition, that I am a sinner. The Bible says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And in that realizing that before a holy God, what that means, separation, judgment. 2) So I’m now in poverty of spirit, I realize it, and I’m broken over it. “Blessed are those who mourn”, I’m broken over it, I mourn, I shed a tear…[tape switchover, some text lost] 3) Then you ask God to fill you with his righteousness, due to this hunger and thirst for it that’s developing within you…and then when you are filled with the righteousness of God, verse 6, as we saw last week, you then start to become merciful in the truest sense. There’s the compassion of God, the love of God is flowing in you, “Blessed are the merciful.” When I am filled with the righteousness of God, then there’s this pure in heart that begins to happen, I become a Christian [or Messianic Jewish believer in Yeshua], it starts to happen in my life, my mind starts to change, the way I think, my desires are different. “Blessed are the peacemakers”, that also comes, I don’t have my boxing gloves on, I’m not this antagonistic contentious person, I now want peace, and I want people to have peace with God, and I change, it’s as a result of being filled with the righteousness of God. Yet as we also have noted, here is the picture of salvation of a man or woman getting right with God, that’s listed here. And I can’t make myself pure in heart, I mean, it’s a God thing, it’s an infusion of the Holy Spirit in me that makes me pure, it just moves in and cleanses and heals. The blood of Christ heals. But yet at the same time, as we talked about, this practically, there is a practical side of this that goes on in my life, where now I’ve been saved, I’ve been positionally pure, there’s this work going on. But you know, Job, Job, this man of God says “I’ve made a covenant with my eyes. Why then should I look upon a young woman?” he says, ‘No way, I’m not even going to look, I have this heart, so I’ve made a covenant with my eyes, in a practical sense, I won’t even look, I’ll look the other way, I won’t even do it.’ So that practical discipline that is there. And then, Paul, speaking of the mind, practically with the mind, through the power of the Holy Spirit, ‘I have this power to take my thoughts captive and so, I’m not just going to let my mind go, and if it goes, I’m going to stop it.’ And so Paul says, “Brethren”, Philippians chapter 4, verses 8-10, “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, Whatsoever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything that is praiseworthy, think on these things. The things you have learned and heard and received and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” So, covenant with my eyes, and then I control my thoughts. [2 Corinthians 10:3-6, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare, are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into the captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”] I think just last night, with my kids. You know, it’s tough in this world, man, anymore, to find videos to watch with your family. It’s just amazing, and here I struggle as a dad, my wife struggles too. I don’t want in any way to shelter my kids so much that they can’t relate to society. You know, I don’t want them to grow up and…you know, I lived in Europe for many years when I was young, so, you know, people will come to me now…”Leave it to Beaver” and all that stuff, a lot of that stuff I never watched, because where I lived in Europe it wasn’t on television, I missed all those things. But I don’t want my kids to be out of touch. And I want them to be ready for the world. But yet at the same time, it’s tough today, it’s getting tougher, and I was thankful to hear, even in a Harvard University study that was testifying after years, there’s no doubt about the movie industry, that they have taken the ratings and they’ve really redefined them. What used to be PG ten years ago is not PG today. Today PG is now what would have been borderline R back then. Clearly this is a Harvard secular study. So, I find at times when I have videos given to us, and there will be really popular videos that are out, and maybe there’s kids around the community talking about them, and so I pop them in with my kids, and then often not long after go ‘Oh, man’, and then I’ve got to turn it off. I don’t want to turn it off, maybe it’s just one scene, and then there’s another one, and I can’t believe they said that, and then I’ve got this two-year-old saying it over and over again, you know what I mean [laughter]. You know, one little phrase that came out there. And I’m, ‘What’s up with that?’ So, I don’t want to shelter them, not in a bad way, but we’re watching, I got two videos they’re all excited about, and I’ve got the deal, my wife’s at the women’s retreat, so I’ve got the kids Friday night and Saturday, all three of them. And so she knows, and I have to try to get ready a little bit [for the next day’s sermon], but videos, man. Dad’s got the kids, let’s get some videos [laughter], kind of helps a little bit, you know. You play with them and all that, and then ‘Let’s get that TV going, you know.’ [chuckles] We limit it at other times. But we’ve got a couple videos, they’re really excited about it. And so, passed onto us by some family members. Pop one in, it’s not too long, it’s PG, it’s not too long before I go ‘I really don’t like that situation’, I just got set up. I’m not so black and white, I can kind of let it go, and then there’s another thing that’s being said, and ‘why does that lady dress like that?’, and she’s like the main character, and ‘why are they doing that in this movie, it’s for kids?’, and it goes on and on and on, and then fortunately, you know, there’s a few minutes of this, and I even cover the TV at one point, couldn’t believe that scene was there, covered it…fortunately, my littlest daughter, battling through this for a moment, covering the TV, hoping they’re not hearing some of the things, and my daughter goes ‘I don’t like this.’ I’m like, “Alright, let’s turn it off.” [laughter] So now the second video we put on, second video, now they’ve already seen this video with some relatives. And my son and daughter, ‘This is better Dad.’ We’re watching it, and it’s not so bad, but yet there’s this one thing, I’m like ‘Why are they doing that?’ And the second was a sequel to that, it seems like they kind of upped it, they kind of were a little bit more mild with the first one, then they cranked it up on the second one, maybe it’s just my mind. But there’s this thing that’s bothering me, so we watched it awhile, and I’ve not turned it off because it’s just right at the edge, and I’m not sure if there’s anything going on with my kids. You know, they’re kids, so maybe they’re not really picking up on it. So anyway it’s time for bed, we turn it off. And don’t you know, my son, he goes, right off, I didn’t say anything, he goes “Dad” he says, “Why did that lady have to dress that way in the video?” And so we started to talk about this. And it was true, it was bothering me, you know, why does it have to be that low-cut in a children’s video? Why is that? I mean, they could have given her a different piece of clothing. It isn’t what she showed up with on the set, I mean, they dressed her that way. Right? And so we get into this discussion, and I start telling him, “I don’t want to shelter you so much, but I’m thankful that you said that, I am. And I wasn’t sure you were picking up on it, I’m not sure, you’re 8 years old, but you know, blessed are the pure in heart, son.” A pure heart and a pure mind, it’s a good life. There are young kids who are unfortunately going down other roads today, and they’re reaping the fruit of it, and mom and dad aren’t even being wise, and stuff going in their minds, and pure in heart, they won’t know the blessed joy of happiness of being pure in heart, because this stuff is going into their minds and taking root, and it’s going to hurt them so much more later.
Why are we called “blessed” for being---or
becoming---“pure in heart”?
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Now, why are they blessed? Because it says “for they shall see God.” You know, he said over and over, he doesn’t say “Blessed” and just leave it, he give reasons why every time, “for they shall see God”, they shall see God. Happy are you. Of course, you know when we say ‘What does that mean “they shall see God?”’, we think of course of the future, when you are born-again and right with God, the Bible says you’re saved, you have salvation, so in eternity you’ll be with God. And as we read in 1st John, you’re going to see him one day, you’re going to look upon him. And David said in the Psalms “In the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). So to be in his presence is incredible blessedness, it will be so joyful to be in the kingdom of heaven, literally. That’s all the kingdom of heaven is, is joy upon joy upon joy. But also, it is in the here and now, “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”, there’s a here and now. Now, physically, you cannot see God today. The Bible says if we looked upon him [cranked up to his full glorified state] we’d be in big trouble, he’s Holy, he’s Light, he’s a consuming fire. And in this old tent it is not possible. [look up and read the 14th chapter of Zechariah, where Jesus, coming down from heaven virtually melts the opposing armies of the world, just by their looking upon him. The light Jesus emits is more powerful than the most powerful laser light imaginable.] So when he says “they shall see God” he’s referring to that of faith. When I think of Moses in Hebrews chapter 11, turn there and we’ll just read it together. Hebrews 11, verses 24-27a, “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter [Hatshepsut, see http://www.unityinchrist.com/lamb/exodus1.html], choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” That’s what it means “by faith.” “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”, this Moses, this man, I mean, at this particular time, you guys have all seen Prince of Egypt, if you haven’t read the Bible, you’ll at least know that, he was way up there in society, this man had been given such privilege and position, he had such wealth and influence, had been given the best the world could offer, yet he was there going, ‘I look at that, but then I see Christ’, and Christ hadn’t even come yet. He says ‘I see the Gospel from the Scriptures.’ I understand that there’s a Messiah that’s coming, and I see him in faith. I see God, and I don’t want to live for the world.’ Instead he took on the sufferings of Christ, and he lived for that. He lived for that, seeing him who was invisible. And I know all of us, you know, most of us, maybe all of us this morning can relate, same experience. ‘I saw God, I see God.’ I don’t physically see him, but man, I know I see him in the sense of faith, he’s very real. And it isn’t something I just conjured up, it’s something that started to happen, the light started to turn on, spiritually speaking, and now there’s this work of God going on in my life, and it’s just the gracious work of God, man. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”, it’s by faith, it’s by faith. And it’s a real faith. I mean, it’s real. Faith is tangible, it’s real, it isn’t something you just make up, ‘I’m gonna do it…’, it’s real. But of course, some day in the future, Paul said in 1st Corinthians 13:12, “Now we see in a mirror dimly, then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am also known.” So, I see in faith, but it’s a little dim picture, it’s a true picture, but later I’m gonna see God and stand in his very presence. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” So, we’ve gone through it, what about you this morning? Where is your life? Is there joy? Is there happiness? Is there peace? Is there that work of God, the Spirit of God going on that just, you desire different things, you want to live pure, you desire purity. Maybe you’ve wrestled, like this French Canadian writer that, you’ve wanted it, and you’ve tried it different ways through discipline, you thought this would help and that would help, and you’ve fallen short, but you want it, but this is it right here. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”, it’s the work of the Spirit of God in my life. But also, this practical motivation that comes as I realize my relationship with God is so important, I want to know him, and if I want to know him, I can’t live that way, I can’t have that in my heart, can’t go down that road. And I’m driven to know him and I want to be near him, and I want to please him, I wouldn’t want to hurt the one I love. Blessed, blessed, blessed, six times Jesus, six reasons he’s given us for having happiness and joy. You’re not going to find it in money, you’re not going to find it in position and fame, you’re not going to find it in intellect, you’re not going to find it there, but happy, happy, happy right here. And then he gives us reasons, he’s given us six reasons, happy, blessed are you if all these things are true, because yours will be the kingdom of heaven, you will be comforted, you will inherit the earth, you will be filled with the righteousness of God, you will obtain compassion and mercy, and you will see God. Let’s close in prayer…[transcript of a connective expository sermon on Matthew 5:7, given somewhere in New England.]
related material:
http://www.unityinchrist.com/galatians/Galatians5-1-26.htm
http://www.unityinchrist.com/galatians/Galatians6-1-18.htm
http://www.unityinchrist.com/lamb/exodus1.html
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