Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8 (NIV)
What a blessed promise we are given here in our verse for today by our Lord Jesus! God tells us “the pure in heart” will see God. To be sure, this is a superior promise and helps us to fight against sin’s downward pull in our lives. Sin always takes us down, never up. Remember, we fall into sin but righteousness must be our great pursuit. The blessing is that we often see God’s mighty Hand move on our behalf when we remain faithful and loving toward all He has made. The Apostle Paul writes to his “dear son in the faith”, Timothy, in 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV): “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Believers in Christ Jesus are to walk in a manner worthy of the great Gospel they proclaim – through His power and for His glory. If we claim faith we are to live it, Amen?
Our all-sufficient God is pure holiness and goodness, as well as unequalled beauty, unsearchable wisdom, and unrivaled strength. And He, amazingly, loves us without measure with an everlasting love. He desires for none to perish but all to come to repentance. And He longs for us is to walk in purity not perverseness. This is for our ultimate good and His glory – one never surpassing the other. It matters greatly how we live this one life we have been given. Again, the Apostle Paul writes to his beloved Timothy words we too should adhere to in 1 Timothy 4:16 (NIV): “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” It is all too easy for us to pursue selfish ambitions and vain conceits rather than purity, Amen? Therefore, we are wise to seek to walk as Jesus walked - humbling ourselves under God’s mighty Hand so that He will lift us up in due time. And to pursue righteousness, purity and love. We fall into sin but righteousness is a pursuit. Also, Scripture tells us if we claim to live in Him, we must walk as Jesus did.
Jesus works in us from the inside out as His desire for us is a heart change and a heart change will reflect both in our thoughts and actions. It begins in the head then to the heart and finally to the hand. Purity in the heart will always demonstrate in both our words and deeds. We will “flesh out” what we know to be true. We should all desire a relentless pursuit of purity and we are to flee all that keeps us from this great goal.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)