THE BLESSEDNESS OF PURITY OF HEART
Matthew 5:8; Psalm 24:3,4; Revelation
22:3-5
The heart is the centre of life; out
of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). The surrounding may be clean but
as a man thinks in his heart so is he (Proverbs 23:7). We need to have a clean,
pure and perfect heart towards God (Matthew 12:34). The condition of the heart
determines what we say with our tongues, what we do with our hands, where we go
with our feet. It is the heart that moves or directs other parts of the body,
including the brain. It is the heart, not other parts of the body that harbours
guilt resulting from deeds done by other parts of the body like hands, feet,
tongue, etc. Also, what we treasure within tells who we are (Luke 6:45; 1
Samuel 16:7). The Lord searches the heart. Heart righteousness and not head
religion, is what will take us to heaven. Knowledge of divine revelation,
Christian doctrines, good activities and Christian services are not enough to
take us to heaven unless there is heart righteousness (Psalm 15:1,2).
1. THE
POSSIBILITY OF BEING PURE IN HEART
Matthew 5:8; 2
Kings 20:3-6; Acts 15:8,9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:4-10; Genesis
5:22-24; Daniel 6:3,22; Psalm 24:3,4; Revelation 7:9-17.
Purity of heart is
possible. There are people who had lived before us who were pure in heart
though they had temptations like we are having. If it was possible for them to
be pure, it is possible for us today. If God did it for them, He will do it for
us too. One of them, Hezekiah, at the point of death, prayed without fear of
condemnation, “I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked
before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good
in thy sight” and God answered because he truly had a perfect heart.
From the prayer of Hezekiah, it is clear that the married and the unmarried,
the leaders and the led can be pure in heart. Management position or
administration should not be an excuse for nursing an impure heart. If it was
possible for early apostles like John and Peter who were once boisterous, violent, boastful and self-confident to have
their nature so changed so much that they turned out to be the ones advocating
love, gentleness, humility and meekness, then it is possible for anyone. Early
believers including Cornelius, a military officer, also had their hearts
purified by faith. “And put no difference between us and them, purifying
their hearts by faith.” Therefore, whatever province, state or country
you live in, it is possible to be pure in heart. Before Paul the apostle was
born again, he had murderous, violent character. But after salvation occasioned
by the Lord, and purity of heart, he became so gentle and loving like a nurse.
What a change the grace of God can make in a man’s life! Pure heart implies a
pure mind, conscience, a purified affection, pure submissive will to the truth
of the Word of God and to the righteousness of God in the inner man, in the
inward part.
2. THE
PROVISION OF PURITY OF HEART
Matthew 5:8;
Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 36:25-28; Psalm 51:6-10; Romans 2:29; Titus 2:11-14;
Ephesians 5:25-27; John 17:6-23; Hebrews 8:6,10; 9:13,14;
10:16-23;13:12-14,20,21.
God has made
sufficient provision for the purification of our hearts. But we have to make
use of this provision so that the blessing of purity of heart can be our
experience. Beside the provision, God has power to change man and any of His
creatures. Thus, the Word of God says, “And the Lord thy God will
circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with
all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live”
(Deuteronomy 30:6). Both negative and positive miracles in scriptures show us
that God can circumcise our hearts. If He changed the heart of Nebuchadnezzar
from that of a man to an animal that ate grass for seven years, if He turned
him to his natural, human senses afterwards, He can change our nature – mind,
soul and spirit – so we can love Him with a pure heart. If God could open the
eyes of Balaam’s ass – the most stupid and dullest of animals – to see an
angel; if He could open its mouth to speak human language distinctly with
understanding, can He not so transform a life yielded to His hands to possess a
circumcised heart? If God could suspend the carnivorous and ferocious nature of
many lions such that they could not do any harm to Daniel, it is not hard for
Him to change human attitude, life and nature. If God could perform these
miracles on men and animals, He can and will change us if we allow Him. There
is no excuse then for remaining uncircumcised at heart.
Knowledge of
things that God has done in scriptures activates our faith to believe that He
can cleanse us completely from moral impurity. That God could make the clothes
Christ wore on the Mount of Transfiguration to be as white as no earthly
dry-cleaner could make should encourage us to believe that He, according to His
promise and provision, can “sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall
be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse
you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:
and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an
heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:25,26).
3. THE
PROMISE FOR THE PURE IN HEART
Matthew 5:8;
Job 33:25,26; Numbers 12:5-8; Exodus 33:11; Deuteronomy 34:10; Isaiah 33:15-17; Hebrews 12:14; 1 John
3:2,3; Job 19:25-27; Revelation 22:3-5.
The privilege that
we have of seeing God face to face is great. There are normal requirements and
conditions to be fulfilled before seeing great leaders in this world. People
find it easy fulfilling those conditions because of the benefits they will
enjoy. God’s own condition to be fulfilled before we can see His face is
holiness of heart and life. To interact with God here on earth at the time of
prayer, on hospital beds, during persecution, trials and at death, what an
incomparable privilege and joy will it be! But if you leave this world without
a pure heart with which to see God, how miserable will you be all through
eternity? Death is a glorious experience for the pure in heart. At death, John
Wesley said, “the best and the greatest that can ever happen is to see God”;
D. L. Moody said, “glorious day of coronation”; and another saint said, “I
see them, I see them, myriads of angels”.
God defends the
pure in heart. He spoke with Moses face to face because he was pure in heart.
God commands us to possess and maintain a pure and holy heart so as to enjoy
this privilege of seeing Him face to face on earth and in heaven. When Christ
shall return on that glorious day of rapture and resurrection, we shall see Him
face to face. What a glorious hope and expectation for the pure in heart! “Blessed
are the pure in heart: for they shall see God ” (Matthew 5:8). To be
among the number that will see God, ask the Lord to purify your heart now.
Original post from
No comments:
Post a Comment