Matthew 5:8 "Blessed is the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Like I said this is the key verse and I believe “pure” is the key word in the verse. Remember the background? The Pharisees and the Sadducees are plotting against Christ every chance they get. This is the case throughout the four gospels. When you read Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John always keep in mind that Jesus is preaching to the hearts of men and women. His word pierces them and this angers the Pharisees. Jesus exposes them. He points out their self-righteousness. Jesus isn’t trying to fill Church pews. He doesn’t care about the next business meeting. He isn’t worried about hurting someone’s feelings. He preaches the truth because he is the Truth!
Purity is a rarity then and now. What does it mean to have a pure heart? Jeremiah said, “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer 17:9) The Pharisees advertised purity but they had wicked hearts. They had no compassion for the poor, or the hurting. They were full of crap! You can quote me on that. Jesus is saying in this verse those who are “pure” or in other words “real”. Real inside not counterfeit. He is saying the Holy Spirit only produces a life of fruit bearing, and those who will be in his Kingdom exercise this trait. When we are saved we are born again. Our heart belongs to God. This doesn’t mean you want sin or have corrupted intentions from time to time, but it should not be common. Your life should automatically glorify Christ if you are saved. Most of the people I know believe they are going to heaven, but does their life glorify Christ?
So what makes this verse so important? In order to have a pure heart the previous verses have to apply to your life. You have to be poor in spirit or in other words you have to know how desperate you are without Christ. You have to be someone who mourns. This world is so corrupted and there are so many hurting today that we should mourn for the lost and afflicted. Jesus wept for Jerusalem and we should weep for our communities. You have to be meek or in other words self disciplined to abstain from sin. Sin is death and the heart that is full of sin is dead. Jesus said blessed is the “pure in heart”, and you cannot be pure in heart and live a life corrupted with sin. You also have to have a hunger and thirst for God. If you are going to be pure in heart you are going to have delight in the reading of his word. Zephaniah 3:17 says, “ the lord will rejoice over thee”. One-sided relationships don’t last. If you belong to Christ then you will rejoice in him and you will want to learn more about him. Also if you are pure in heart then you will have mercy. God has saved sinners from wretchedness. Who are we to not offer mercy to others?
The reason this verse is the pinnacle is because of where we end and that is in the hands of persecution. Verses 10-12 describe trouble to the believer because we live in a world that is not ours. (I will go further into that in the next few posts.) Calvinist love to boast of Romans 8:35-39 as verses of scripture to claim assurance of salvation. They have nothing to do with the assurance of salvation. A state of non-assurance of salvation is an oxymoron. You cannot be saved unless you believe. Romans 8:35-37 is about withstanding persecution. The pure hearted believer endures though persecution. Jesus is driving this point home because in order to live a life free from sin and contrary to the Pharisees there will be a cost. That cost is suffering. Jesus is the example. The pure hearted righteousness of God endured the cross. He humbled himself even unto death. Praise God for his love and may our hearts be pure!
Jesus Saves,
RR
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