THE BEATITUDES – PART 7
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they will see God.”
Is this possible? Is it possible to be pure in heart? Is it possible to see God? The answer is yes to all three. Jesus would not tell the people this if it was not possible. It is why a person who does not have a relationship with God will see the above statement as a paradox, something seemingly absurd, but for someone who has a deep and committed relationship with Jesus and the Father, it is completely possible.
Jesus is telling them that after they have humbled themselves, been forgiven for their sins, taken on the humble and gentle manner of Himself, striving to live a life of righteousness and holiness, and showing the same level of compassion and mercy to others. It is time for them to take on a level of pureness, enabling them to experience God on a very personal level, leading to being with Him in His glory at the end of days. And how God’s blessing is on those who have such a close relationship with Him.
At the core of the word pure, the Greek word katharŏs [kath-ar-os] points to a clean heart. We can never fool ourselves by saying that we are sinless, but what we do hold fast to is that we can receive forgiveness for our sins regularly. I would be very hesitant to put my hand up and say I have an amazing relationship with God if I have habitual sin in my life. What do I mean by this? Habitual sin is that sin that we commit, and then we ask for forgiveness, and then we do it again tomorrow or the next day and ask for forgiveness again, and so the same unfolds the next day and the next day. This indicates that a contrite and repentant heart is not present. If a person continually upsets someone else, then surely the two cannot be in a good relationship.
Jesus is getting the point across that this is a two-way relationship. Our hearts should strive for cleanliness, working at overcoming sin. Mark, quoting Jesus, writes: “What comes out of a man makes him ‘unclean’. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts …” (Mark 7:20-23 NIV). It is here where the battle is between man and spirit, and no, you cannot blame your sins on the devil. He will tempt you, but you have the choice to resist or indulge; God will give you a way out: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV).
Join with me
as we work on keeping our hearts clean and pure. Let us strive
to be deep and close in our relationship with Jesus and the Father. A deep,
connected relationship enables us to call on Abba Father [Daddy God] and come
to Him as a child to a parent.