The Pure In Heart
Blessed Are the Pure in Heart
by Michael Allen
Purity marks all cultures in their
different ways.
Sociologists tell
us that every tribe or group develops its own expectations regarding social
mores and behavior.
In speaking of
purity, neither Jesus nor the Bible is charting into strange or unfamiliar
territory.
But the way in
which Jesus and the whole biblical witness unpack and commend the call to
purity nonetheless proves startling and distinctive.
We do well to ask
how the words of Matthew 5:8 not
only parallel other moralities but also how they break the mold and attest the
singular beauty of the gospel.
This beatitude,
like the others, not only affirms a moral posture or character trait but also
relates it rather directly to a particular gift.
In this case, the “pure
in heart” are those who “shall see God.”
We will consider
two distinctive elements that speak of the pathway and the prize attested.
First, seeing God is a
gift of the gospel of Christ.
Long ago, Moses
knew the desire to see God’s glory (Exodus 33:18).
David
prayed for this “one thing” alone, that “I may dwell in the house of the Lord all
the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his
temple” (Psalm 27:4).
The biblical
witness so consistently points to the fact that we are made with the divinely
designed yearning for God that the early Christians spoke of our great hope as
the “beatific vision” of God.
And
the gospel attests the pledge that this vision of God (visio Dei) will be
granted when old things have passed away and it can finally be said: “Behold,
the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will
be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3).
The
loud voice from the throne calls the reader of Revelation to see (“Behold!”)
the very presence of God, for He will be near.
We learn in Matthew
17:1-8 that it is owing to the
mediator, to Jesus Himself, that we can see God’s glory.
His work, on our
behalf and also in our transformation, brings about the requisite purity and
also makes visible the beauty of God Most High (John 1:18; 2 Corinthians 4:6).
Only in Him do we
have no reason to fear for sin and every reason to look boldly upon His glory (Matthew 17:7–8).
Second, this sight shows
the generosity and kindness of the God who adopts us and who is Himself our
hope and desire.
The gospel takes
typical expectations of behavioral purity and reshapes them.
The purity demanded
leads unto heavenly glory and blessing, not simple human acceptance or social
belonging.
The gospel gives us
God.
So
the Apostle who saw Jesus Christ gloriously displayed on the Damascus Road
would later speak to the Christians in Ephesus that by grace the God who has
all “fills
all in all” (Ephesians 1:23)
And
that, therefore, you can prayerfully and confidently expect that in Him “you
may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).
Our salvation
involves nothing less than the gift of our Savior Himself.
God is not merely
the author of the gospel—God is the end of the gospel.
The “pure
of heart” are those who see that we are made for and only satisfied
ultimately by the sight of God.
Other gifts are
good; this prize alone is ultimately blessed.
A crucial facet of
growing in the kind of purity envisioned and given by Jesus is the insatiable
sense that we would not delight in any other good or reward apart from His
giving Himself to us.
With
David, the “pure in heart” can say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good
apart from you” (Psalm 16:2).
Would you want God to change your life? Would you
want to be empowered by the Holy Spirit?
God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience
an amazing change in your own life through a relationship with His Son, Jesus
Christ, and have eternal life.
Say the following prayer:
“Father God, I confess I am a sinner and my sins have
separated me from You.
I
am truly sorry. I now want to
turn away from my past sinful life and live a new life pleasing to You.
Please
forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again.
I
believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the
dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.
I
invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from
this day forward. Thank You that according to Your Word, I am now born again.
Please
send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of
my life. I promise to study Your Word – the Bible.
Use
me for Your glory.
In
Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.”
Dr. Michael Allen is associate professor
of systematic and historical theology at Reformed
Theological Seminary in
Orlando, Fla.
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lyrics
A pure heart, that's what I long for.A heart that follows hard after Thee;
A pure heart, that's what I long for.
A heart that follows hard after Thee.
.
VERSE:
A heart that hides Your Word
So that sin will not come in.
A heart that's undivided
But one You rule and reign;
A heart that beats compassion,
That pleases You, my Lord.
A sweet aroma of worship
That rises to Your throne.
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