THE BEATITUDES (6)
Jesus said,
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
(Mt. 5:8)
This expresses an inward purity possible only by the cleaning power of Christ’s shed blood applied to the heart. At salvation, Christ’s blood cleanses the heart of sin. Then throughout life the heart is continuously cleansed by the washing of the Word, and the confession of sin and genuine repentance.
This purity resides in heart --- the seat of thoughts, desires and emotions --- and represents moral innocence in the inner life. Jesus’ teaching on inner purity set a higher ethical standard that sharply contrasted with existing religious teaching, which emphasized an outward display of rules, rituals and ceremonies.
A believer “sees” God with spiritual vision through faith. He sees God in: personal relationship with Him, church duties and ordinances, nature, the moral order, relationship with other believers, and the Scriptures. Through these he sees God’s beauty, witnesses His power and glory, and experiences and knows His goodness and graciousness.
One with a pure heart is promised to see God – in this life faintly, but in the life hereafter fully and face to face. One with an impure heart is incapable of seeing Him.
---Beverly Nickles
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