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Matthew 5: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
“Pure” as it is used here in the original Greek is katharos. Katharos is pronounced Kath-ar-os. It means of uncertain Affinity; clean (literally or figuratively): clean, clear, pure.
Jesus declared to the people that day that if someone was capable of having, keeping or obtaining a pure heart, that they would see God someday.
It is the desire of every believer that, one day, they would see God.
However, the enemy of our souls has a desire too. His desire is to keep us from seeing God. Both in this world and in the next. His attempt is to cause us to lose our pure hearts.
One thing that I have found to be universal amongst new converts/believers is the pure heart that the Lord gives to them.
As newborn babes in Christ, their hearts are open to receive anything that the church has to offer them. They trust the ministry and they trust their newfound church family.
Their hearts are pure. Their motives are pure. Their intensions are pure. They are simply thankful to be saved and are happy and content to be a part of the Family of God.
These people are the source of revival in the church. They are usually the ones who bring new people to the church. They tell all their family and friends about what the Lord has done for them. They are not afraid or ashamed to declare their Love for God or what He has done for them.
What makes these people so important to a community’s infiltration of the Gospel?
What makes these people so valuable to the growth and continuance of a church in a given city?
Their pure heart.
- A heart that is pure is capable of loving someone who is unlovable.
- A heart that is pure is able to look beyond a person’s faults and see their potential greatness.
- A heart that is pure has no selfish motives. It only wants to bless those around it.
It labors for the Lord because it loves the Lord and the people who surround their life.
This person is not perfect. They are still human. They still make mistakes. They still sin. But Jesus said that because their motives were correct and their heart was pure, that they shall see God.
So it seems paramount that a believer in Jesus Christ should seek to have and maintain a pure heart.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
Jesus’ desire for those who would follow Him was that they would follow His divine example of a pure heart. If we are going to see God… If we are going to find rest for our souls, we must seek to have and labor to keep the pure heart that Jesus intends for all of his followers to have.
As mentioned however, it is the role of Satan to trip the church up in what should be the simplest and most rudimentary of ideals. His desire is to keep us from seeing God. So consequently, he works to cause our hearts to lose their purity.
One of the main areas that Satan works to destroy our pure hearts is in the area of judging others.
Matthew 7:1-2 tells us to “Judge not, that we be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”
Luke told us in 6:37, to “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive and ye shall be forgiven.”
A person who has a pure heart does not judge or condemn, but they do always forgive others. They realize that if God is capable of forgiving the sinner, then they too should do so. They love the person because Jesus loves them. Regardless of the faults they may see in them.
Jesus told us in John 7:24 to “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
What is it about men that they would seek to find the faults of others? It seems to be a universal problem for people of every age and place of society regardless of where they live in this world.
People want to judge one another. They want to prove that their own righteousness is better than the righteousness of their neighbor.
A common thread of Jesus’ teachings is the significance of loving people regardless of where they are at in their walk with God. He said in John 15:12, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” In John 13:35 He told us, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
What does it mean to “have love one to another”?
In I Corinthians chapter 13 Paul describes for us the work of Love. He describes Charity. Charity as it is used here in the original Greek is the feminine noun Agape. It is pronounced ag-ah’-pa. Agape means brotherly love, affection, good will or benevolence.
In chapter 13, Paul lets us know that no matter how great your faith is. No matter how much you do for the Kingdom of God, if you do not have love for people, you are nothing.
There is much to be gleaned from 1Cor 13. Vs 5 however, says that Charity “…thinketh no evil.” Vs 7 let’s us know that love “… believes all things, hopeth all things…”
If we truly have a pure heart. If we truly love people. “And by the way, we will never be a help to those around us until our hearts are pure and we can demonstrate perfect love to them.” We will not think evil of them when the opportunity to do so arises. And, we will believe in them and hope in them regardless of what is happening in their lives at the current moment.
When a child of God considers another person, they should do so in the light of I Cor 13 and ask themselves:
1. Am I thinking evil of this person?
2. Do I believe in this person?
3. Am I hoping the best for this person?
Let’s face it. None of us are perfect.
None of us are without sin of some kind in our life.
· For some it may be lying.
· For some it may be stealing.
· For some it may be alcoholism, or drug abuse.
· For some it may be fornication.
· For some it may be anger.
· For some it may be pride.
· For some it may be bitterness over injuries of the past.
· For some it may be you name it.
· But the fact of the matter is “No One” is without sin!
Each of us has a sin problem of some kind. You don’t even have to do something evil to sin, all you have to do is think it.”
Some of our sins are more obvious than others of us. Some are very public sins and some are very private sins. But they are all sins. They are all displeasing to God and they are all what separates us from true Holiness. This however, was the purpose of the Cross of Calvary. This was why Jesus hung and died a horrific death on a Roman Cross. “Thank God we have a mediator before God and Thank God we have His forgiveness for our sins (Past, Present and Future).”
So why do we judge each other?
· Why do we look for and call out the worst in others?
· Why do we work to notice and point out what others are doing and not doing right or wrong?
· What keeps us from looking beyond the immediate fault and seeing the positive work of God in a person’s life?
· Why, when there is so much good that the Holy Spirit is doing in a person’s life, do we instead notice only the one or two obvious things that He has not yet perfected in their life?
· Why is it easier to see the faults in a person than the good that God sees?
There is only one reason.
· Our hearts are not pure.
If our hearts were pure, love would cause compassion to well up in our hearts for the person to the point that we would be unable to see the fault in their life and we would instead have and demonstrate faith in their walk with God.
It is better to have a pure heart than it is to be without sin.
The scriptures shared earlier in this study lets us know that a person with a pure heart will see God.
We already know that there is forgiveness for all kinds of sin. So is it imperative for you to point out and notice another person’s sin, which would cause you to come under the same judgment? Or to simply trust that the Lord forgives that person’s fault and is doing a work of restoration and sanctification in their life – whether you can see it or not.
This indeed would be what a person with a pure heart would do. The pure heart sees what God is doing and ignores the area of another’s life that is not perfect.
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When Israel fled from Egypt after 400 years of slavery they thought they had gained their freedom. The Pharaoh had finally relented and allowed them to go. On their very first night of freedom, they set up camp on the shores of the Red Sea. I can imagine how their spirits were soaring. They were looking forward to a bright future. However, in a moment's notice, their freedom was taken from them again. The Pharaoh had changed his mind. He had assembled his mighty army and come to take Israel back. When Israel saw the Egyptian Army they panicked and began to cry out to God. They began to curse Moses for leading them out.
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Ex 14:13-14
13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
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While in Bible College many years ago I was fortunate enough to be selected for the Chorale. It was a big thing to make the Chorale. We were to go on a two-week tour during the summer break. It was the highlight of our summer. I don't know why, but recently one of the songs we sang during that summer tour has been on my mind. I can't remember much of the song except the main line of the chorus, which was also the title of the song. It was called, "Shut up and March".
The theme of the song centers around the idea that talk can only do so much good. There is a time to quit talking and a time to get on with the business at hand. I frequently tell my employees, "A little less chatter and a little more clatter, please." I think you get the idea.
When Israel fled from Egypt after 400 years of slavery they thought they had gained their freedom. The Pharaoh had finally relented and allowed them to go. On their very first night of freedom, they set up camp on the shores of the Red Sea. I can imagine how their spirits were soaring. They were looking forward to a bright future. However, in a moment's notice, their freedom was taken from them again. The Pharaoh had changed his mind. He had assembled his mighty army and come to take Israel back. When Israel saw the Egyptian Army they panicked and began to cry out to God. They began to curse Moses for leading them out.
When this barrage of words came against Moses, he responded with some of the most inspiring words in Scripture;
Ex 14:13-14
13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
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