Finding purity in our world can be quite an endeavor. We look around and see so much immorality, injustice, deceit and sin. It can be difficult to find goodness and purity amidst it all.
We are reminded in this passage that those who have a pure heart will see God. So let’s get started in digging in a little deeper to this beatitude’s meaning…
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
What does it mean to be “pure in heart?”
Keeping our heart pure is vital in our Christian walk. The heart is the core of who we are. When our heart is full of deceitfulness, anger, lust and selfishness it affects our whole being. When our heart longs for worldly things, our perspective is greatly impacted.
Purity relates to all levels of our lives, including our thought life, words and our actions. I can’t count the times when I’ve allowed my heart to long for things of this world, causing my focus to shift off God. It’s an easy trap and Satan can lead us down a road causing us to drift away from God and keep us focused on earthly pleasures, shallow satisfactions and us searching for hope in something that is not eternal.
Matthew 6:21
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
When we are living a pure life, we are free from deceitfulness and focused on God. Having a pure heart is when we are focused on God and we aren’t lukewarm in our faith. We are committed. We aren’t pretending to be holy and upright only in front of others, while behind the scenes we’re harboring immorality within our heart. Purity comes from within, and isn’t something only seen through actions, it happens deep within the heart. If we have a pure heart it will then transpire in all we do.
Matthew 22:37
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Purity is defined as “freedom from guilt or evil” and while we should be living an upright life, having a pure heart doesn’t mean we will have a perfect heart free of sin. We are still imperfect and human. When we aspire to have a pure heart we are desiring to seek forgiveness for our sins and focus on God, not allowing earthly pleasures to fill us or be our guide.
What does it mean to “see” God?
Seeing God isn’t necessarily seeing Him in a physical sense, although if we are saved, one day we will see Him in heaven, but in this passage “seeing” is referred to as experiencing His presence and acknowledging He is at work.
Only God is completely pure. Our hearts are defected and sinful, but because of Jesus dying on the cross for us, God sees Jesus’ perfection instead of our sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Because of Christ we are able to experience an intimacy with God, even when we are so undeserving because of our sinful nature. Purity is a pre-requisite for experiencing God and “seeing” Him. If we harbor sin in our lives, it can hinder our relationship with God. When we are living a pure life we are admitted into His presence because we are right with Him and not harboring sin.
Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
When we allow sin into our lives and don’t seek forgiveness for our wrongdoings it is a barrier in our relationship with God. When we hold onto immorality and choose to grip the fleeting pleasure it brings, it can define our dedication to God. Would we rather relish in our immorality and hide behind deceit instead of letting go of our sin and letting God be our only focus?
Purity can be a tough beatitude to practice, because this world so evidently favors immorality and corruption. It can be a constant struggle with all the world constantly infiltrates into our hearts every day. What once was valued is now frowned upon. What once was upright is now deemed weird. It can be a struggle to possess such a trait in this backwards world we live in. Although, no matter what this world practices, God’s Word still stands true. He still blesses those who remain pure and seek Him, even when the world is screaming at you to live otherwise. If you remain faithful to God and seek purity in your heart it is greatly valued and will be blessed by God.
You are so right, purity is a trait that is rare these days. As believers, we need to be the ones demonstrating what true purity looks like. Only then will we have any hope of showing this world that there is a better way!
Yes, absolutely! Thanks so much for reading and commenting! 🙂