The pure in heart
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
The word “blessed” comes from the word, “bliss.” In other words, Christ was saying, “Oh, the bliss of the pure in heart!” Purity is the goal for the Spirit of God in His work for us, and we won’t know real blissful happiness until we have that condition, and a right standing with God. We can have it today—if we surrender to the claims of God’s law and grace on us.
“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” “Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.” (1Tim. 1:5; 3:9).
But how do we obtain this purity of heart?
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” (Ps. 32:1,2). When Christ sees our brokenness and sorrow for sin, He forgives and forgets. Through this forgiving and overlooking act of justification God, through Christ, reveals His forgiving and overlooking nature. And when we see the infinite goodness of God in Christ’s nature, that He is always good to all of His creation, we turn away from sin and serve the holy God, the God of self-forgetfulness and purity.
We are reconciled with Christ, and with His righteousness; and thus we are reconciled with the Father. We serve the Son, and seek to please Him; we wait upon Him, we look to Him. He sees us in perfect trust, as the young daughter or son looks up into the face of their towering and momentarily angry father, searching for signs of love; and God says, “This is My beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.”
We continue to set aside obstacles in our character which prevent our savoring of the things of God. We seek a clearer view of His character and love; we strive to understand Him better. And the promise is that when we seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him. Our mind is cleared of all the misunderstandings we had of God, which the sinister sophistries of Satan ingeniously implanted in our thinking. We see God now in a way we never could before. He is just and lowly, despite all the trouble He has sent our way.
We are surrendered to Him and submissive. Our hearts are satisfied. Satan is ousted from our hearts and minds, and cannot enter. “He walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.” (Matt. 12:43). But let us continue in thankfulness and service to God, lest the ever tenacious devil find us sleeping and make his way through an unguarded avenue to the soul. He is unflinchingly determined to win in the end, if possible. We have a foe, who except for the mercy of God, would, with amazing rapidity, wrap us in his chains of confusion, and possess us.
But, those who are learning purity of heart, against all odds in a world controlled by Satan, unshakably resolve to know God better. Like the salmon making their way past dangers on every side, God’s people slowly make their way into a closer, more intimate relationship with God through Christ. Their hearts get purer and purer as the relations get increasingly deeper and more intimate with the God who says, “Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.” (Lev. 11:44).
“He shall pray unto God, and He will be favourable unto him: and he shall see His face with joy: for He will render unto man His righteousness.” (Job 33:26).
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.” (Rev. 22:3,4).
The word “blessed” comes from the word, “bliss.” In other words, Christ was saying, “Oh, the bliss of the pure in heart!” Purity is the goal for the Spirit of God in His work for us, and we won’t know real blissful happiness until we have that condition, and a right standing with God. We can have it today—if we surrender to the claims of God’s law and grace on us.
“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” “Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.” (1Tim. 1:5; 3:9).
But how do we obtain this purity of heart?
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” (Ps. 32:1,2). When Christ sees our brokenness and sorrow for sin, He forgives and forgets. Through this forgiving and overlooking act of justification God, through Christ, reveals His forgiving and overlooking nature. And when we see the infinite goodness of God in Christ’s nature, that He is always good to all of His creation, we turn away from sin and serve the holy God, the God of self-forgetfulness and purity.
We are reconciled with Christ, and with His righteousness; and thus we are reconciled with the Father. We serve the Son, and seek to please Him; we wait upon Him, we look to Him. He sees us in perfect trust, as the young daughter or son looks up into the face of their towering and momentarily angry father, searching for signs of love; and God says, “This is My beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.”
We continue to set aside obstacles in our character which prevent our savoring of the things of God. We seek a clearer view of His character and love; we strive to understand Him better. And the promise is that when we seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him. Our mind is cleared of all the misunderstandings we had of God, which the sinister sophistries of Satan ingeniously implanted in our thinking. We see God now in a way we never could before. He is just and lowly, despite all the trouble He has sent our way.
We are surrendered to Him and submissive. Our hearts are satisfied. Satan is ousted from our hearts and minds, and cannot enter. “He walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.” (Matt. 12:43). But let us continue in thankfulness and service to God, lest the ever tenacious devil find us sleeping and make his way through an unguarded avenue to the soul. He is unflinchingly determined to win in the end, if possible. We have a foe, who except for the mercy of God, would, with amazing rapidity, wrap us in his chains of confusion, and possess us.
But, those who are learning purity of heart, against all odds in a world controlled by Satan, unshakably resolve to know God better. Like the salmon making their way past dangers on every side, God’s people slowly make their way into a closer, more intimate relationship with God through Christ. Their hearts get purer and purer as the relations get increasingly deeper and more intimate with the God who says, “Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.” (Lev. 11:44).
“He shall pray unto God, and He will be favourable unto him: and he shall see His face with joy: for He will render unto man His righteousness.” (Job 33:26).
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.” (Rev. 22:3,4).
posted by David | 12:20 AM
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