I have been sharing some thoughts on the beatitudes in our Red Rock Blog, (http://rrbcblog.wordpress.com/)m and now that we are going to combine our blog with our website, I have continued on here.
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Happy, blessed, approved, are the pure in heart. This was King David’s desire. The cry of his heart after his offense towards Uriah (which included having him murdered), was to be washed – cleansed from his sin. He wanted to be forgiven by God. Sin is a heavy burden to bear. In fact, according to Psalm 32, it can make us physically sick. Who of us feels blessed, approved or pure in heart when we have sin in our hearts – sin that may have even compromised our health?
So how do those who have never put their faith in Jesus get a pure heart? Titus 3:5 says, “…He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit. Faith in Jesus is the only way to get a pure heart.
Once we do have a pure heart, how do we keep it that way? One was is to regularly ask God to test our heart and see if there is anything in our life that offends Him (Psalm 139:33,34. As He reveals those things, we need to confess them to Him. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and purify us from all unrighteousness.” There are many other things that help us to keep a pure heart including regular prayer and Bible study, obeying God’s Word and by being accountable to others who have faith in Christ.
Another way to ensure we keep a pure heart is to be quick to repent and confess our sins. Psalm 66:18 warns us that if we cherish sin in our hearts God won’t listen to our prayers.
Seeing God will be the amazing reward for a pure heart. What can beat that?
Kim
