Pure in Heart
A Look at the Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted
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8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
One of the main reasons why Christians find it so difficult to be "happy" in life is directly related to disobedience of Matthew 5:8. Look with me…
I hear excuses on a regular basis, "I'm only human", "I'm still a sinner", "I'm not perfect". These are all true statements by the way, but guess what if you're in Christ then you are a human with a new nature, a sinner saved by grace, and a child of the perfect Holy Father.
Jesus is teaching in this passage that if you want to be happy (meaning of the word blessed), then you must be pure in heart.
Two Points on Being Pure in Heart:
Positionally - by being born again
Positionally - by being born again
1 Peter 1:22-23 “22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
Jesus told Nicodemus that "except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Peter tells us that being born again we have been given a pure heart, a changed nature through our faith
You're not perfect, that's ok. Jesus is.
Titus 2:14 “14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
Our position in Christ is one of redemption from sin and "purity"
We didn't get this by our good works, but by His sacrifice of Himself on the cross
When God looks on us, He sees the pure blood of Jesus
Peter 1:4 “4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
WE are partakers of the divine nature
That word "partakers" means a "sharer"
We share the divine nature of Christ
Wouldn't it be wonderful if all this meant we were not longer able to sin?
Wouldn't it be great if we were beyond the touch of the old nature?
Guess, what, we may still be able to sin, but we are also "able not to sin". That is what we should focus on.
We are pure in heart positionally by the grace of God at salvation when we trust Christ as our Savior. All our sins are forgiven, last we see we may be pure in heart…
Practically - by being filled with and led by the Holy Spirit
Practically - by being filled with and led by the Holy Spirit
John 14:15-26.
The Holy Spirit is our comforter - advocate
Teacher - He helps us learn what we should do and how we should live
That we have an obligation to "keep" ourselves pure is seen in Paul's words to Timothy 1 Tim. 5:22 “22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.”
How can we “keep ourselves pure”?
Psalm 119:9 “9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
Perhaps one of the greatest admonitions in Scripture to God's children to keep themselves pure may be found in Psalm 51 in the following verses:
Psalm 51:2 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Wash me - as in bathing
Cleanse me from my sin - to be uncontaminated
Psalm 51:7 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Purge - to purify
This is something accomplished in the heart of the believer by obedience to God
Psalm 51:10 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Position comes before practice. You by yourself cannot change your position. Without a relationship with Jesus, you are in your sin. When you enter a relationship with Jesus your position is changed. Then your actions will rightly change. Changing your actions before having your position changed will not give you a pure heart.
Conclusion: Do you want to be happy? Then be pure in heart. How do we do this? First, by placing our trust in Christ as Savior, second, by obeying the Word of God, and yielding to the Holy Spirit daily.
Question: Which step are you on today? Do you know beyond doubt you have trusted Him as your Savior? If not, take care of that right now.
Are you yielding yourself to Him practically each day? If not, why not?