Blessed Are The Pure In Heart: For They Shall See God ( Matthew 5:8 )

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:8

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Good evening and God bless tonight I return back to the beatitudes what a blessing it was on Monday to return to writing after a semi-long hiatus. With school finally done as of last week I have more time and Lord willing I hope to be able to get back this on a more daily basis. Of course in addition to school keeping me from writing everyone knows shortly after writing my last devotional in November my grandmother had past away on Thanksgiving Day. Truly like I have shared with a number of brethren while the lose is tough, I am so thankful for the Lord's comfort that day and continued comfort. Truly we serve a loving and compassionate God. I've seen it not only during this time, but certainly with this being recently it surely does come to mind. Truly it was so beautiful how scripture flooded my mind and such peace overwhelmed me. It's not that I didn't stop loving my grandmother or lost reality,but truly I understood to such a greater depth of what it said in Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted." Truly between the text messages, kind heart felt comments, and prayers it was so humbling. Truly I really got to see a greater depth of how blessed it is to mourn for truly the Lord does comfort. So brethren know this while we will lose those whom we love, know this the Lord is the God of all comfort and will provide comfort in so many ways. Believe me once again this time of year has been rough for me and once again I have only grown closer to God. I am ever thankful to know I serve a most gracious and loving Heavenly Father. Now my brothers and sisters tonight I pray this devotional will both bring glory to God and edify the saints, you my brethren.

Tonight's text continues as I stated from the beatitudes as you there is eight beatitudes or eight blessings. Tonight is the sixth of eight and it reads, " Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Now I must say as a young Christian early on in my walk I would have taken a surface or skimmed answer,but now I want an answer with some meat on it. The reason I say this is too often when people have questions, biblical questions they get what I'd like to call elementary answers. Now granted there are some questions you can answer yes or no, like is Jesus the Son of God yes, but then again I can't stop there for to stop there the person may think we are polytheistic or plainly get confused on the virgin birth. The point is you must give an adequate answer when someone asks a question. Now granted and I've said this before we don't all have to be theologians, but I believe a thorough understanding of basic truths should be understood. If you can't explain the gospel to someone and your a Christian well there is a problem. Think about what 1 Peter 3:15 says," But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" I wonder does that leave any room for having excuses as to not having answers or instead does it call us to have an answer always. So my friends now I plan on giving you some meat on Matthew 5:8. I'm no theologian, but I want this to encourage you of the blessing that it entails and not just give you a shallow answer.

First off our Lord says blessed are the pure in heart. So what exactly is the Lord saying here. Well, let me first refer you to the book of Jeremiah where the prophet Jeremiah deals with the heart and let us see what it says, " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? ( Jeremiah 17:9 ) " Alright from this very statement from scripture you see the very condition of our hearts. So this brings me to what must be done about the condition of our heart for obviously a wicked heart will not see God. There are plenty of passages in scriptures that indicate the end of the wicked. So how does one say I'm blessed for I'm pure in heart and I shall see God. Well, let me draw you back to the prophets, to the prophet Ezekiel," And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 11:19-20)" God isn't saying He is going to physically take out their heart, no instead He will circumcise their once hearts of stones and they instead will be hearts of flesh. Hearts in which His law is written upon it and they will be His people and He will be their God. So yes truly the believer can say they are pure in heart in the degree that circumcision of the heart has occurred by the very work of the Holy Spirit.

To see this illustrated in the NT( new testament ) let me take you over to the book of Hebrews, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. ( Hebrews 10:22 ) " Here once again you see that we are by no means perfect,but it shows the condition of the heart,but it deals with faith as well. Notice what it says at the beginning of this verse let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. My friends to group that set of words together," true heart in full assurance of faith" I do believe there is a point being addressed. For look at the following verse,"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; ( Hebrews 10:23 )" What I'm saying is notice that the condition of our hearts have been changed so therefore we can place faith in the one whom did the work for He is faithful.

Next I'd like to move to what the Lord says in the second half of the verse," for they shall see God." Now that is most blessed to hear. Think about what Moses experience where he hid behind the rock and caught just a glimpse of the presence of God. For to see the face of God will kill a man. Now let be clear by this by no means am I saying God is a man. God does use anthropomorphism so as to relate and explain things to us. What I am saying that just as He said to Moses for to see my face or His glory would kill him(Moses). Read Exodus 33 and see the beauty of how the rock in which Moses hid behind pointed to Christ the Rock of Ages in which we find our refuge in. Understand this what Christ is stating in this beatitude is the blessing of being found in Him. That those found in Christ are spared from the wrath to come. For they shall see God. Think about a passage in the NT, in which Jesus is speaking to His disciples," Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. (John 14:8-11) " My friends to know the Lord is to know the Father for they are of the same substance. Jesus was making this clear to Philip hear that since he knew Jesus then he knew the Father as well. Sad as it may be, people do like to complicate things. Now granted the doctrine of trinity is deep, the fact is to Know God, you need to know His Son. For there is only one way to the Father and that is through the Son, for as it is written," Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ( John 14:6 ) "


So yes the pure in heart will see God. Not based on anything good they have done,but based on the merit and perfect work of Jesus Christ. You know when we think of how blessed it is to say I'm pure in heart not because I'm perfect,but because the Lord has circumsized this once heart of stone and given me a heart of flesh,one with His laws written upon it. It really does bring one to an attitude of gratitude. It humbles and abases a man. Truly how beautiful it is to see the blessing to know God works in your life start to end. It is Him who is the author and finisher of your faith. So you can say as the Apostle Paul said be confident that He who began this work will finish it. My friends truly as we draw nearer to Christmas continue to reflect on how blessed those of us who have trusted in Christ and in Christ alone to save them. May we look to this season as a reminder that in the city of David, in the little town of Bethlehem a Savior was born and His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God. Please take every opportunity that presents itself to share the gospel and take part in the great commission.


Good night and God bless,
John W. Whybrew III <><