Blessed Are The Pure In Heart For They Will See God

Text: “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God” Matthew 5:8

Prayer: Commit meeting to the Lord.

Chorus 1:

ABBA FATHER LET ME BE – SING TWICE

Chorus 2:

HE IS LORD, HE IS LORD – SING TWICE

Chorus 3:

JESUS NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES – SING TWICE

Hymn

BE STILL FOR THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD THE HOLY ONE IS HERE

1st Reading Matthew Chapters 5:1-10

Hymn

BE THOU MY VISION O LORD OF MY HEART

My text is taken from the passage we read earlier in Matthew “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God” Matthew 5:8

I would like us to look at it in conjunction with one of the Psalms.

The psalms are the production of various God inspired human authors.

Many of the Psalms are attributed to King David, in the “titles” 73 are ascribed to David. Peter and John in Acts 4:25 also credit David as the author of the second psalm, which is one of the 48 that are anonymous.

About two-thirds of the book of Psalms have been ascribed to David. I would like us to look at one of David’s Psalms, if you would like to follow in your own bibles please turn to Psalm 24.

2nd Reading Psalm 24:1-10

So first by way of Introduction

Psalm 24 is often called “The Hill of the Lord” because the verses containing this expression form the very heart of this Psalm (v3-5).

The question “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?” (v3) is the equivalent of asking, “What is true religion?” The answer of the Psalmist is here in verse 4, “He who has clean hands and a pure heart”.

True religion, or more accurately true faith, is more than just having clean hands! First and foremost it requires a pure heart.

True faith is not based on works, or deeds, or observances of specific ceremonies for outward appearance. If our hearts are pure, in the way that Jesus wants them to be then, then we will willingly serve him in many ways as part of our true expressions of love for Him.

As I said earlier, our text is in Matthew Chapter 5 and verse 8, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God”, - “for they will see God” what a wonderful thought, man, created in the image of God, having the ability to see God.

Is that the deepest longing of your heart?

Do you have the desire to see God?

To look upon His face, for some this is a deep longing; a longing that is a strong as physical hunger.

Since the fall, throughout the ages, man has cried out with Job, the words from Job 23:3 “If only I knew where to find Him; if only I could go to His dwelling”. The more a person learns of God through the study of His word the deeper this yearning should become.

“For they will see God” – Jesus is describing the deepest need of men and women.

Spiritual blindness is a great tragedy in our world.

Sin has blinded so many, sin and self-seeking, lust and pride have put cataracts over “the eyes of our heart”; our world cannot see God.

The apostle Paul said in Ephesians 1:18-19 “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

Our world is blind through sin, but the blessing of God is available to all who look. “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”

The sixth beatitude brings us face-to-face with the nature and demands of true faith, which is first of all a matter of the heart.

There are Four points I would like us to consider, the four point are questions which demand an answer if the words of Jesus are to mean anything to us.

1. Purity Defined - What is the purity of heart that Jesus speaks of?

2. Purity Attained - How can we attain the purity of heart that Jesus speaks of?

3. Purity Blessed - What is the blessing that Jesus pronounces upon the pure in heart?

4. Purity Results - What are the results of this vision of God?

1 Purity Defined - What is the pure heart that Jesus speaks of?

It is important for us to see exactly what Jesus said.

A. Jesus did not say, “Blessed are the pure”. That would have gone straight into our minds with an exact meaning, probably based on the seventh commandment “Thou shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14) and many have read the verse in this way. Purity in our relationship with others is only one of the fruits of a pure heart.