I want to start off today by asking you a question that Max Lucado queries in the opening section of his book, ‘Just Like Jesus’. He asks: What if, for one day, Jesus were to become you?
What if, for twenty-four hours, Jesus wakes up in your bed, walks in your shoes, lives in your house, and assumes your schedule and regular routine? Your boss becomes his boss, your family becomes his family, and your pains become his pains? All of this, with one exception, nothing about your life changes. Your health doesn’t change. Your circumstances don’t change. Your financial condition doesn’t change. Your schedule isn’t altered. Your problems aren’t solved.
Interestingly, only one change occurs: What if, for one day and one night, Jesus were to live YOUR life with HIS heart? Consequently, your heart gets the day off, and your life is led by the heart of Christ. For one day His priorities govern your actions; His passions drive your decisions; and His love directs your behavior.
What would you be like? Would people notice a change in you? Your family—would they see something new? Your coworkers—would they sense a difference? What about the less fortunate? Would you treat them the same? And your friends? Would they detect more joy in you? How about your enemies? Would they receive more mercy from Christ’s heart than from yours?
And what about YOU? How would YOU feel? What alterations would this transplant have upon your stress level? Your mood swings? Your temper? Would you sleep better? Would you see sunsets in a different way? Death differently? Taxes differently? Any chance you’d need fewer aspirin or sedatives? How about your reaction to traffic delays? Would you still dread what you are dreading? Better yet, would you still do what you are doing?
Would you still do what you had planned to do for the next twenty-four hours? Would you still plan to do tonight what you did last night when nobody was looking? Pause and think about your schedule. Obligations. Engagements. Outings. Appointments. With Jesus taking over your heart, would anything change?
Keep working on this for a moment. Adjust the lens of your imagination until you have a clear picture of Jesus leading your life, then snap the shutter and frame the image. And what you will see is what God wants and what God desires. Simply put, GOD wants you to “think and act like Christ Jesus”. Philippians 2:5 conversely says, ‘Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus’.
Brothers and Sisters, let us be clear that God’s plan for us today is nothing short of a pure heart. If you were a car, God would want control of your engine. If you were a computer, God would claim the software and the hard drive. If you were an airplane, he’d take his seat in the cockpit. But you are a person, so God wants a heart and holy and pure.
Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Mark it Down: God wants you to be just like Jesus. He wants you to have a heart like His.
If a sentence or two could capture God’s desire for each of us, it might read like this:
God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.
Get That: God loves you just the way you are. If you think his love for you would be stronger if your faith were, you are wrong. If you think his love would be deeper if your thoughts were, you are wrong again.
In First Samuel 16, the coming of Samuel to Bethlehem troubled the entire community. God’s prophet was on a mission to anoint the next king of Israel, those to whom were called the promised people of Yahweh. While God had not yet informed Samuel the identity of the future monarch, He had revealed that the prophet is to go down to Jesse’s house, and there examine the household of Jesse. It is a simple yet significant reminder that every now and then, God will give out instructions and directives without the convenience of further information or intricate details. After the sacrifice, the impressive family of Jesse began to “pass in review before Samuel.” No doubt the HANDS of Eliab impressed Samuel as he says: “How strong he is, Lord. Those hands could handle the sword and spear in battle against the adversary.” But God reveals to Samuel that Eliab is not the one. If the HANDS of Eliab were not enough, probably the HEAD of Abinadab impresses him. He rationalizes and says, “Lord, here is Jesse’s most intelligent son. He has been to the best school, has the highest GPA and graduated Summa Cum Laude. Certainly Israel will need someone who has the intellectual ability and academic strength.” But God says to Samuel, ‘He’s not the one.” It is then that the Lord reveals to the Prophet Samuel his qualifications for the one who would be called king. He says to Samuel, “For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man loos on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” It is then that finally the unqualified, ruddy and inexperience eighth son of Jesse, by the name of David, is ushered before God’s prophet. And it is there that the youngest and most unlikely son was anointed the next king of Israel because, according to the Scripture, he was “a man after God’s own heart.” (13:14)
The world today seemingly has lost contact with God’s intended ‘heart’ relationship with Him. The ‘head’ has been substituted for faith, implying a mere mental assent to religious and moral principles. ‘Hands’ have also taken the place of the heart as persons busy themselves in religious service trying to soothe guilty conscience. But I have discovered that you can be religious and not be a follower of Christ. You can go through the practice of playing the part but yet there is no genuine change on the inside that moves you to make contact with God in a way that is real, rich and refreshing.
I. THE POSITION OF THE PURE IN HEART
In this one verse there are two words that stand out in the first clause of this particular beatitude. It is the word pure and the word heart. This very fact leads us to ask the question: What does it mean to be pure in heart? The very answer to this one question reveals the position of those who are pure in heart.
A. The Illustration of the Heart.
The word “heart” in Matthew 5:8 is the Greek word kardia, from which we get the word cardiac. The Bible always refers to the heart as the inside part of man—the seat of a man’s personality. Predominantly, it refers to the thinking processes, not the emotions. When the Bible talks about emotion, it refers to the bowels of compassion, or the feelings we get in the gut; and we say things like, ‘I had a gut feeling about doing that or about that person.” In Lamentations 2:11, even speaks of the liver as an organ of emotion. This is because the Jews expressed their emotions by what they felt in the abdominal area. The emotions of love and hate were also believed to have been felt there. Basically and generally that is true, because our emotions can affect our internal organs. Proverbs 23:7 tell us, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” In the bible, the heart is generally considered the equivalent of that which is thought and thinking. In a real sense, we can think of the word ‘heart’ as referring to the will and emotions because they are influenced and driven by intellect. You can be sure, if my mind is really committed to a thing, it will affect my will, which in turn will affect my emotions. So that when Christ here speaks of the pure in heart, He is talking about a pure mind that controls a person’s emotions. Christ’s words were a direct shot at the Pharisaic leaders who were telling people that all they need to do is keep up the external religious activities. But Jesus makes it clear that all of the things we do and perform on the outside and the exterior mean nothing if your heart is not right toward God.
After a violent storm one night, a large tree, which over the years had become a stately giant, was found lying across the pathway in a park. Nothing but a splintered stump was left. Closer examination showed that is was rotten at the core because thousands of tiny insects had eaten away at its heart. The weakness of that tree was not brought on by the sudden storm; it began the very moment the first insect nested within its bark.
Jeremiah 17:9-10: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” This speaks of the DECIETFULNESS OF THE HEART. The word deceitful comes from the same root word as the name Jacob, which means “supplanter” or ‘trickster.’ Jacob was a deceiver until God got hold of him and changed and rearranged his heart. Augustine: “Before God can deliver us from ourselves we must undeceive ourselves.” This also reveals the DISEASE OF THE HEART. Jeremiah refers to our hearts as “beyond cure” because they are terminally ill. The King James refers to the heart as “desperately wicked.” The heart is so sick that no medication can heal it. The Reformers called this disease total depravity because it affects every part of us – what we think, how we feel, and how we behave. Like Humpty Dumpty, “We have fallen, and we can’t get up.” We don’t sin because of our surroundings; we sin because of what’s in our heart. Adam was in a perfect environment and he still sinned because sin comes from within. You only have to read the first six chapters of the Bible before coming to a statement about our insidious sinfulness. Genesis 6:5: “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” We must also be aware of the DIAGNOSIS OF THE HEART. Because the heart is deceitful and diseased, we desperately need God to search us out and tell us what’s wrong. When you look at Jermiah 17:10 it says: “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind.” The King James uses an interesting phrase, “I try the reigns.” God makes an intensive review of what’s really inside each of us. We can attempt to mask our heart, or even hide what’s really going on, but that doesn’t change our internal status and proclivity. That reminds me of the little girl who started crying when she heard a dog barking. The owner scolded his dog and it immediately settled down. The mother tried to comfort her daughter and said, “You don’t have to cry, honey. He stopped barking.” The little girl continued to whimper and said, “Yes, but his bark is still in him.” We might be able to control ourselves in the sanctuary on Sunday morning, but sooner or later, our bark will come out.
B. The Examination of Purity
It isn’t popular to talk about purity in the world today. Many people say purity is an insipid, unattractive commodity that belongs to strange, long-robed people in monastaries. Attraction, from the world’s perspective, is that which is bent on the fast life, promiscuous living and lust-filled cravings that are quenched in one-nights stands and things that make Hollywood blush. But this beatitude is clear – God is attracted to a heart of PURITY.
The term “pure” is the Greek word katharos, a noun form of katharizo, which means to ‘cleanse from filth and iniquity.’ In a moral sense, it means “to be free from sin.” Katharos is akin to the Latin word castus, which is the root of the English word chaste. In medicine, a catheter is used to cleanse a wound. When people go to a counselor or a psychologist, they often endeavor to have a catharsis, or a soul cleansing. In a real sense, the word, “Pure” in Matthew 5:8 simply means “to be cleansed.” On the other side of the coin, the word pure suggest that which is ‘unmixed.’ It is said that something pure is unalloyed, unadulterated, uncontaminated and unmixed—a foreign element has not been added to it. And in applying this Beatitude, Christ is saying, ‘I’m going after a heart that is unmixed in its devotion and motives.’ In this sense, the idea and notion of purity would have to do with the reality of spiritual integrity and singleness of heart as opposed to double-mindedness and dual allegiance.
II. THE PRACTICE OF THE PURE IN HEART
A person with a passion for purity is one who has been cleansed in character so that the way he or she looks in public is the way he or she is in private. As someone has said, “character is what you are when no one is looking.” Jesus is saying that the one who is single-minded in his commitment to Christ will also be inwardly pure. We see this in Psalm 24:3-4 when he asks: “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who will stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…”
Here are three ways to work on having a pure heart.
1) REMEMBER that God is watching your heart.
Here’s my question: do you really understand that you have no secrets God doesn’t know? Prov. 5:21- " For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths." In Matt. 6 Jesus uses this phrase three different times, (verses 4, 6 & 18) "..the Father, who sees what is done in secret.." In other words, we never surprise God. He sees and knows every thought, every longing, every deed. Does that bother you? To realize that God knows every thing you think, feel and do? It bothers me sometimes. Have you ever seen a small child put their hands over their eyes and by doing so think that since they can’t see you then you can’t see them. You know, they stand in full view, put their hands over their eyes and say, "Try and find me." Well, that’s the picture we should have if we think God doesn’t see. He knows everything! No matter how dark, how secret, no matter how obscure... He knows. And yet often we think if no one on earth knows then God won’t... we can sin in obscurity? Hebrews 4:13- "Nothing in all of creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." One practical way to work on having a pure heart is to remember that passage - God sees everything. Why try to fake it if God already knows? I mean, I might be able to fool others, but I can never fool God. And yet, here’s what blows me away! God sees everything I do, He knows everything I’m going to do and yet He still loves me, He stills wants me, He still pursues me!
2) REVIEW the movies of your heart.
I do an honest evaluation of, "Why do I do, what I do?" Prov. 16:2- "all of man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord." Interestingly, we may think what we do is important but God thinks the motives behind that which we do is more important. In fact, in Mt 6 Jesus mentions three things that we can do with wrong motives.
In Mt. 6:2-3 he says we can GIVE WITH THE WRONG MOTIVES. “..when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do... to be honored by men.” Many were giving to be seen not to be generous.
In Mt. 6:5-6- Jesus says you can PRAY WITH THE WRONG MOTIVES. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners...” Praying just to be heard, just to impress others.
Then Jesus says in Mt. 6:16-18 you can even FAST WITH THE WRONG MOTIVES. Now, fasting is something you’d think only you and those closest to you would know about. But Jesus warns: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting...” You see, God is not as concerned with what we do as He is why we do what we do. So, review your motives for what you do.
3) REALIGN the priorities of your heart.
If I want to be pure in heart I need to align myself with the 1st Commandment- Ex.20:3- "You shall have no other God’s before Me." What’s a god? Anything that comes in 1st place. God is saying, "I’ll play second fiddle to nothing or no one else. I’ll have no rivals, not your profession, not your mate, not your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your activities, nothing." How do I know what my true priorities are? Here are 3 tests to check out your real preferences.
1) Look at your activities.
I look at where I invest my time and my money. In Matt. 6:19 Jesus says, "Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth.. But store up for yourself treasures in heaven.. for where your treasure is there will your heart be also." In other words, wherever you place the investment of your life, that’s where your heart is. I’d like to encourage you to think of your relationship with Jesus in terms of "firsts." Giving Him the first part of your money -Tithe. The first part of your day - Quiet time. The first part of your week - Worship. The first place in my decisions - thinking, “What would please Him?”
2) Look at your anxieties.
What do you worry about? You can tell a great deal about a person by what bothers them. 6:25 Jesus says, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry." And I don’t have time to go through this in detail but later today if you’ll go through Mt. 6 starting with v.24 you’ll find the 5 most common worries. I’ll just list them in hopes that you might study them later. 1) Finances in v.24. 2)Food in v.25. Maybe for us it’s not the amount we worry about but eating just right can become an obsession. 3)Fitness in v.27. Be fit to live as long as possible. 4)Fashion in v.28 What we wear.. We don’t worry about being naked, we just stand in front of our full closets and sigh, "I don’t have a thing to wear!" 5)Future in v.34. And basically Jesus is saying, if you are worrying about any of these things, it means God is not #1 in your life. Worry says, "God, I think I’m in charge here." Worry indicates that you don’t trust God to supply your needs. So, look at your activities, look at your anxieties and:
3) Look at your ambitions.
Your goals reveal the direction of your heart. Mt. 6:31-33- "So don’t worry.. What shall we eat, what shall we drink, what shall we wear. The people who don’t know God are always trying to get these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Set your heart on His kingdom and His goodness, and all these things will come to you as a matter of course."(Phillips) “Always trying to get...” That’s ambition. Those who don’t know God or who do but have unconverted ambitions have bought into the culture’s goals for happiness. Jesus says, "Instead, set your heart first on God and His kingdom and He’ll take care of your needs.”
So remember, God sees everything, so there’s no use me trying to fake Him out. Phoniness is unhappiness. Being pure in heart is not being perfect but transparent. Then review your motives, see if you are doing what you do for God or for self? Do you become discouraged because no one appreciates what you are doing or when someone holds you accountable for spiritual things? Then realign your priorities. Check out your activities, your anxieties and your ambitions to see if He really is first.
III. THE PROMISE OF A HOLY HEART
The promise for this sixth beatitude is that the pure in heart will “see God.”
What does it mean to ‘see God.” The Soviet cosmonaut, upon returning from Russia’s space walk, remarked that he did not ‘see’ God. Someone replied that if he had taken off his space helmet he would have “seen” God! Or, in the language of the late Dr. E.V. Hill, he was only looking in the back yard.
Verse 8 says, "They shall see God"...opsontai. Continuous reality, all our own, for us, it's reflexive. They themselves perennially and continually shall be seeing God.
For us this has a certain significance, much less I'm afraid than it would to a Jew. First of all, seeing God was a frightening thing. You know anybody in the Old Testament that saw God and lived? Only one, or two, or three maybe and they didn't see the full glory or they would never have survived. Moses saw the veiled glory. Isaiah saw a portion of it. Ezekiel saw some. But to see God was life threatening and deadly. Even to see a king was quite remarkable. In the Oriental courts of ancient times kings lived in great seclusion for the sake of security and the illusion of deity, or very special character. It was a very rare and distinct privilege to be admitted to the monarch. You might see him somehow passing by but to be admitted to the monarch and to perennially be in his presence and see him face to face was just something that didn't happen. The Queen of Sheba wanted such a privilege and was granted that to see Solomon, but only very special people were ever allowed to be face to face with the king.
And again I think this was directed at the hearts of the people. The question in the hearts was...what are we going to do to be sure we see God? What are we going to be...what do we need to do to be sure we'll see the King in His kingdom? Moses said, "I beg You, show me Your glory." "As the deer pants for the waterbrooks, so pants my soul after Thee, O God, my soul thirsts for God for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" I mean, it was the great longing of the hearts of God's people to see God. Even the disciples said, "Show us the Father." Seeing God was very important, and very remote.
It was the heart cry to be in the kingdom and see the King. And God says you will see Me if you've had your heart cleansed. Jesus says here that when we are pure in heart, we see God through the eye of faith. We see God in all His glory through the revelation of Scripture. Some day we'll see the blazing glory of the light of God in eternal splendor. Some day we'll see Jesus face to face in His glorified form. But until that time we see Him with the eye of faith. We see God in history. We see God in circumstances. We see God in creation. We see God in providence. We see God most clearly in revelation in the Scripture. And the verb here is used figuratively, seeing God in the sense of knowing God, of being aware of His presence and power.
