✎ Your heart will have beat an average of 122,400 times every day. None of us want our heart to ask for a vacation or take a day off; we don’t even want to give it a short “coffee break” to skip a few beats. Doctors understand the heart is critically important to our physical well-being; it is so important doctors have developed the 10 commandments for heart attack prevention.
1. Thou shalt stop smoking.
2. Thou shalt control thy blood pressure.
3. Thou shalt reduce dietary cholesterol.
4. Thou shalt reduce dietary saturated fat.
5. Thou shalt reduce dietary sodium.
6. Thou shalt loose thy apple shaped fat distribution.
7. Thou shalt increase time to relax.
8. Thou shalt increase soluble fiber.
9. Thou shalt eat fish three times a week.
10. Thou shalt increase aerobic exercise.
The same principle holds true in our spiritual lives the condition of our heart impacts every area of our lives. Your heart is not just the physical organ pumping blood throughout your body. The heart is the center of your innermost emotions and feeling; the heart is your soul, the center and essence of life. Just as a body is lifeless without the beating of the heart, so too spiritually without the heart life stops. THE HEART IS “THE STUFF OF LIFE.”
Today we continue with our series, “The Beatitudes, Building Blocks to be like Jesus. In the sixth beatitude Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Jesus is not talking about a physical heart free from the defects caused by excess cholesterol, saturated fat, or sodium.
However, before we find out what Jesus does mean in this sixth beatitude, someone tell me what two things should we remember about the beatitudes? What do I never want you to forget whenever you read Jesus opening statements of the Sermon on the Mount?
1. These are the “BE-ATTITUDES,” the building blocks, the attitudes, characteristics and qualities essential to being Christlike. Theses are not eight unrelated statements. The beatitudes show us how we are to live our lives just like Jesus.
2. These are essential qualities of joy or what I have called PARADOXICAL STATEMENTS OF JOY. If you want to have real happiness not dependant upon your circumstances you need to put the beatitudes into practice in your life. Nine times Jesus repeats the statement “BLESSED.” You are most happy, most joyful when live your life like Jesus.
+ Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (NIV) You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. (MsgB)
1. THE PROMISE.
Let’s start with Jesus promise. What is the blessing for the pure in heart? THEY WILL SEE GOD! Who here today would like to see God? Jesus says you can!
Each of the beatitudes are pretty straight forward about the blessing or promise we can receive. As the qualities and characteristics of Christ are developed in our lives, Jesus promises specific blessings we will receive.
What do the poor in spirit receive? The Kingdom of God.
How about those who mourn? They will be comforted.
What does Jesus promise the meek? They will receive what no one in this world can take away–the meek inherit the earth!
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness? Jesus said they will be filled.
What will be given to the merciful? They will receive mercy.
Likewise then the pure in heart are also given a promise; they will see God! I don’t have much trouble understanding that; how about you? It’s simple enough for a child to understand–do this, then receive that.
✎ I use the same rational with my kids about getting up in the morning. You see some of them really like to sleep, so I’m nicely waking them up in the morning; however, they know if they get up before I call them the third time, then both they and their beds will stay dry! So far none of them have gotten wet. They understand: do this, then receive that.
✎ Pearl understands the principle so well she is using it to her advantage. She has decided what she would really like is an American Girl doll with all the accessaries (about a $150 purchase). If she continues to do all the right things, then guess what? Do this, get that!
+ 1 Corinthians 13:12 We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! (MsgB)
The NIV says now we only see through a poor reflection in a mirror, but “then we shall see face to face.” Jesus said, “the pure in heart will see God.”
2. THE PROMISE HAS A CONDITION.
In order to receive the promise you have to meet the qualifications. Like with my kids, before you GET THAT, you have to DO THIS.
Our struggle is to understand the condition. What does Jesus mean by “pure in heart.” I want to receive the promise, as I’m sure you do too, so if we are going to see God, we must become pure in heart.
If we are going to receive the promise, we must understand the condition of our heart is critical!
+ Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do. (NLT) Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are all the issues of life. (KJV)
THE HEART IS THE “STUFF OF LIFE.” The heart is the essence of life, the center of your emotions and feelings.
✎ Your brain makes up only about 2% of your body weight, but it use about 25% of the oxygen within your blood. Why does your brain require one fourth of your body’s need for oxygen? Because it is always active. In addition to controlling the function of your body, the brain cells and nerve fibers are continuously interacting with each other. This interaction within your brain is what becomes your mind; you possess conscious and subconscious thought. The activity of your brain hold your memories and stimulates your dreams, hopes and aspirations. The brain’s activity feels emotion, and causes your body to respond to those emotions. With our mind we are the thought processes of reason, and learning. With the electrical and chemical activity taking place in our brains we make both simple and complex choices.
Guard your heart, keep it with all diligence because it will affect everything you do in life. The “stuff of life” flows from our hearts.
3. WHAT DOES “PURE IN HEART” MEAN?
What would you say “pure in heart” means? Many of us would probably say the pure in heart are free from sin; they are unstained by sin; it’s unpolluted clean living.
The Full Life Study Bible says, “The ‘pure in heart’ are those who have been delivered from sin’s power by God’s grace and now strive without deceit to please and glorify God and to be like him” (Donald Stamps, note Matthew 5:8).
The poor in Spirit are free from the power of sin, but it must also means something more because throughout the beatitudes sin is dealt with right from the start. Notice the progression of the beatitudes and how sin is dealt with.
1. The poor in spirt die to self through brokenness, humility and dependance upon God. The sin of selfish pride is torn down as we acknowledge our need for God; Lord without you I can do nothing.
2. Those who mourn align their hearts with God and grieve over sin. Personal sin, the sin of other believer, and the sin within society breaks our heart; we want nothing to do with sin.
3. The meek surrender their strength to God. The bit and bridle serve their purpose keeping us from saying the wrong thing or turning to look the wrong direction. We choose to submit to God’s discipline and live Christ instead of our sinful desires.
4. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness have been declared righteous by God, and the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit is at work within their life setting them free from the power of sin. God equips and empowers us to live in victory over sin.
5. The merciful have an unfailing love for God. Without love our lives are empty and meaningless; love has become our motive for everything we do. Why would we choose to turn our back on God and return to a life of sin?
Do you get the idea being “pure in heart” means more than just being clean or unstained by sin? Could it be that it means something else too?
“Pure” is translated from the Greek word “katharos.” “Katharos” literally means “free from dirt, unsoiled;” it is also used to imply “no impurities” such as pure water or pure gold. As such “katharos” also means “GENUINE as opposed to false.”
✎ I have three glasses of water with me this morning. Who would like to share a drink with me? (Let each examine their water, then ask what they thought about their water after they take a drink: use pure water, salt water and sugar water.)
THE PURE IN HEART ARE GENUINE. The genuine are authentic, and real. The genuine is not a counterfeit or a hypocrite; the pure in heart have no impurity, mixture or division within their hearts. A genuine heart is a pure heart.
+ Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; GIVE ME AN UNDIVIDED HEART, that I may fear your name. (NIV)
Is your prayer for God to give you an undivided heart, a heart with a singular passion, a pure heart? Let God make your heart genuine, a pure heart not mixed with the things of the world.
4. WHO ARE YOU REALLY?
✞ Everyone enjoys clowns at the circus. Some put on a happy face with a big red nose. Some have lots of curly hair while others are bald. White faces, red, green and yellow, clowns are as different as your imagination. Yet under the costume and beneath all the makeup is a real person. A clown may pretend to be happy go lucky, while the real person inside is hurting and crying for help.
Are we like clowns? Have we become experts at putting on different faces in order to hide what is really happening within our hearts? Are we so proficient putting up a front we don’t even know who we really are?
How would you describe yourself? Who would you say you are?
▸ Most of us would begin with our name, our identity.
▸ We may describe ourselves based upon our occupation or family relationships. I’m a pastor. I’ve been married to my wife Susie for almost 22 years and we have five children.
▸ How many of us would think to say what we are like by listing our personality traits. Would describe ourselves as friendly, having a good sense of humor, lovable, generous, shy, quiet, boisterous, all business, or critical?
How would other people describe you? Would their description be the same as how you describe yourself? If the way family or friends describe you differs greatly, or if their description differs from how you describe yourself, THEN HOW GENUINE ARE YOU?
At what point would you describe yourself as a Christian? Would your relationship with Christ be the first thing you make know, or the last? How significant is Christ to your identity?
▸ Is Christianity just another tag or add on in your life? Are you a Christian only when it’s to your advantage, or politically correct?
▸ Or is your Christian faith central to your identity? Does being a Christian influence everything else you do?
▸ Are you a teacher, or construction worker, or whatever who happens to be a Christian? Or are you a Christian who happens to be a teacher, or construction worker, or whatever?
✎ When you purchase a new car or van you have lots of options. Once you decide on the kind of vehicle you want, lets say a Mazda RX80 because that’s what Chrysta wants and its only $27,000 and change for starters, now you have to decide what options you want with your car. What is the one option you want with your new car? Let’s say air conditioning. Now do you want a Mazda RX80 that happens to have air conditioning, or do you want an air conditioner that has four wheels, lots of hours power, leather seats, CD player, sun roof, and is also called a Mazda RX80?
Is your Christian faith central to your identity? Or is it just another add on?
The beatitudes are the building blocks to be like Jesus. As believers we should have a Christlike lifestyle consistent with our faith. We shouldn’t put Jesus on like an act when we come to church, or are around certain people. With God’s help we should be like Jesus 24/7.
The pure in heart are genuine. The pure in heart do not compromise or live like a hypocrite. Let’s be real!
5. HOW TO BECOME PURE IN HEART.
What does it take to become genuine, to have an undivided heart? How can we be pure in heart?
Step 1: Understand God knows your heart. The real condition of your heart cannot be hidden from God.
+ Psalm 44:21 Wouldn’t God have figured this out? We can’t hide things from him. (MsgB) He knows the secrets of the heart. (NIV)
Your life is an open book to God; nothing is out of His sight. God not only sees what you do, but He knows your motive, the reasons why you do and say things.
+ 1 Chronicles 28:9 . . . God examines every heart and sees through every motive. (MsgB)
As long as you think you can hide from God your heart will remain impure. The divided heart not only tries to deceive others, but even more so an unclean heart deceives self. An impure heart is blind to its own hypocrisy and double-mindedness.
Jesus called the Pharisee’s (the religious leaders of the day) “blind guides” (Matthew 23:16, 24). These religious leaders believed they were living righteous lives pleasing to God, but Jesus saw their hearts were full of sin. Instead of having pure hearts, their hearts were filthy and stained by sin.
+ Matthew 23:25-26 25Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. (NIV)
The first step to coming clean with God is to realize He already knows just how dirty you really are. You won’t surprise God by uncovering a sinful heart; He already sees it.
Step 2: Ask God to give you a new heart. Receive by faith the cleansing only God can bring to your heart.
The nation of Israel, God’s chosen people had rebelled and turned away from the Lord. God punished their sin, and sent the nation into exile for a time. However, even before the people asked God to forgive their sin, God made it know that He was willing and able to transform their hearts.
+ Ezekiel 11:19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. (NIV)
God will give you a new heart. He will bring about a transformation, a pure heart in exchange for a sinful heart.
God will purify your heart the moment you ask. We receive God’s cleansing by faith, through faith God purifies our hearts, and makes us new!
+ Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience. (NIV)
God will not turn you away, or ignore you. God wants to restore a relationship with you! Jesus died and allowed His blood to be poured out so your heart can be made pure.
Step 3: Accept trials and hardship as God’s cleansing fire. Let God turn up the heat to expose the impurities and cleanse your heart.
Fire is used to burn away the impurities within precious metals. Gold or silver is only pure after the fire has been applied to the ore; the fire separates the precious from the dirt.
God will purify you heart just as the goldsmith or silversmith purifies precious metals. The Bible says, “the crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart” (Proverbs 17:3 NIV).
God accepts you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you like that. God wants you to be just like Jesus. Therefore, He purifies our hearts in the fiery furnace of trials.
+ 1 Peter 1:6-7 6So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. 7These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (NLT)
What difficulty or hardship are you going through right now? You may want to run from the fire, but God will follow you wherever you go. He will not leave the work he started unfinished, but will bring it to completion (see - Philippians 1:6). God wants to make you to be just like Jesus.
Step 4: Live your life with a pure heart. Take the necessary action so you live a holy life just like Jesus.
Don’t let yourself become a passive bystander. Co-operate with God in the work He is doing. It’s your turn to take action!
+ 2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (NIV)
Some things in life you need to run away from. It’s not enough to just say no; RUN! As you run away from sin and your evil desires RUN TO GOD. Pursue God with all your heart. Don’t be ashamed to be known as a Christian, a lifetime follower of Christ.
Step 5: Keep your eyes on Jesus. Don’t loose sight of your goal: the pure in heart will see God!
+ 1 John 3:2-3 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. (NIV)
✎ With a goal in site we are willing to endure just about anything. The bride and groom to be are willing to go through the hassles associated with planning their wedding because of the goal set before them. A college student will endure the all-nighters to study for an exam or early classes because of the goal to work in a certain career.
Pursue the goal; do whatever it takes to see Jesus.
