The Pure In Heart Series

✎ 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.”