Pure in heart – an essential key to seeing God.
In Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”. What does it mean to be pure in heart? The definition of pure that comes to mind whenever I ponder its meaning is that which has not been contaminated or mixed with something of lesser value. It relates to those things that remain authentic and of the highest quality. This definition can relate to many things, including the quality of metals, animals, medicines and foods. However, from a spiritual point of view, it can describe those whose hearts are genuine, moral and decent. People with pure hearts are free from corruption and, therefore, have integrity. Such people attract the attention of God. However, hypocrisy and hidden motives repulse God.
Of course, purity of heart begins with the grace of God. That said, we also have a responsibility to maintain purity. However, such a task is not necessarily easy. It’s even more complicated when we are ignorant of how impurities enter our lives or we are just plain neglectful. So, what are some ways sinful contaminants can enter our hearts?
Firstly, by allowing our minds/hearts to be entertained by sin. Unfortunately, we cannot always avoid the temptations of sin. We live in a world that flaunts sinfulness and even prompts us to delight in it through worldly conversations, jesting, advertising, TV programs and movies. The problem isn’t temptations because they are unavoidable in this corrupted world. It is our willingness to entertain sinfulness and allow our minds to dwell upon it that is the problem. The more we allow sin to captivate us, the more it will likely deceive us and contaminate our hearts. To avoid our hearts becoming tainted by sin, we must continually limit our exposure to it and repeatedly return our minds to the things that please God.
Secondly, we can allow impurity into our hearts through dishonesty. Dishonesty is the antithesis of authenticity. Through dishonesty, we disguise the true intentions of our behaviours towards others. We also, by being dishonest, bury our shame produced by sin and present ourselves to the world as having it all together. Unfortunately, dishonestly often leads to self-deception and can keep us from seeing ourselves as God and others do. The path back to purity is humility and confession. Humility grounds us in reality, and confession opens the way for our hearts to be cleaned. Humility and confession led David to plead with God and say, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me”. (Psalm 51:10-12)
Thirdly, by not feeding our minds with that which is pure. Our minds need to be occupied. If we fail to direct our attention toward what is proper and healthy, we will quickly become captivated by sin. In Philippians 4:8, Paul says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things”. Something that is pure, nourishing and healthy for our minds is God’s word. However, we must desire it and take the time to meditate on it. As Peter says, “Like new born babies, crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good”.
But why should we even bother to maintain a pure heart? Because it is the means to seeing God. Of course, those who keep their purity will see God fully in eternity. However, those with a pure heart also see God and His influence in His creation, in Jesus, other Christians, in His providential working, and everything good. Those who see God are truly blessed because they can behold and enjoy a relationship with the creator of all.
