Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

In the physiological sense, the heart is a vital organ located within the human body and is well hidden. It regulates the circulation of blood and is of central importance as it is vital for life. When it stops beating, life is over.

In the human sense, a person is composed of three parts: body, soul, and spirit. The body is the visible, touchable, physiological part. The soul is the place of feelings and emotions. The mind is the place of reason, intelligence, and judgment. Of these three parts of man, the soul is the other name for the heart.

The Bible, the Word of God, speaks abundantly of the heart, both in the Old and New Testaments. Through the Holy Scriptures, we see that there are pure and impure hearts. And throughout the history of mankind, there have been both categories of people, since the beginning of time.

In the biblical sense, the heart of man is the inner man, the consciousness of good and evil, which determines whether we do or avoid good or evil. The Apostle Paul said: “Let us fight the good fight by keeping our faith and a good conscience, which some have lost” (1 Timothy 1:18-20).

The wisest king of all time warned, “Guard your heart more than any other thing, for from it come the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). It is possible to guard our heart, to protect it, to keep it from all harm. When David cried out: “O God, create in me a pure heart”, (Psalms 51:10) he was David the King, who realized the limits of his will and of his principles. He realized in a way, before the Apostle Paul, that, “Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me…..What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me?” (Romans 7).

The Difference Between a Pure Heart and an Impure Heart

An unclean heart bathes in sin and lives in violation of God’s law. A heart is said to be pure when it is characterized by holiness and purity.

A heart that runs away from sin seeks God and overflows in good words, good works, good conduct, etc…It seeks communion with God and with the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ has cleansed it by His blood and it is led by the Holy Spirit. The pure heart rejoices and is in communion with people who are pure in heart and runs away from sin. The unclean heart does not walk according to the Spirit. The pure heart produces righteousness, peace, joy, integrity, unrighteousness, fear of God,…It produces the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22) and walks according to the Spirit. The unclean heart offers adulteries, fornications, idolatry, jealousies, discords, hatreds, covetousness, rebellions, love of money, boasting, ingratitude, rebellions to parents, etc…(Mark 7:20).

Promises Related to the Pure of Heart

Seeing God: a sublime promise. It is not reserved for sinners, for the unclean, for those who will be outside. “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:15).

We must keep our hearts pure. The promise attached to those who are pure in heart, who constantly seek Him is to see God, to be like God, to love God, to serve Him. This is the prerogative of those who have the fear of God. It is not possible to be pure in heart and not see God. To see God is to enjoy His presence and good deeds on earth and to dwell with Him in eternity.

To have a pure heart is to abandon everything: the pleasures of the eyes, of the flesh and of the world, everything that does not please the Lord; To see God is to experience the blessings (a hundredfold) and trials of faith (persecutions) in this life and to possess eternal life, (the kingdom, for eternal life).

Other promises are protection, divine intervention, healing, etc. Examples of people who were pure in heart include, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, David, Isaiah, Job, Daniel, Jesus Christ, Stephen, Peter, Paul and Dorcas.

Examples of people who had an impure heart include, Cain, contemporary of Noah, the daughters of Lot, Ahab and Jezebel, Ananias and Sapphira, Demas,…

A Warning and Encouragement

Dear Brothers and Sisters, we have been examining the subject of the beatitude of Jesus Christ on the pure heart. After speaking of the beatitude about the poor in spirit, etc., and before speaking of other beatitudes such as righteousness, Jesus Christ placed this important beatitude “in the middle” as if to show us its centrality and fundamental character.

Either one has a pure heart and will see God, or one does not, and will spend one’s life on earth and in eternity apart from God. What a tragedy.

Brothers and sisters, let us be careful how we conduct ourselves, let our conduct reflect the purity of our hearts from any sin that may easily surround us. One day we will see our Savior, He will wipe away our tears, one day we will celebrate with the saints of all time, and forever the Lamb in His glory, before the Throne of the Most High. On that day we will see God and that is exactly the promise awaiting those who have, maintain, guard, or keep pure hearts.

This message is a call to repentance and a renewed commitment to a life of sanctification.

May God grant us His favor of having pure hearts. May we develop the discipline of having a pure heart by practicing godliness.

Prayer: From now on, Father, by the support of Your Spirit and thanks to Your Son who dwells in us, You in Him, and He in You, and You and He in us, may we have the hearts You approve, the pure hearts, to see You in this time and in eternity.