Matthew 5:8 "Blessed" Part 6

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” NIV

Purity is not something pursued by many people today. I’d venture to say that not even all Christians desire to chase after purity. It’s a tough road and takes sacrifice. Intentions must be completely in line with God’s will; attitudes must be like Christ; actions must be of the highest order. Sacrifice is a norm. Love is preeminent. None of these are easy to obtain. Maybe that is why only the ones who do achieve these heights will see God. It should be tough. If it wasn’t, the prize would not be worth much.

So why do we try? Why do we put in the time to reach an unattainable goal? After all, we are fallible human beings. But it can be reached through Jesus Christ. No, I don’t believe we can be perfect in this lifetime, but I do believe we can strive for perfection and possess right motives. The Scripture says, “pure in heart.” It doesn’t say perfect in every action, in every thought. Purity of heart is a desire to do right. And when you make wrong choices, but display a repentant and contrite heart, you make things right again and choose to walk in different choices to avoid repeating the sin again. The more and more you do this, the easier it becomes to make the right choices and sin becomes less and less a temptation.

I sincerely want my heart to always lean toward God. I don’t do it perfectly by any means, but I do walk with pure intentions. Then when I am wrong, I rely on His grace and mercy to convict me and gently lead me on the right path.

Further Thoughts:

1. What did Jesus have to say about the heart?
2. Research “the wellspring of life.” (See Psalm 4:7, Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 12:34, and Mark 7:20-21.)
3. What we fill our minds with can influence our heart. Examine the things you put into your mind. (i.e. through TV, books, movies, Internet, gossip, etc.) Do they encourage you toward being pure of heart? List ways you can influence your heart toward God.