Blessed Are The Pure In Heart
Blessed Are The Pure In Heart
Many of the Jews in Jesus’ day looked at the Pharisees as good examples of righteousness. They were impressed with their knowledge of the Law of Moses and their strict adherence to it. However, Jesus could see through their exterior and found impure hearts within them. Their charitable deeds, eloquent prayers, and ritual fasts were all in vain. Yes, these are all things that please God if they’re done with the right motive, but that’s what the Pharisees lacked. They yearned for the recognition and praise of men, and that's the reward they got. Unfortunately for them, God is not pleased if one is not singularly focused on pleasing Him.
This is an important teaching from Jesus about our motive in serving God. In order for us to please God with our lives, we have to serve Him with a pure heart. Pure in the sense that we obey Him because He deserves it and we have no ulterior motive. This pureness of heart isn’t a miraculous gift; it’s a quality that must be developed by each individual Christian through prayer and study. The blood of Jesus removes sin and gives the faithful a promise of eternal life, and that makes the battle we’re in against sin winnable! So, we must maintain a mindset of pleasing the Lord rather than men.
Paul speaks of this mindset in His letter to the church at Colossae. He writes, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24).
We also learn from the scriptures that a pure heart can become impure again. This happens when we make the mistake of thinking we have it all figured out and under control, then ease up our efforts. That opens the door for the devil to swoop in with his tricks. We have to be smarter than that, and we can be if we live in the word and never forget what God has promised us.
In the same statement to the Colossian Christians, Paul warns them, “But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality” (Colossians 3:25). In other words, He who works with impure motives will be repaid. So, if we want to receive the blessings of God through Jesus Christ, we must develop and maintain a strong faith and a pure heart that seeks the love and grace of God, rather than the praise and approval of man. If we do this, Jesus says we will see God!
Eric Bullock, Evangelist
