Matthew 5:8 - People of Purity.
Matthew 5:8 (KJV) Blessed are the pure in
heart: for they shall see God.
INTRODUCTION
People characterized as pure in heart are
morally pure, honest, and sincere. They are people
of integrity and single-minded commitment to
God. Moral purity, honesty, and integrity come
only through such a commitment. In turn, people
committed totally to God will seek to be morally
clean. Because of their sincere devotion to Christ,
they will see God, here and now through the eyes
of faith (Heb 11:27), and finally face-to-face
(1 John 3:2). (Life Application Commentary)
When Christ abides in the heart, there will
be purity and refinement of thought and manner.
But the words of Jesus, "Blessed are the pure in
heart," have a deeper meaning--not merely pure in
the sense in which the world understands purity,
free from that which is sensual, pure from lust,
but true in the hidden purposes and motives of
the soul, free from pride and self-seeking,
humble, unselfish, childlike. MB25
COMMENTARY PEARL
Our hearts aren't completely pure. We
know that. We've been told by a prophet that they
are desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), and
though we've also been told by a prophet that we
can have a new one (Ezekiel 36:26), we know some
old things that still take place there. So when
Jesus blesses the pure in heart, we aren't very
encouraged. We're pretty sure we don't qualify. We jump
back to the first Beatitude and take comfort in
our poverty of spirit. But for this Beatitude,
we lose heart at the prospect of having a pure
one.
The good news is that Jesus isn't talking
about spotlessness, at least not in practical
terms. Perhaps He is referring to the cleansing
that comes from His blood and the renewal that
comes from His Spirit, but there's even more to it
than that. Having a pure heart means being
singularly focused. The pure in heart are concerned
with one thing: They are wholehearted in their
desire for God. Their hearts are not distracted or
filled with clutter. They are pure in their pursuit
of Him and His Kingdom.
That's encouraging. We can do that. It
isn't easy - we get distracted by lots of details
in life - but we know what it's like to be
single-minded about something. A man in pursuit of his
beloved. an athlete in pursuit of his prize, a
researcher in pursuit of his great discovery - these
are common human experiences. If that's what it
means to have a pure heart, we understand.
Some have called it a "magnificent
obsession" or more biblically, a "pearl of great
price." or some other picture that captures the
surpassing worth and beauty of the prize. Paul cast
aside everything for it (Philippians 3:8), and we
should too. That's what Jesus urges His listeners
to do. The pure in heart live in all-out
pursuit of the things of the Kingdom, and of the
King Himself. And they hang on to a promise: that
their wholehearted devotion will result in the
reward of seeing God. [The One Year Heaven On Earth
Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
COMMENTARY
All too often people use the word holy in
a negative sense, as in, Oh, theyre so
holier-than-thou! Theyre basically saying someone is
conceited or uppity.
This isnt a good trait, of course. But
we all should want to be holy men and women. In
fact, the Bible says, But as He who called you
is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
because it is written, Be holy, for I am
holy (1 Peter 1:15"16 NKJV).
Now, we may think that being holy means
never raising our voices or occupying much space.
But that isnt holiness; its weirdness.
Instead, lets spell the word holy this
way: wholly, as in wholly committed. If youre
wholly committed to Christ, then youll be a holy
person.
Jesus said, Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8
NKJV).
Today people speak of their hearts as
their emotional centers. They might say, My
mind tells me one thing, and my heart tells me
another or Im just listening to my heart.
But be careful, because the Bible says,
The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9
NKJV).
When we talk about the heart as
believers, were talking not only about the emotional
center but about the intellectual center as well.
So, to be pure in heart means that
were pure in our inner core. It means being
people of purity.
But is it even possible to be pure today?
Just like we easily dismiss the word holy, we
also could dismiss the word pure. But pure in
heart can be translated single in heart. It
means having a single focus in life. It means that
youre a focused person - FOCUSED ON YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. [Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and readjusted
my glasses. "I'm having trouble seeing the
page. I think I need a stronger prescription," I
told my husband.
"Here, let me see." He took my glasses
and held them up, then chuckled. After quickly
spraying eyeglass cleaner and then wiping my glasses
with a lint-free cloth, he handed them back, Sure
enough, now my reading glasses worked just fine.
Because the Word tells me so, I know that
Jesus is at work all around me. He reveals the
true nature of God in profound mercy, gentleness,
and power. But sometimes I don't see Him. As I
muddle through my day, my vision is clouded by
smudges of doubt, fingerprints of self-centeredness,
and scratches of distraction. Or, in the same
way that I often lose my reading glasses, I may
forget to look at the world through the lens of
faith,
When I spend time with Jesus, He cleanses
my heart and makes it pure. He reveals
attitudes I need to change. Then I'm able to view my
circumstances and the people around me in a new way. I'm
able to focus on the ways that Jesus is present.
I look forward to seeing my Savior in a
tangible way in eternity. But because of Jesus
creating a pure heart in me, I can also see God right
now in my ordinary days. Sharon Hinck
Faith Step: Ask Jesus to purify your
heart and help you see Him today. [Mornings With
Jesus 2022 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
My boat's galley cupboards are stained a
deep reddish-brown. The glossy doors look
beautiful set against the surrounding off-white walls.
Their interiors, however, are a different matter.
Humidity levels run high from November through April
because we live in a wet climate. As a result,
condensation collects and mildew grows easily and often
unnoticed in dark, damp places - like deep inside my
galley cabinets. All looks good on the outside, but
I must be aware of what lurks in the hidden
places and then deal with it.
A couple times each year, I dig into the
recesses of my cupboards and do a deep cleaning. I
wash the walls and treat them with a solution
that kills mildew and helps slow future growth. I
never relish doing this job, but I always feel
good when it's done. The sanitized space is now
safe for storing dishes and food again.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke
of the need for cleanliness in another hidden
place - the heart. Looking good on the outside and
behaving according to religious expectations doesn't
impress Him. He's more concerned about those secret
recesses that no one can see, and He wants to ensure
I keep them clean from ugly things, such as
lust, jealousy, greed, and unforgiveness. Just as
my cabinets need a regular deep cleaning, so
does my heart. It's not pleasurable to invite
Jesus to inspect my heart and reveal the sin I've
harbored there, but doing so brings blessing. Grace
Fox
Faith Step: If you're able, clean the
interior of one cupboard or drawer today. As you do
so, ask Jesus to cleanse your heart from
anything that grieves Him and to open your eyes to
see more of His glory. [Mornings With Jesus 2022
Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Matthew 5:8 - How To See God and When.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20051021-1036.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
