Part 2. A Pure Heart. The Second Message in a Series Exploring a Right Relationship With God. Pastor Larry Goding

Transcription

1 Part 2 A Pure Heart The Second Message in a Series Exploring a Right Relationship With God. Pastor Larry Goding Community Church At Sun Village Surprise, Arizona

2

3 Matters of the Heart Part 2 A Pure Heart Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Jesus taught the multitudes what has become known as The Sermon on the Mount, a complete discourse on the laws that govern Christian behavior as it relates to godly living on earth. Let s call it kingdom living living as citizens of the kingdom of God here on earth. Early in the discourse we come to what has been called the Beatitudes, eight themes that describe the blessings associated with the way of life fitting a disciple of Christ. From the list of eight blessings that Jesus describes is: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Jesus said, Blessed are the pure in heart. He did not say Blessed are those whose thoughts are pure because men may give the impression of pure notions but have impure hearts. He did not say Blessed are those whose hands are clean, or whose actions and outward conversations are wholesome. The Pharisees were outwardly righteous before men, but inwardly full of impurity in their heart. 1

4 The heart of man is naturally unclean and it is not within the power of man to make it clean, or to make himself free from his sin. No one in this life is able to say I am entirely free from sin. What Jesus did say was, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are those whose inner being is pure before God whose relationship with God is free from all hindrances. This is not the first time the idea of purity of heart appears in Scripture. The psalmist asks: 3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation [Psalm 24:3-5 NKJV]. In a parallel passage the psalmist asks the same question just a bit differently. 1 Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? 2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart 3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, 4 who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it 2

5 hurts, 5 who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken [Psalm 15:1-5 NIV]. Both passages give us insight into what we are talking about when we speak of a pure heart. Purity in the biblical sense means clean, not contaminated, unmixed. The way we live our life is a reflection of the purity of our heart. In the Old Testament it is frequently related to being free of guilt, blameless, or innocent in behavior. In the New Testament the focus is on moral purity, innocence in one s attitude toward members of the body of Christ, and thinking of things of spiritual worth. Purity is associated with behaviors, such as patience and kindness, speech, love, faith, and reverence. 1 The bottom line is: a pure heart is evident when God has your heart. If God has your heart, he has all of you. If God doesn t have your heart, He really has nothing of you. Let s explore this idea of a pure heart. A Pure Heart Begins At Salvation. Those who do not know God do not have a pure heart. We learn from the Word of God that the natural inclination of the heart of man is toward evil. Take, for 1 3

6 example, how things were in the days of Noah. As God looked upon mankind He saw their hearts were continually filled with wicked thoughts and evil intentions. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually [Genesis 6:5 NKJV]. Jeremiah speaks of the heart of man as being desperately wicked: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? [Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV]. Desperately wicked carries the idea of being incurably sick. That is a perfect revelation of the natural state of men s hearts. It is outside the realm of human ability to devise a cure for a wickedness of the human heart. A pure heart on the other hand begins at the moment of your salvation. Only God can change a person s heart. That change comes when Christ comes into the life. The apostle Paul reminds us that when Christ takes over the life there is major change that comes with it. 4

7 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! [2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NIV]. The psalmist prayed: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me [Psalm 51:10]. These words came after David prostrated himself before God in repentance over the sin he had engaged in with Bathsheba that resulted in the death of her husband Uriah. His sin had created a separation between him and God to the point that David could do nothing but cast himself upon the mercy of God to forgive him and restore the purity of his heart toward God. That is what sin does. As early as in the Garden of Eden sin and disobedience brought about a separation between God and man. That is why a means of salvation became necessary. That is why God sent His only Son into the world to become the only sacrifice for sin that would satisfy God. For that separation from God to be remedied a once-for-all atoning sacrifice had to be made. Jesus was that sacrifice. God is the only one who can make our hearts pure by the sacrifice of His Son and through His sanctifying work 5

8 in our lives. 2 My acceptance of that sacrifice for my sin enables God to cleanse my heart from sin. The simple fact is that anyone can have sins forgiven by accepting God s remedy. Paul tells us that Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved [Romans 10:13 NKJV]. The prophet Isaiah declared the word of the Lord to a people who needed to experience the mercy and grace of a loving God. They needed to know that they could be cleansed of their sin and disobedience against God. That same assurance is available today to all who seek it. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool [Isaiah 1:18 NKJV]. A Pure Heart Is Maintained Through Persistent Devotion. Being pure in heart involves having a singleness of heart toward God. A pure heart has no hypocrisy, no guile, and no hidden motives. The pure heart is marked by transparency and an uncompromising desire to please God in all things. It is more than an external purity of 2 gotquestions.com. 6

9 behavior that others see. It is an internal purity of soul that issues forth in life to the glory of God. According to Jesus purity of heart is not about believing the right things. It is not going through the right motions. It is doing the right things with the right motives. It is asking yourself before you do something: Is what I am doing or about to do acceptable to God? Is there consistency between what I say I believe and how I act? So it is not merely a matter of whether your external conduct is upright, but that your heart is pure your devotion to God is always fresh, meaningful, and undivided. 3 In the ancient Greek, the phrase pure of heart has the idea of straightness, honesty, and clarity. There can be two ideas connected to this. One is of inner moral purity as opposed to simply an external display of purity for others to see. The other idea is of a single, undivided heart that characterizes those who are utterly sincere and not divided in their devotion and commitment to God. Christ was dealing with men s spirits, with their inner and spiritual nature. He did this more or less in all the Beatitudes, and this one strikes the very center 3 Barnes' Notes on Psalm 24:4. 7

10 of the target as he says, not Blessed are the pure in language, or the pure in action, much less Blessed are the pure in ceremonies, or in raiment, or in food; but Blessed are the pure in heart. (Spurgeon) A Pure Heart Sees God in All Things. For they shall see God. No one has ever seen God. This then must have a greater meaning than to see even the physical representation of God. In his day, Jesus may have been alluding to the advantages of those who were legally, by ceremonial purification, qualified to enter into the sanctuary, into the presence of God, while those who had contracted any form of defilement were excluded from it. 4 If we bring that to an application for today we might say the pure in heart will enjoy greater intimacy with God than they ever could have imagined. Having put aside the sins that have, up till now, hindered their relationship with God, and having committed themselves to the control of the Holy Spirit in their lives, they are now free to experience the fullness of God s blessing and working in their lives. 4 Adam Clarke's Commentary on Matthew 5:8. 8

11 One commentator put it this way: For though no mortal eye can see and comprehend the essence of God, yet these men [those who are pure in heart] shall by an eye of faith see and enjoy God in this life, though [now as] in a glass more darkly, and in the life to come face to face. 5 The Heart-Pure Person Sees God in Nature. We are reminded in the book of Romans that the evidence of God is all around us. God s existence and precision are evident in nature: For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead [Romans 1:20 NKJV]. The psalmist reminds us the all God s glory and creative workmanship can be seen as we look at creation. 1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. 4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world [Psalm 19:1-4 NLT]. 5 Matthew Poole, Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible. 9

12 When you see God in all things you live in the expectancy of what He will do in and through you. Charles Spurgeon related the following story: One day, at a hotel dinner table, I was talking with a fellow minister about certain spiritual things when a gentleman, who sat opposite to us, and who had a serviette tucked under his chin, and a face that indicated his fondness for wine, made, this remark, I have been in this world for sixty years, and I have never yet been conscious of anything spiritual. We did not say what we thought, but we thought it was very likely that what he said was perfectly true; and there are a great many more people in the world who might say the same as he did. But that only proved that he was not conscious of anything spiritual; not that others were not conscious of it. That man was unable to see God in all things because his heart was not pure it was not in tune with the things of God. He did not know God nor did he understand the things of God. The apostle Paul reminds us that spiritual things are only understood by those whose heart is pure who can see God. 10

13 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ [1 Corinthians 2:14-16 NIV]. The Heart-Pure Person Sees God in Scripture. The character of God is fully revealed to us throughout the pages of the Scriptures. Because God is spirit, it is impossible for us to see Him as we would see any person or object that we encounter in the physical world. Moses asked that he might see God s glory, a request that God graciously granted with one condition. God told Moses that He would let him see His goodness, but he would not be able to look upon the face of God. God allowed Moses to have a deeper vision of His glory. He revealed His character to Moses and allowed him to see His goodness but only His back not His face. 6 God had to protect Moses so that he would not be consumed. Yet, God allowed Moses to see as much of 6 Bible Knowledge Commentary/Old Testament on Exodus 33:

14 Himself as was necessary for Moses to know God more intimately. In a similar manner God revealed Himself to Elijah with a dramatic display of His power as well as His loving compassion [1 Kings 18]. Through the pages of the Word of God we have revealed to us all that is necessary for us to God intimately. It is interesting that after all the time that Jesus had spent with his disciples, teaching them the things of God, Phillip requested of Jesus that he would reveal the Father to them. 8 Philip said, Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied. 9 Jesus replied, Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do [John 14:8-11 NLT]. Let s think about that for a moment. What we see of God throughout the Word of God is His many attributes among which are His holiness, His justice, His mercy and 12

15 grace, His compassion and willingness to forgive, and His unconditional love. We read of His omnipotence awesome power; His omnipresence presence everywhere, and His omniscience unlimited knowledge of all things. The psalmist asks, Where can I go from your presence? Wherever I go You are there. Whatever I do, You know all about it. Whatever I say, You have already known what it will be. A careful study of the life of Christ as revealed in the gospels gives us a clear picture of God. The very character of God is revealed through Jesus teaching, manner of living, and miracles. The apostle Paul reminds us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation [Colossians 1:15-16 NKJV]. He shows us the Father. We can know of God s character because it has been revealed to us through Jesus Christ. The Heart-Pure Person Sees God Within The Family of God. Where but within the family of God can you experience the love of God that He has poured out into our hearts by 13

16 the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us (Romans 5:5)? We have all experienced that love in our own lives and because we are one in the Spirit, one in the Lord, we radiate that love within the body of Christ. The apostle John shares his insight with us: 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them [1 John 4:11-16 NLT]. Let us individually reflect the love of God within our Christian family in Sun Village. Let us together continually be a family of believers who reveal the love of God to the world around us. 14

17 A Pure Heart Will See God Throughout Eternity. God had allowed Job to go through some serious testing that had the potential of crushing him, and as he wife suggested, that he just curse God and die. Job endured the test and came to the end in triumph. He openly declared: 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another [Job 19:26-27 NKJV]. In other words, when this body dies and is reduced to bones in the grave and when I go from this life to the next, I shall see my God. I shall see His glory revealed in His Son. The apostle John reminds us that there is coming a day when those who have made themselves ready by means of salvation they will see Christ who is the express image of God and shall look into his face and be with him for all eternity. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure [1 John 3:2-3 NKJV]. 15

18 As he prepared to leave this earth Jesus told his disciples that he was going to prepare a place for them so that in God s good time they would spend all eternity with him in heaven. That word holds true for every disciple who has chosen to follow Christ throughout the days of this life. 1 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also [John 14:1-3 NKJV]. Hear the words of the apostle John as he reveals to us what he saw while exiled on the island of Patmos and as he was in intimate communion with God. 1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be 16

19 no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever [Revelation 22:1-5 NKJV]. The face that we see is the face of the Son of God of whom it is said, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation [Colossians 1:15-16 NKJV]. Conclusion In this life, the pure in heart can enjoy endless communion with God, both in private and public worship. The pure in heart can bask in God s holiness, see His power and His glory, taste and know that he is good, and gracious, and loving. The pure in heart see more than others now; they have a present reward; they see God in the beauties of nature more clearly; they hear His voice in His Word more plainly. They see the divine purity reflected in their own hearts, and in the lives of His people. The day is coming when all who are pure in heart will behold the brightness of God s glory and we shall see the King in His beauty. Today we feel Him in the fellowship and warmth of the body of Christ. Throughout eternity we will be in His presence along with all those who have 17

20 committed their lives to Christ and have faithfully followed him in this life. There is an animal found in some spots in the state of Minnesota as well as other places of similar climate in the world that is called the Ermine otherwise known as Sloat or Weasel. The ermine is a short-tailed weasel that has the unique feature of having its fur changes to a snow-white color in the winter. God created this animal with this feature to protect it from predators. The ermine instinctively protects his white coat against anything that would soil it. Fur hunters in northern Europe and Asia take advantage of this unusual trait of the ermine. They don t set a snare to catch him, but instead they find his home, which is usually a cleft in a rock or a hollow in an old tree. They smear the entrance and interior with grime. Then the hunters set their dogs loose to find and chase the ermine. The frightened animal flees toward home but doesn t enter because of the filth. Rather than soil his white coat, he is trapped by the dogs and captured while preserving his purity. For the ermine, purity is more precious than life. 7 7 Our Daily Bread, April 21,

21 A pure heart is not a perfect heart it is a forgiven heart. It is a heart that has been cleansed by the purifying blood of the Jesus Christ. It is not a religious heart because religion is what man does for God. A pure heart is one that is in right relationship with God. One that repents of sin and seeks inward holiness. A pure-hearted person will avoid, at all cost, that which may bring him/her into contact with the impurities of the world. That one will systematically maintain a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ so as to be unspotted by the world. Purity of heart cleanses the eyes of the soul so that God becomes visible. There was a little boy once who was reading an advertisement for Simpson s cocoa powder and asked his mother, Mom, what does 100% pure mean? It means completely clean, with nothing bad in it. Later, as she knelt by him as he prayed before going to bed, she heard him say the words, Dear God, please help me to be like Simpson s cocoa powder Son! she whispered, but he kept going. 19

22 Make me 100% pure, completely clean with nothing bad in me. May each of us live before God with a pure heart with nothing bad in us because we have been washed clean by the blood of the lamb. 20