![]() When we experience this heart shift, our behaviors, actions and external lives will also change as a result of it. Jesus doesn’t waste time speaking to our external lives because He knows that our hearts must first be changed. Jesus says “pure in heart,” which is referring to internal purity, once again showing His concern with our heart’s position. Though these things do accurately define purity, they are external purities. When we are presented with the concept of purity, often our minds are led straight to abstinence, sobriety or having a clean, sinless life. Of all the beatitudes, this theme shines through the most clearly in the sixth beatitude, found in Matthew 5:8, which says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus wants us to genuinely seek Him in times of joy and trials and trust Him with our lives. We know this is true because of the countless times throughout the Bible that Jesus calls us to draw near to Him. Unlike other religions, Christianity introduces a God that not only loves us unconditionally, but that also wants to know us, spend time with us and offer grace and love that we will never deserve. ![]() The Beatitudes, or blessings, Jesus teaches in His longest and most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, all have one underlying theme in common: God is most concerned with our hearts and what we truly desire for our lives. JAMES 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8) ISAIAH 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.ġ PETER 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.ġ JOHN 3:3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him (Jesus) purifies himself, just as He (Jesus) is pure.Ģ TIM 2:21 Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. PSALM 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? Or who will stand in His holy place ? 24:4 He who has clean hands, and a pure heart who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.Ģ4:5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and the righteousness from the God of his salvation. 3:3 And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. MAL 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming ? and who shall stand when he appears ? For He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap. ![]() MAT 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Only God's grace in Jesus Christ can sanctify and remove those imperfections from every facet of our lives, till we appear a perfect gem before God. Sin is impure and flaws our spiritual nature. ![]() Pure hearts come from being washed and cleansed by grace and God's word through the purifier, who is Jesus Christ, and refined by God's Holy Spirit, as we go through various fiery trials and sufferings. Pure material is accomplished by being washed and cleansed. Pure water comes from being filtered through a purifier. Pure gold comes from being refined through fire. Above all we should recognize that God is diligently working by His Holy Spirit to make your heart pure. We should ask ourselves, ' Are we holding onto some earthly desires over God's will for our life ? ' If so, we need to let go of what is polluting our spiritual nature. We should earnestly desire a pure heart and the grace of the blood of Jesus Christ will wash us clean. If we are stubborn, our hearts remain impure and we suffer spiritual lack and we hinder the flow of God's blessings for our lives. Many times it takes years for God to work certain evil ways out of our hearts, not because God is unable to readily achieve the work within, but rather a pure heart depends upon how and when we willingly choose to submit to God's will, and further desire for God to change our lives. It takes the refining power of God's Holy Spirit to burn away everything evil that is not of Him, in our hearts and minds. PSALM 51:10 " Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
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