PURITY OF HEART
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8
A little child asked his mum, “Mummy, where is God?”. The mum thought for a moment and wisely replied. “Look with a clean and pure heart and you’ll see Him in everything and everywhere – even in the wind”.
It takes a pure heart to see God. And beloved I long more for nothing else than to behold the beautiful face of my Creator, Saviour, Lord and King.
Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is the generation [description] of those who seek Him [who inquire of and for Him and of necessity require Him], who seek Your face, [O God of] Jacob. Selah [pause, and think of that]! Psalms 24:3-6 (Amp)
Indeed, take a moment to think about that. Those that desire to see the face of The Holy One must be of a pure heart.
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Hebrews 12:14-15 (KJV)
Below are my list of 5 things we must watch against that pollute the heart making it impure.
1. Evil Desires: These include thoughts of hatred, bitterness, revenge, lust, greed, or jealousy.
According to Matthew 15:19, “Out of the heart comes evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality…”. Think no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil and you will see no evil.
2. Love of Worldly Things: Attachment to material possessions, fame, or status can cloud spiritual clarity.
1 John 2:15 warns, “Do not love the world or anything in the world…”
3. Deceit and Hypocrisy: Pretending to be righteous while harboring ill intentions or double standards. This I also call self-deceit.
This duality corrupts sincerity and leads to spiritual blindness. James 1:22 warns,
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
4. Pride and Arrogance: A proud heart resists correction and humility, making it hard to receive truth or divine guidance.
Proverbs 16:5 says, “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord.”
5. Excessive Indulgence: Excessive socializing (attachment to screens; phones and TV), excessive wishful thinking (over ambition), attachment to others besides God, alcoholism, overeating, and oversleeping.
Romans 13:14 (Amp) says, But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature] to [gratify its] desires (lusts).
These habits dull the heart’s sensitivity to spiritual matters and weaken its resolve.
Reflection
– What thoughts or habits cloud the purity of my heart?
– Do I seek to please God in secret or only in public?
– How can I guard my heart and keep it aligned with God – His will, purposes and directions?
Prayer
Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart. Pure and Holy, Right and True. Detoxify my heart and keep me from whatever will deny my seeing your Holy face.
“You must keep all earthly treasures out of your heart, and let Christ be your treasure, and let Him have your heart. Charles Spurgeon”