Beatitudes 6
Bible passage: Matthew 5:8
"8: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Dear brothers and sisters, Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.”
A tree deeply rooted by water is always abundantly supplied. Even in extreme heat or during a drought, it remains lush with green leaves and continues to bear abundant fruit. Similarly, believers who deeply root themselves in God, the ultimate source of all blessings, need not fear any hardships or suffering in this world. When we abide in God and walk in truth, we can overcome all trials by faith.
We are not envious of any worldly power or wealth because we believe we are God’s children and citizens of heaven. Through refinement, we align with God’s will and receive even greater blessings on this earth. Whether at home, work, or elsewhere, God’s loving hand is with us, offering care and favor. We receive blessings in our comings and goings and become the head and not the tail. And, God enables us to lend rather than borrow, protects us from sickness and accidents, and even allows people who are with us to be blessed. (Abraham) We’re already onto the sixth blessing of the Beatitudes. If these blessings come upon you, you will continually experience the abundant blessings of God. May the message of the Beatitudes shared today become spiritual nourishment and life to you. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will become truly blessed children of God.
Dear brothers and sisters, today, we’ll be looking at the sixth blessing of the Beatitudes: the blessing of the pure in heart. Matthew 5:8 tells us, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The word "pure" literally means clean and clear. But having a pure heart does not simply mean being holy on the outside with good manners or knowledge. It means being sanctified with no sin in the heart. In Jesus’ time, the Pharisees claimed to be holy and prided themselves on their great love for God. But while they recited God’s Word, fasted frequently, and meticulously calculated even the smallest tithe, they didn’t cast off sins in their heart. The Pharisees added extra rules to God’s Word and diligently followed them, considering themselves pure and holy. One of their rules dictated that eating food with unwashed hands is unclean before God. Following this rule, they always ate with washed hands, but when they saw Jesus’ disciples eating with unwashed hands, they sought to rebuke them. But what did Jesus say? He declared that it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth.
Matthew 15:18-20 tells us, “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.” No matter how clean someone appears outwardly by refining their appearance and actions, God, who sees the heart, is not pleased with this alone. God desires those who rid their hearts of sin, lawlessness, and unrighteousness, achieving a holy and pure heart. A person with a pure heart will naturally keep their body and surroundings clean as well. Some people claim that they’ll go to heaven if it exists as they’ve lived a good life without harming others. They believe they don’t need to attend church or believe in Jesus as they think they have no sin.
But no one who refuses to believe in the Lord has a pure heart before God. Everyone is born with original sin inherited from Adam and sinful natures passed down from their parents and ancestors. Even those who strive to live virtuously are still sinners when measured against God’s Word, who is the truth itself. Romans 3:10 says, “There is none righteous, not even one.” From a worldly perspective, being sinless is not having caused anyone harm or broken any laws. For example, some may believe that if they don’t act on hateful thoughts or desires, such as wanting to strike or kill someone, they are not guilty of sin. However, God considers even harboring evil thoughts as sin, declaring this heart unclean. 1 John 3:15 tells us, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” And Matthew 5:28 says, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” When a person has even a little bit of greed, pride, falsehood, envy, jealousy, or anger, his heart is already impure even if it is not revealed as actions. God desires His children to cast off not only outward sins but also sins of the heart, achieving purity.
Matthew 5:48 tells us, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” And, 1 Peter 1:16 says, “Because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” Those prone to argue and get angry must cast off their hot temper and become gentle. The proud must humble themselves and serve, and those with hatred, envy, or jealousy must learn to love even their enemies. As they cast off sins and evil and fill it with truth, they grow in purity. Simply having God’s Word as mere knowledge is meaningless, no matter how great the knowledge. For instance, a dusty podium becomes clean only after you wipe it with a cloth. Simply noticing that there is dust and leaving the cloth untouched changes nothing. No matter how much time passes, it will still remain dirty.
Similarly, hearing God’s Word without acting on it has no effect. Only by taking it to heart, obeying it, and putting it into practice can we transform into people with pure and clean hearts. Even if we desire to cast off sins and have a clean heart, we cannot change our hearts on our own. Romans 7:22-24 tells us, "For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" This reflects the inner struggle: a desire to reject sin and follow the truth verses a desire for sin that makes it difficult to let go. These conflicting desires lead to distress. To forsake sin requires us to receive strength from God. It’s not possible with human strength and will alone.
1 Timothy 4:5 says, “For it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.” But to draw on God’s power, we must first strive with our own will to live according to His Word. Through fervent prayer, we are to receive God’s power, grace, and the Holy Spirit’s help. As we continue to follow the truth, our actions become holy and sinful natures within our hearts are cast off, leading to a pure heart. Brothers and sisters, what blessings will we receive when we have a pure heart—one that is clean and clear—through God’s Word and prayer? Today’s passage says, “they shall see God.” Don’t you want to see God? If you love God and the Lord, it is natural to want to see Him. How joyful would it be to see our Heavenly Father, speak with Him, and be held in His embrace! In Judges 13:22, we find that Manoah, Samson’s father, saw the angel of the Lord and said, "We will surely die, for we have seen God." John 1:18 also tells us, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” It states that no one has seen God. This is correct. A sinful person cannot see God. God’s original entity can be seen only after we go to heaven. Even then, it is not those who are in the Paradise or the 1st and 2nd kingdoms but only the citizens of New Jerusalem who will see God. But even on earth, there are times we encounter our Heavenly Father.
While we do not see God’s original entity on His heavenly throne, He meets us through His Spirit and allows us to see His form. Exodus 33:11 says, “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.” When God manifested His presence on earth, the Israelites could not even approach Him, but Moses was able to see Him. Similarly, Enoch walked with God for 300 years, and it is highly unlikely that God who loved Enoch so much did not reveal Himself to him. Why do some people believe they cannot see God or that seeing Him would lead to death, while others even speak to Him face to face or walk with Him? The answer is in today’s passage. Those with a pure heart can see God, while those whose hearts are defiled by sin and evil cannot. 3 John 1:11 says, “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.” Though it is not Father God’s original entity on His heavenly throne, but His Spirit that on earth, seeing His Spirit is still a great blessing. Why? This is not only the joy of seeing our loving Father, but also because God will not appear before His pure-hearted children empty-handed. Once you’ve cast off sins and have achieved a completely pure heart, you’re not jus blessed at one point. As you daily walk with God like Enoch, you receive abundant blessings that fill your each day with testimonies and gratitude. Thus, seeing God from today’s passage doesn’t just refer to seeing Him with our spiritual eyes but experiencing Him through answered prayers. Namely, it means meeting and experiencing God.
When you testify, "I have met the living God," it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve seen God with your own eyes. It means experiencing the work of God who responds to His children with His great power and divinity. Jeremiah 29:12-13 tells us, “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” God has clearly promised to answer those who call out to Him. But even though some haven’t fully embraced the truth because they just accepted the Lord, they can still receive their heart’s desires. Though their hearts are only 30%, 50%, or 80% pure, they experience God according to their respective measures. It’s likened to a parent not being able to give their child millions all at once despite their wealth and love for him. Instead, they abundantly provide him with school supplies or what he needs for personal development. The same way, when a new believer leads a diligent Christian life, God answers what they ask of Him. As the child matures and acts according to the parent's will, he can receive whatever he requests. Similarly, when God's children have become fully sanctified and their faith has grown mature, they can receive answers to their desires and ask the almighty God to manifest great and wondrous power.
Even if your heart is not fully clean, to the extent of your faith, you can still please God and receive His grace. As you earnestly pray, your desires big and small can be answered, and you can experience the living God through the gifts of the Holy Spirit including speaking in tongues. These experiences will give you the fullness of the Spirit and help you attain a purer heart. The blessing of “they shall see God” is partially fulfilled. But if you truly love God, you shouldn’t settle for such childlike faith. You must do your best to cast off sin and quickly achieve sanctification, becoming children of mature faith who align with the Father's heart. When you do so, God is overjoyed. From the beginning, He’s spent an incalculable number of years in sorrow and agony. For He’s fulfilled the purpose of cultivating humanity through you, He allows you to experience His answers and blessings at every moment with His almighty power. Dear brothers and sisters, 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
Having received the promises of salvation, resurrection, and blessings through our Lord Jesus Christ, we must cleanse our hearts of all uncleanliness and make ourselves pure. This is the key to fulfilling God’s promises who’s promised to bless us numerous times. Today, some who claim to believe in God fail to receive blessings because they haven’t achieved purity. If people who are impure in heart receive blessings, they commit more sins and distance themselves from God. Also, the enemy devil will bring accusation complaining that they receive blessings despite not having prepared a vessel. Unless we first achieve purity of the heart, God cannot bless us, no matter how much He desires to. Sometimes, even when a person has accumulated much prayer and God informs him of how to be answered, he may fail to hear the voice of the Spirit, causing delays in answers. A pure heart allows you to see the Father’s image and hear the Holy Spirit clearly. But as much as you have untruth in the heart, you involve fleshly thoughts which hinder you from hearing the Holy Spirit. If you listen to His voice and follow God’s guidance, blessings and answers would come immediately.
But, as you act on your own, delays occur. I pray that you will cast off all uncleanliness and have a heart that is as pure and beautiful as crystal, being able to see God and clearly hear the Holy Spirit's voice. May you always live in answers and blessings, flourish like a tree planted by streams of water, and give glory to God in all things. I also pray in the name of the Lord that you will dwell in the Holy City of New Jerusalem in heaven, see the Father, and sing praises before Him.
