Happy Are the Pure in Heart, come to What is Christianity
Matthew 5:8
1. A preacher once said, Some truths in the Bible we can readily understand and transmit. But there are other truths with such breadth they are difficult to encompass. Matthew 5:8, is one such truth....it is difficult to begin to explain the passage in one brief lesson...it stretches over everything else that is revealed in Scripture. The matter of a pure heart is dealt with from beginning of the Bible to the end."
2. Historically: The spiritual condition of the Jews as a nation was that they were not serving God. They were dominated by the hypocrisy of the Scribe, Sadducees and the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the religious leaders and they controlled the people with their oppressive authority supposedly coming from God.
It was a legalistic system. They taught that to please God one must do as they dictated. The Word of God was perverted to suit their ends. It was impossible to live it, yet they put on a show of doing so. The people were desperate. They were under a heavy guilt of not being able to keep the law. When John the Baptist began preaching he had a great following because they were looking for a Messiah. They were not crying for another rabbi, with more rules, but for a Saviour.
a. They had the promise of God. (Ezk 36:25) God promised to make them clean, and as verse 26 says, give them a new heart. David knew of Gods forgiveness, Psa 32:2, Happy is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.
b. The Pharisees tested their spiritual standing by comparing themselves to other people.
In Luke 18:11, the Pharisee prayed, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector".
c. He looked for someone who he thought was worst than he was and made that his standard. This means that we can always find someone who we are better than. What a trick of the devil. What does this mean? It means the worst person on earth the most despicable fellow is the ultimate standard the world judges itself be. I think God ought to be pleased with me, why Im better than So-n-so. This warped thinking says, because Im better that the worst of humanity Im fit for heaven!
d. Gods standard is quit different. 1 Peter 1:16, Be ye Holy, for I am holy. Matt 5:48, Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect. That is the standard and there is no other!
e. Matt 5:8, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they alone shall see God. They is a Greed word autoi"It is in the nominative case, the case of designation. Thus, it is saying they alone shall see God.
QUESTION? Who is going to enter the kingdom of God? Who will be saved? Who is fit to enter Gods presence?
ANSWER: Only those who are pure in heart, they will be the only ones to see God.
I. How then can I be pure in heart?
A. "Pure" is the Greek word katharizo, it means to cleanse from filth and iniquity"....to be free from sin.
1. Did you know that morality can damn a mans soul the same as vice or evil deeds? Think about this....the Sin of the Pharisees was not doing evil... it was in fact, making an outward show of doing good.
They were proud of themselves, they looked down on everyone else.
Their morality, was in fact a sin to them.
2. You can sink a vessel with gold or with dirt.
B. God is asking us to obtain that which is impossible for us to obtain...to be pure.
1. Why then is that the standard, and the requirement of God?
a. You can not make yourself pure! Prov 20:9,
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?"
Answer: is assumed.
NO ONE!!
b. Jer 13:23, Can the Ethiopian change the colour of his skin, or the leopard his spots? May you also do good, that are accustomed to to evil?"
2. The bottom line is the convicted criminal can not free himself of the debt. He can not go back and undo what he has done. It stands and can not be changed by the man.
C. You can be made pure by God through faith! 1 John 1:7, if we walk in the light, as He is in the lift, we have fellowship one with another, and the bollk of Jesus Christ, His son, cleanseth us from all sin.It is hard to give the steering wheel to someone else, and let the direct our life. That is the where saving faith is proved and exercised. Saving faith, trusts God, and let God take control. It is a life time commitment to let God run your life. God is saying to us, I want a heart that is trusting me to do what is necessary to satisfy God."
Folks this is first! Once you trust God to do what you did done, He will do it.
You can not make your heart pure by doing good works, and it is not necessary. In Gods plan of salvation, his instruction book does not say anywhere, that step so and so is to do this or that good work. He simply says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved. Let me do it, only in truth I can. I have the books and record of your life. I am in charge of them I made them and called them into being, I can he I want erase the slate and make it clean!
D. Next, you need to read Gods word and pray. John 15:3, You are clean through the Word".
QUESTION? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
ANSWER! ONLY GOD CAN. Gods word will instruct you in righteousness.
READ: 2 Tim 3:16
E. What is the promise for a pure heart.
1. They shall see God."They shall "continuously see God for themselves".
Want to see God??
2. Let God purify your heart!
CONCLUSION:
You must have a pure heart in order to go to heaven and only God can give it to you. It is a gift of Gods grace and freely given to all who believe. It is truly being happy to have the peace and joy of knowing you are forgiven of your sins, a child of God and assured of Heaven when you die.
Only the pure in heart can truly be happy.