PURITY OF HEART IS . . .

Blessed are the pure in heart. for they shall see God.—Mt. 5:8

It must be the most glorious promise ever made, one that boggles the mind. The pure in heart shall see God? We are tempted to conclude that Jesus is saying more than he means, for the Bible also says of God, “whom no man has seen or can see” (1 Tim. 6:16). The Old Testament even says that no one can see God and live. But we are to take our Lord for what he promises. To the extent that finite humanity can look upon the infinite there are some who will see God. Jesus does not have to mean that God, who dwells in unapproachable light will be seen in an absolute sense. Even if we see the outer edges of His majestic glory it will be staggering and incomprehensible. Just the idea of seeing God is too baffling to contemplate.

“Seeing” in Scripture is not always related to vision. If one is allowed to see the face of the king the idea is that he is allowed into the king’s presence. Seeing God, therefore, does not have to mean gazing upon Him as one would a sunset, but being in the presence of God or in fellowship with Him. This would give Jesus’ promise an immediate relevance in that we “see” God by practicing His presence in our lives and by having fellowship with Him through prayer and meditation, and through the study of the Scriptures. But Jesus’ promise to the pure in heart is more than this. It must mean that in God’s tomorrow, in a heaven beyond this world, we will, if we are among the pure in heart, see the Creator of the universe in a way far more glorious than anything we experience in this world.

But who can be so bold as to lay claim to a promise that is only for the pure in heart? If this means to have a heart that is free of unclean thoughts and selfish desires and a life free of sin, then who can receive the promise? We are all tainted with selfish pride, envious desires, and carnal thoughts. If by “pure in heart” our Lord was referring to moral perfection, then the promise is not for any of us.

This promise captivated the mind of that old Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, who at last wrote a book on purity of heart. I am persuaded that the theme of that book captures the meaning of what Jesus meant in that beatitude. Kierkegaard put it this way: “Purity of heart is to will one thing. . .” The heart has to do with the will, the desires, the intentions—what one wants above all else. The pure heart is the single heart, without hypocrisy, without folds, nothing hidden. It might be seen in the way one pursues money or fame or some sport—a mind and life set upon one thing. In this context it is, of course, toward God. Purity of heart is to will one thing—to do God’s will. Without reservation and unconditionally. It is sincere, single-eyed devotion and commitment.

This beatitude demands of us self-examination. Are our motives really pure? Is our service to God unmixed? Are we really serving and pleasing ourselves even in the good things we do? William Barclay suggests that this beatitude be rendered: “O the bliss of the man whose motives are absolutely pure, for that man will some day be able to see God.”

Since purity of heart also means to be clean and without defilement, it is clearly something that we cannot do ourselves, sinful as we are. Ps. 51:10 recognizes our dependence on God: “Create in me a clean heart, a God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” That prayer goes on to say, “Do not take your Holy Spirit from me.” The only way we can be clean and pure is for the Holy Spirit to be with us and in us, continually cleansing us. Paul in Philip. 2:13 speaks to this in a remarkable way, “ It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” This seems to say that even our willing, our desiring, our resolving, and all that we do are motivated by God’s presence within us.

While purity of heart is God’s work within us, we are by no means to be passive. One way to put it is that purity of heart means to be like Jesus Christ himself, and there are things that we are to believe and do in order to be like Jesus. 2 Cor. 3:18 says that “we are being transformed” into the likeness of Christ, which shows that it is something done to us and for us, but the same passage says we are to behold the glory of Christ as in a mirror, which means that we are to see ourselves being transformed into his likeness. That means that we have to desire it and seek it—more than anything else. Yes, God is working all this in us, but we in turn are working with him, as Jas. 4:8 indicates: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” In that same verse it says “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” There is a sense in which we ourselves clean our hands and purify our hearts.

This is beautifully stated in 1 Jn. 3:3: “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” The hope is in what Christ will do when he comes. In nurturing ourselves on such hope we make ourselves pure.

This shows how we cooperate with God in making effective that glorious promise, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” It demands of us all that we are and ever hope to be.—the Editor