PURE IN HEART
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 (NIV)
The end goal of purity isn’t purity; it’s to see God. This was transformative for me to understand. Sometimes, we try so hard to be pure that we fail to see the end goal. You can abstain from sexual temptation, greed, drunkenness, bitterness and anger and still not see God. So, purity can’t be the end goal. The Pharisees were pure on the outside, but they didn’t see God; in fact, they looked to kill Jesus. Simply put, being pure for the sake of being pure was never that compelling to me. It wasn’t a vision that captured my heart and imagination. Honestly, it seemed almost impossible to be completely pure in this day and age, and I got exhausted by constantly looking at my purity progress. When I was pure from sexual temptation, I felt pride, and then when I messed up, I felt a crippling shame. Then something hit me from this verse: the pure in heart see God.
Think about it: the negative, bitter person or the sexually immoral can read the Scriptures and get nothing out of it. Why? Because their hearts are hard, not soft, toward God. Those who are pure can see God in the pages of the Scriptures. They learn to see Him in the people around them. They learn to see Him in the blessings each day, while those who aren’t pure have a heart disconnected from God. Sexual sin kills the heart. This was so transformative for me because it gave me a true desire to guard my heart. I want to see God and feel His power in new ways. I sat with a friend, and he said something that struck me. He said, Bryan, from your purity comes your power. I haven’t forgotten that. We consider being guarded and pure as a weakness in a culture of impulsiveness and instant gratification. However, your patience and purity are what give you spiritual power. God wants to reveal more and more of Himself to you. Purity of heart is the lens that allows you to see more of God. Guard your heart and protect your heart, not for purity's sake, but so you may see and know God. You will find that He will fill your heart and soul in a way no sexual sin can ever satisfy. The enemy wants you to think you are settling if you don’t engage in certain sins. This is a lie. You were made for God; only He brings lasting joy and life.
APPLICATION: Your purity gives you power.
PRAYER: Ask God to cause you to seek after purity so that you can see Him in new ways. Ask God to reveal how you were made for Him alone and how everything else is a cheap substitute.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?