“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”( Matt. 5:8, NIV). This verse gives us a tremendous gift: the opportunity to see God! This is one of the most popular verses in Christian history. Devout followers of Jesus who wanted to be close to God and “see” him in their lives made a serious effort to purify their lives. Purity of heart is a New Testament theme. The author of Hebrews instructed us to “work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14, NLT). Scripture also instructs us to build relationships with others who are pure in heart: “Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22, NLT).
Jesus doesn’t give details about what it means to “see” God, but we know that it means that we will be very close to him. In this life it may mean that we experience his presence deep within us, or clearly “see” the Jesus way of life. In the next life, we get to see God directly (Rev 22:4). The condition is being pure in heart. Believers have judicial purity but Jesus is also asking for actual purity in our hearts. This takes time and effort and a willingness to examine our hearts. But if we pursue this we will be rewarded with more of the vision of God in our lives.
How much effort do you put into being pure in heart?
