Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Matthew 5:8 (NKJV)
^“Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.”

To be pure in heart is to be filled with honorable, godly thoughts and emotions.  It is to think positive thoughts toward ourselves and toward others.  It is to have the heart of God that is expressed through the prophet Jeremiah:  ^“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV)

To be pure in heart is to follow Paul’s advice to the Philippians:  “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.  The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9 NKJV)

In purity of heart, we will see God.  In the Greek, the word translated as “see” means to gaze “with wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)

In purity of hearts, we will see the wonder, the power and the glory of God.  In purity of heart, we will rest in His promises. In purity of heart, we will abide in hope and in peace.  

Remember: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV) God’s desire is that we be pure in heart so that we will be pure in deed, and in that purity we may gaze on His glory.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart today,
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.

“I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy word and make me pure within;
Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.”

---James E. Orr