PURE HEART-CLEAN ON THE INSIDE

SERIES: KEYS TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

TEXT: MATTHEW 5:8.

As we learn to honor God through purity, our ability to see Him will increase. The reality, reception and reward of a pure heart.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”-Matt. 5:8.

• We are talking about pure in heart today.
• As we strive to be pure in heart before God we need to remember that He is our source and that He will go with us everywhere we need to go.
• Our supply of purity can only be maintained by a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
• When we allow a distance between us and God, we lose the ability to remain pure. (The man who instead of getting his KFC chicken, got money package-returned the money-did not want to be praised because he had a date with someone’s wife).
• What does it mean to have a pure heart and how do we get a pure heart?

THE REALITY OF A PURE HEART.

• The Greek word that is used in Matt. 5:8 is “Katharos.”
• This is the same word where we get the English word “Catharsis” this is a psychological term that means to be free from guilt.
• This word was used in metal industry to describe the process of refining metals by melting down to remove the impurities to create pure metal (Devki and steel plant do that).
• Katharos-pre, clean or clear. Katharos was used to describe soiled clothes that had been used clean.
• Katharos is also used to describe grain and flour that has been carefully sifted and cleansed of all impunities.
• Katharos is used to describe the process of cleaning milk or wine that had been mixed or adulterated with water or some other liquid.

SIX KINDS OF PURITY.

1. Divine purity. Essential quality of God Himself.

• This purity is found in God only-1^st John 1:5-7.

2. Created purity. When God created all things originally they were in a state of absolute purity.

• This was prior to the fall of Adam and Eve.

3. Positional purity.

• When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we gain the purity of His position and are seen through His divine purity.

4. Actual purity. This is granted in the new nature, the old is gone and the new has come-2^nd 5:17.
5. Practical purity. This purity comes from God but it also requires our effort.

• It is our practice of the purity we have been shown.
• This affects the way we live on a daily basis and moment by moment.

6. Ultimate purity. The promise of being glorified by Jesus Christ.

• This is the kind of purity that God wants us to have applied to a direct part of our being.
• Jesus Christ said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
• A pure heart describes a person whose single minded loyalty to God has affected every area of life.

THE HEART.

• The Greek word “Kardia” is used for heart.
• This kardia is where we get our English words “cardiology,” the study of the heart, and “cardio” meaning an exercise for the heart from this word.
• The heart is a complex organ of the body without the heart we die.
• The heart is also taken as the central place of all emotions.
• A broken heart is where an emotional trauma occurs.
• According to the Bible the spiritual heart is the seat of the will and conscience, the center of life.
• The heart is taken by the Bible as the center for moral, spiritual and intellectual part of a person.
• The heart was the center of the physical, emotional and spiritual life.
• The heart is the center of thoughts, passions and desires.
• From the heart came the nature of the will and the essential traits of character.
• Jesus Christ told the people in His day the same thing He tells us today.

That the true test of purity is what we do when nobody else is looking;

• If nobody else is looking at you and nobody would ever find out, would we compromise our purity?
• But God is always looking at us.
• If you and I really want to see God, it would help us to remember that He sees us-Psalm 139.

THE RECEPTION OF A PURE HEART.

• How can I receive a pure heart in light of Jeremiah 17:9?
• The first place to acquire a pure heart is by realizing how impure I am-Jer. 17:9.
• God wants us to be close to Himself.
• Closeness to God cannot happen unless our hearts are as pure as His own heart.
• Therefore God work in us and through us through the power of the Holy Spirit to put us on the path to purity.
• The path to purity involves three essentials:-

1. Conviction
2. Confession
3. Repentance

• The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin-2^nd 7:8-10.

Many people work very hard to have a better past, but you and I cannot change the past.

• We need to get on to the path of purity in the present and prepare for a future of seeing God.
• 1^st John 1:9-talks about confession. It is easy though to confess our sins and never repent-by getting back to the same sins.
• Repentance means turning away from sin and turning to God to follow Him.
• Jesus told the woman caught in adultery “I do not condemn you”-“Go and sin no more.”
• That is the path of purity-conviction, confession and repentance.
• How to maintain purity:

1. Ears open-fill your life with God’s word.
2. Hands off-surrender control of your life to the Holy Spirit.

• Give up everything that is holding you back in your spiritual walk.

3. Knees-down-develop a consistent habit of prayer.

THE REWARD OF PURE HEART.

1. To see God (ORAO) is to perceive, catch sight of.
2. Ways to see God.
3. God sightings in daily life-Eph. 1:8.
4. Immediate access into the king’s presence.
5. Heaven-the pure in heart will see God when this life is over-then Face to Face.