Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This does not only refer to seeing God someday in heaven. It also speaks of growing spiritual perception—knowing and understanding God in a deeper way as we mature in Him.
We have been looking at how the beatitudes illustrate spiritual growth. The first five are our responses to God – attitudes and choices we embrace as we follow Him. We humble ourselves and go to God. We mourn over our sins and shortcomings. We choose meekness, a quiet strength to follow our Lord. We develop a hunger and thirst for His righteousness to grow in us. And we maintain a merciful heart toward others.
And now we come to purity of heart. What does this mean? Come along with me as we see not only what this means, but also how we can see God in a greater way as we grow in purity.
Video Version of This Study
This is the video presentation of the lesson below, formatted for teaching on YouTube. The written study continues underneath for those who prefer to read or study at their own pace.
As we continue growing in the first five beatitudes, God creates in us a pure heart. James 4:8 calls us to draw near to God and cleanse our hands, turning away from sin as we seek Him.
But it is God Himself Who does the actual work of purification (Titus 2:14), also called sanctification. He sets us apart for Himself as we learn to obey him in our daily lives.
Some believers live with barely a thought for God during the week. They go through their days without even trying to live the first five beatitudes.
They may go to church on Sunday, perhaps get an emotional lift during worship service, even feel some goosebumps and shed a few tears – and then think they know God. Emotional responses are great, but they are not the same as spiritual maturity.
You see, all too often this is simply the old, fleshly nature making them feel good for their religious service, rather than producing a maturing faith.
If there is no change in us, then there is no purity. 1John 1:9 says that if believers confess their sins to God – agree completely with God about them – He will not only forgive us, but also cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we really agree with God about that sin, then we will desire to do His will and to put that thing in the grave where it belongs. God will begin the process of purifying us as we start turning away from sin, and as we start seeking righteousness instead.
Now this is a maturing process. It is not a once and done. Just as a child grows into an adult, so we grow into greater purity of heart, into spiritual maturity.
1John 2:12-14 describes this maturation process. First are the babies, the small children. Their sins are forgiven for His Name’s sake, and they know the Father. Just as a human father should raise their children by teaching, correcting, and disciplining them … so does our heavenly Father for us, if we are really His children.
As they grow, they mature into the spiritual “young men” John describes—that is, believers who are growing stronger in the faith. They have learned to overcome the wicked one – both Satan and the sin nature that is in our flesh. It does not mean they are perfect, but that they have gained some strength. They stand firm on God’s Word, and His Word is living and moving in them.
Eventually, we will become spiritual “fathers,” and will know Him who is from the beginning. We will start to know God in a deeper and greater way than the little child or the young man.
The little child is the one who is just learning to come to God in humility, just learning to seek Him. They know God as their Daddy. When we are children we know our parents, but with the simplicity of a child’s understanding.
The young man has been growing, has been learning from God for a period of time. He has learned much of what it means to walk in Christ. He has developed meekness – a quiet, enduring strength. He hungers for righteousness and longs to be like his Father.
Meanwhile, the spiritual father has grown into a more mature faith with an increasingly pure heart to walk with God. He sees God with greater understanding than the children and youth.
Most children eventually grow up and have families of their own. It is only at this point they can really understand what their parents went through to raise them. So as adults they can know their parents in a deeper way than they could ever grasp as children. You frequently hear children say they can’t wait to grow up so they can do what they want, or similar things. So it is with the mindset of spiritual children … they think they understand, but they really don’t.
In the same manner, we start off knowing our Daddy God – but it is only in growing into maturity that we can really know Him.
The beatitude says that the pure in heart “will see God.” We will hear His still, small voice guiding us. When we study Scripture, we will gain new understanding.
He will also use things around us to teach us. Jesus often explained the workings of the Kingdom through parables. He used pictures of everyday life that His listeners might be able to understand if they really listened and heard what He said.
Likewise, at times in this life God may point something out and tell you, “Hey, this is a great illustration of this truth.” Mind you – If it is God showing it to you, it will line up perfectly with Scripture. The Bible says that the Spirit of God will bring what He taught you to remembrance. So when He is showing you something, it will almost always be God saying, “See here, this illustrates what I said in this passage.” Or perhaps as you read Scripture God will remind you of something that happened.
It is important to understand what it means to see God, and to hear Him. It is only rarely through visions, dreams, or an audible voice. It is more often by a gentle nudging, a sudden understanding of something previously hidden.
You could express this angle on the beatitude this way: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God … Everywhere.
