Pure in Heart

Upside Down

Pure In Heart

Matthew 5:8

“Better to be blind and see with your heart, than to have two good eyes and see nothing.” Helen Keller

Purity of Heart

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:25–28, ESV)

“Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” (Psalm 24:3–4, ESV)

Heart – The Center of Our Being – the totality of our ability to think, feel, and act.

“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” (Matthew 15:18–19, ESV)

Pure – Unmixed – Purity of devotion – Singleness of heart

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24, ESV)

Note: Purity of heart does not mean Perfection

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8, ESV)

“One of the most conclusive evidences that we do possess a pure heart is to be conscious of and burdened with the impurity which still indwells us.” A.W. Pink

What Does It Mean To See God?

“They shall be continually seeing God for themselves.”

You Comprehend God’s presence.  You live in the presence of God.  You don’t see God with a physical eye; you see Him with a spiritual eye.

You Grow In Your Capacity To See God:

• In The Bible
• In Creation
• In Circumstances
• In the Lives of Other Believers
• Ultimately Face to Face

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!” (Job 19:25–27, ESV)

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2, ESV)

Developing Purity of Heart

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8, ESV)

1. Be absolutely Honest about your heart’s condition.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24, ESV)

2. Recognize that only God can Purify Your Heart.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:19–22, ESV)

3. Cry Out to God in prayer.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10, ESV)

4. Immerse yourself in God’s Word.

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17, ESV)

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:9–11, ESV)

5. Carefully monitor What You Think About.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8, ESV)

6. Choose your traveling companions Intentionally.

“Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”” (1 Corinthians 15:33, ESV)

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17, ESV)

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another...” (James 5:16, ESV)

Accountability may be the missing Key for many of us in the  process of change.

Making It Personal:

• Have you personally experienced the cleansing of heart and life that only comes through Jesus Christ?
• What do you sense God is saying to you about the “state of your heart”? Are you willing to allow Him to guide you in searching your heart?
• How clearly have you been “seeing God” in the past week? What does this tell you about the state of your heart?
• What practical steps can you take to more fully cooperate with God in the process of heart purification? How will you do it?
• Who can you share these truths with? 

Ready to take your Next Step?

• Text Next to 803-637-8484
• Go to FBCFM.COM and click “Next Steps”