• The Beatitudes - Day 8

    <br />The Pure in Heart

  • John 17 records Jesus’ prayer for you and me. In this prayer Jesus expresses His desire for us. What do you think Jesus wants most for us?

  • The Beatitudes - Day 8

    <br />The Pure in Heart

  • John 17:24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

  • What does Jesus desire for you?

  • This is very similar to David’s greatest desire for himself.

  • Psalm 27:4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

  • David says he seeks after this. How can we seek after seeing God?

  • The Beatitudes - Day 8

    <br />The Pure in Heart

  • Matthew 5:3-8

    Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

    Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

    Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

    Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

  • Jesus tells us it is the pure in heart who shall see God. What does it mean to be pure? (hint: we get a clue from James 4:8)

  • James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded (literally 'two-souled').

  • The Beatitudes - Day 8

    <br />The Pure in Heart

  • A pure heart comes from God in fulfilment of His new covenant promises.

  • Ezekiel 36:25-27 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

  • The new covenant was put in effect through the death of Jesus (this is the new covenant in my blood), therefore we are purified through what Jesus has done for us.

  • Titus 2:14 [Jesus] gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

  • The Beatitudes - Day 8

    <br />The Pure in Heart

  • This doesn’t mean we are to be inactive. We are to purify ourselves because Jesus died to make us pure and has given us new hearts.

  • 1 John 3:2-3 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. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

  • As Christians we are God’s children now. But we are not now all we are to be.  We are still waiting to experience all that it means to be God’s children. For us it is still partly a mystery. Yet we do know that when Jesus appears, we will be changed fully into his image. John says everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as he is pure. In other words the impetus for purifying ourselves comes from setting our hope in Him.

  • Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

  • The Beatitudes - Day 8

    <br />The Pure in Heart

  • In this meditation we have seen that the sixth characteristic of the one who is approved by God is a pure heart. This is the person who is singly devoted to God.


    In the next meditation, we will look at the seventh characteristic of the one who God approves.


    Until then may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 


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