The Beatitudes “One of the greatest utterances of all Scripture.” Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.”

Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God The Principle The HEART “Heart” refers to Inner man – 1 Peter 3:3,4 “That part of man that comprehends – his mind, will & emotions.” Proverbs 4:23 “heart…out of it spring the issues of life” Matthew 15:18,19 “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…”

WHAT IS THE CONDITION OF YOUR HEART – RIGHT NOW? Are you giving God “lip service” or “heart service?” Matthew 15:7,8 “honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.” Do we determine a person’s spiritual strength by Inner Qualities or External Activities? (Attending Assemblies, Prayer, Benevolence, Bible study, etc.) Matthew 23:25-28 “hypocrites!...full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

JESUS WANT OUR HEARTS TO BE PURE Heart Must First Be Converted Hebrews 9:14 “blood of Christ… cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 10:22 “hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience & bodies washed with pure water.” 1 Peter 1:22 “love one another fervently with a pure heart.”

PURE HEART MUST BE KEPT PURE Pure Heart results from Pure Thinking – Philippians 4:8 Matthew 12:34,35 “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” Impure heart causes once-converted heart to become Lost Again – Acts 8:18-23; Revelation 21:27

“Pure” Also Means: without the admixture of any element- (Vine) "A substance is called pure when it is without admixture, when it is one thing and not two or more. Pure gold is gold without alloy. Purity of heart means that single eye to the glory of God which aims,…, to be well-pleasing unto Him, works heartily unto the Lord and not unto man, and craves no other recognition than the promised recompense from the Lord's own hand.” (W.J. Woods)

GOD INTENDS MEN SERVE HIM WITH UNMIXED MOTIVES 1 Timothy 1:5 “love from a pure heart…” 2 Timothy 2:22 “call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Matthew 6:19-24 “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” 2 Corinthians 5:9 “make it our aim… to be well pleasing to Him.”

THIS SORT OF PURITY DEMANDS: Intellectual Honesty Jude 3 – “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Deuteronomy 29:29 “things which are revealed belong to us and to our children… that we may do all the words of this law.” (Doctrinal Accuracy)

THIS SORT OF PURITY DEMANDS: Concentration of Spiritual Matters Colossians 3:1,2 “seek those things which are above…set your mind on things above…” Special Excellence of Character Matthew 5:6 “hunger and thirst for righteousness”

THE PROMISE: 3 Ways to “See” – 1 Corinthians 2:9 1. Physical vision – actually see things around us 2. See with the Mind (teacher explains math problem… “I SEE”) 3. See with the Heart (emotions) – people “look: different once you come to know them

THE PROMISE TO “SEE GOD” IS NOW John 1:18 Ephesians 1:18 1 Corinthians 2:14,15 The Character of the Heart Determines What it Sees- “Muddy” Mississippi or “ole man river” Titus 1:15,16 1 John 3:16 3 John 11 Liar Does Not Speak Truth – Does Not expect Other To!

THREE WAYS TO “SEE GOD” Physical Creation – Psalm 19:1 Nature Reveals God’s: love, power, wisdom, vastness, steadfastness, law and order – Romans 1:18-20 See God thru His Magnificent Blessings – James 1:17 See God in every gift, physical or spiritual (presence, power, providence) See God thru Jesus & Fellow Christians – John 14:19

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE? Castles of Europe, mountains of Switzerland, etc.? New grandchild, mature children, Disneyland, the year 2100 or 3000, Jesus & God? YOU CAN SEE GOD! Matthew 5:8 Have you SEEN God? No man can see God & live! But – haven’t you SEEN God?

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE? IF your ‘vision’ of God is not clear, it is because your heart is not pure IS there SIN in your life which clouds your view of God? Jesus came to cleanse your heart & lead you to an eternal vision of God James 4:8-10 “cleanse your hands… purify your hearts… humble yourselves in the sight of God…”