Pure in Heart

Matthew 5:1-8

What is it?

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23)

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)

“Their whole life, public and private, is transparent before God and men. Their very heart—including their thoughts and motives—is pure, unmixed without anything devious, ulterior, or base. Hypocrisy and deceit are abhorrent to them; they are without guile” - John Stott

“Purity of heart is to will one thing.”– Soren Kierkegaard

What's the Motivation for it?

“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.” - ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:2-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” — ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭22:1-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

How can we have it?

“And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.” — ‭‭Acts‬ ‭15:8-9‬ ‭ESV‬‬