Pure in Heart - Filled with the Spirit

Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, . . .

We began with a quick summary of previous discussions on this verse. Having a pure heart is well-described as being single-minded in seeking the Kingdom of God. True satisfaction in life comes from such an attitude. We should stop trying to straddle the fence between God's plans and our own desires. When they are in conflict, we know that His plans are actually better for us.

Heart purity, single-mindedness, is the result of entire sanctification. David asked us whether this is a one-time, forever experience.

Having our hearts purified by faith can be a once-for-all step. We commit ourselves to choosing God's way over our own way. Biblically speaking, people continue to grow as Christians. That is, as we walk with God, He points out additional areas that need to be worked on. That initial commitment makes it much easier to keep saying "Yes" to His directions. Some in the class called this "being indwelt by the Spirit."

But we are also continually responding to God. We don't initiate this contact. He invites us to respond, thus deepening the relationship. A pure heart, devoted to God, can come in an instant. A mature character takes a lifetime of growth. Even after having our hearts purified, we can be distracted. It's not that we deliberately choose our own way over God's; we just lose sight of God's perspective and need our spiritual eyes opened wide again.

Being indwelt is different from being infilled. There are times when God's presence in our lives is overwhelming. Very often, we re-gain the awareness of God's role in our lives or respond to a new challenge for a closer relationship with Him. Many of those times, we feel like we've been filled with the Spirit all over again. This is the infilling that the Bible describes as happening over and over again in a Christian's life.

Acts 4:31 describes an early prayer meeting where a group of purified Christians were filled with God's Spirit again. Ephesians 5:18 says that Christians are to keep on being filled with Spirit. We all have times when we need a fresh touch of God.

• All of us are called to accept Jesus's forgiveness. This makes us true citizens of God's Kingdom, as God adopts us as His children and gives us a new, spiritual life.
• Then, we are challenged by His Spirit to commit ourselves single-mindedly to Him. Recognizing that we have many paths before us, we deliberately choose to follow His ways. We are far more alert to His Spirit's leadings when we've been entirely sanctified.
• After that, we remain open to the new directions God gives us. We are regularly refreshed by His Spirit as we follow Him.

God's leadership comes in different ways. Some of us are given specific career instructions. We sense God telling us to become ministers, leading others to know more about Him. Others are given a sense that their current jobs will be blessed as God works through them in the office, factory, garage, school, or wherever.

We had a very moving testimony that reminded us that the "Yes" to God isn't always immediately followed by a sense of God's special blessing. Sometimes we know that God wants us to do something, such as a career change or a cross-country move. We obey, but God's reasons aren't clear. There is a sense that we're where God wants us, but we find we have to remind ourselves of God's directions. We know that this experience is strengthening our faith, but it is not the same as in Acts 4:31, where God's Spirit immediately filled the Christians with a sense of joy and peace. This testimony was a great reminder that God deals with each of us in different ways at different times.

The class discussion brought out the importance of regular devotional periods. These are times when we read the Bible, praise God, pray, and listen for His Spirit to give us direction. David warned us about trying too hard. Sometimes Christians try to commit themselves to a devotional level that other Christians took years to reach. John Wesley, for instance, reportedly spent hours in prayer each morning, rising at 4 or earlier.

Instead, we should aim for something we know we can actually do. Perhaps fifteen minutes would be a better goal in the beginning. As we spend this short time with God regularly, we will find it easier and easier to sense God's Spirit leading us. And the time will naturally expand, not because we feel guilty about the time others spend, but because we are enjoying God's presence and just want to increase the time.

The discussion was centered on giving God time to speak to us. The amount of time, or when it is scheduled, is far less important than being sure we have time focused on God. We need to nurture the life of the Spirit within us.

Questions of Purity

June 6, 2010
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart . . .

David began the class session with a question about the class purpose, followed by three statements about Matthew 5:8.

What difference is this study making in our lives? The point of studying the Bible is allowing God to change us. More head knowledge isn't nearly as important as transformed lives.

Three statements about this particular verse:

• The heart is the main concern of Jesus's teachings. Throughout the Bible, the heart is described as the center of our will and motives. It is much easier to act good than to be good. Mark 7:1-8 gives just one example of how Jesus stressed the importance of having a clean inner life. The outer life should flow from the inner motivation of pleasing God.
• Purity indicates being clean. Jesus indicates that this leads to being single-minded in purpose. Until our hearts are cleansed from known sin, we simply cannot have a single focus on God. David quoted the fourth verse of an old hymn to demonstrate his point: "Now rest my long-divided heart, Fixed on this blissful center, rest. Here have I found a nobler part; Here heavenly pleasures fill my breast." (O Happy Day, but be aware that this link also starts the music.) Being single-minded also means being the same person in public and in private. Sincerity and integrity, which is another word for single-minded, are the cure for hypocrisy.
• Jesus wants us to be single-minded in seeking God's will both in our lives and in the world. The opposite of this is trying to keep a foot in both worlds. This would make us double-minded, which is described as a weakness for followers of Jesus.

Sometimes God asks us to do things without knowing the outcome. We don't get (or need) reasons for all instructions.

How can a person become pure in heart?

Romans 12:1 says we should offer ourselves as living sacrifices, committed to God's ways. The problem of the divided heart occurs when God is present in our lives but not Lord of our lives. That is, we have begun the journey toward God but haven't totally committed ourselves to His ways. This single-mindedness does not mean that we ignore the impure motives and impulses, but that we admit they exist and ask God to help us. If we don't acknowledge our real desires, then we're not offering our entire selves to God after all.

There is a "witness of the Spirit." God affirms that we are on target with Him. God intends for us to know that our lives are acceptable to Him. This business of living in God's Kingdom is not supposed to be based on "think so." God assures us that we are forgiven and that we are being transformed.

Can a person with a pure heart experience growth?

If honesty with one's self is part of heart purity, then there's hope for God's continuing work. As we submit ourselves to God, looking for His purposes in our daily lives, we become more and more like Jesus in our outlook and actions.

God doesn't accuse us when we are on the wrong track. He does reveal the problem areas we need to work on, and He offers to help us.

Can God trust us with His power if our hearts are not pure?

God uses many people who are not following Him. Biblical examples were cited (Pharaoh in Moses's time, most notably).

Power can be defined as "God's resources available to us in the new birth." Obviously, at least some of His resources are available even before we become His followers. Although the resources are available earlier, they aren't used well. And even without a pure heart, every believer has God's fruit developing within. But along with the developing fruit (see Galatians 5:22-23 for a description), the law of the harvest is still in effect: If we are also sowing to the sinful nature, we will reap sin's consequences.

God's power is not actually limited by our shortcomings. The Kingdom is much larger than us. And we were reminded that Pharaoh and other pagan kings were used by God, but it didn't do them any good.

This was not actually phrased in class (time was running out), but the thrust of the discussion seemd to lead toward this answer: A pure heart should allow God's power to work more efficiently through us and in us. But God's love for us means that He offers us His resources long before we are "qualified" for them.

Pure in Heart

May 30, 2010
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart . . .

When Jesus gave a blessing to those with pure hearts, He revealed God's highest will for each of us. It is not enough to do good deeds. We are to have clean motives as well.

Every Christian group acknowledges the verses we've been studying, but the Church of the Nazarene makes this verse one of its key emphases. Our Articles of Faith include a statement on sanctification (Article X). We stress that sanctification transforms the believer into the likeness of Jesus. Entire sanctification is being entirely devoted to God, and is characterized by a pure heart. This is also described as an infilling or baptism by the Spirit of God. Of course, there is a difference between a pure heart and a mature character.

We looked at the biblical significance of the heart. We are to guard our hearts. Out of the overflow of the heart a person speaks. As a man thinks in his heart, so he is. Today, we might more often use the term "mind" to describe this center of decision-making.

This verse counters "external religion." Jesus wants us to get our motivation right. To hear God, we need pure hearts (minds). We are to worship God in Spirit and in truth. The Bible speaks of God's Spirit living within us (especially in John, chapters 14 through 16). This is the foundation of our relationship with God. Impurities in our motives are impediments to building that relationship.

As David led the class, he shared verses throughout the Bible that stress God's call for pure hearts: Luke 16:15, Deuteronomy 11:18, 1 Kings 8:61, Jeremiah 31:33, 1 Peter 1:22, Matthew 12:34, Romans 10:10, Ephesians 6:6. The heart reveals to whom we are devoted.

Titus 2:11-14 describes those who have been made pure as "eager to do what is right." This is a clear description of how God changes us. This purity is to occur in our lives here on earth.

Popular religion stresses God's love and forgiveness. These are essential truths of Christianity, but they are not the only truths. This verse (Matthew 5:8) focuses us on another important truth. God is holy, and what he touches - including us! - is to be holy as well.

As time was running out, David gave some quick definitions of purity: clean, unspoiled, and winnowed (as grain without the chaff); an army purged of cowardliness and discontent; a single-minded, undivided heart. And he reminded us again that becoming mature is a life-long process.