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.