Pt 6 The Pure In Heart
Introduction
Matthew 5:8
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Charlie Kirk.
We may wonder how many pulpits around the world may feature this name in their Lords Day sermons this week.
All those who are born again are the “Pure in heart”, they are they who have their sins washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ.
They are they who conscience has no more remembrance of sin.
They are they who have been given a new heart, with new affections and new desires.
They are they who desire the Lord would forgive their sins daily, they are they who desire the Lord may even bring up any wicked way in them.
They are they who see good as good and evil as evil.
They love just judgement, and plead for justice.
They see Truth as true and not opinion.
They are they who know we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.
They fight evil with love and proclaim the greatest love of all, that of Jesus Christ who died that they may live.
They are the pure in heart…..AND THEY SHALL SEE GOD.
Charlie Kirk was such a man.
Charlie Kirk was the public and well known example of such people all over the world.
The assassination of Charlie Kirk is the public portrayal of a world who hates God and who, 2000 years ago, crucified their own HOPE.
Jonah 2:8
8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
Throughout history “the pure in heart” have lost their lives by those who “forsake their own mercy” as they did when they crucified their saviour.
Throughout history “the pure in heart” have given their lives to proclaim the gospel of hope and for such work they too are slain, and today “see God”.
But the gospel cannot be killed.
The truth cannot become untrue.
Good can never be evil.
The bitter can never be sweet
And Light can never be darkness
Purity can never be defiled.
These are not vain words that sound nice, they are not on a SCALE.
There is no MORAL EQUIVALENCE respecting how the Bible presents the “Pure”, the moment there is any impurity it is no longer pure.
The murder of Charlie Kirk does not kill the gospel, to the contrary, it enflames it!
The Crucifixion of Christ transformed the world.
For two thousand years the lives of “the pure in heart” have been taken away for the hope of the Gospel.
No, they were not public figures.
No, Charlie Kirk was not greater than they. They are the nameless martyrs of history who this day ASLO see God.
And their martyrdom inspired those around them to be bolder in their faith, to be courageous. To proclaim the truth, to stand for justice and to hold the world to account because CHRIST IS COMING TO JUDGE THE QUICK AND THE DEAD.
They are they for whom “The world was not worthy”, they fulfilled their calling just as Charlie Kirk did, and today they all “see God”.
Charlie was a unique man risen up by God for God’s own purpose, and just as Sampson slew more philistines by his death than in his life, so too I believe Charlie’s death will inspire multitudes more to proclaim the Gospel’s truth.
The Sermon Today is simply titled;
The Pure In Heart
How I pray it would be an encouragement.
Pray.
The Pure See The Holy
The Pure See The Evil.
The Pure See The Righteous
The Pure Shall See God
The Pure In Heart See The Holy
Matthew 5:8
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God
Purity throughout the scriptures relates to that which is untainted, perfect, without blemish, unadulterated, perfect.
It is represented directly 97 times in the Bible so it is not difficult to glean an understanding as to the meaning and it is this meaning that is vital for us to gain an awareness of who it is that is spoken about in this passage, for “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God”.
Of the 97 occurrences of the word, 40 of them relate to the purity of Gold.
Gold has been in the headlines again in the last week because it has again hit all time highs. Investment grade Gold Bullion IS 4 nines, ie. 99.99% pure Gold, no other metal.
4 nines is the minimum requirement for investment grade Gold.
But the Gold spoken of in the Bible is PURE, it is perfect.
While we are pleased to settle with 99.99% purity, the Bible does not. Pure Gold can only refer to 100%, WHY?
Because the same word refers to the Purity of God.
Job 4:17
17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
It refers to the purity of the words which represent God.
Psalm 12:6
6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
It refers to the commandments of God;
Psalm 19:8
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
It refers to the wisdom of God;
James 3:17
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure,…
More is given within the scriptures to understand the word and those associated with the word, we shall address the overarching picture that we might know who it is that are pure and what they shall see.
The Pure See The Holy
The first aspect of Purity that we shall find in the Bible is that related to all that is Holy is distinct from all that is not, and those who are “pure” can recognise and grow to recognise the distinction.
Turn to:
Titus 1:15
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
The impure can not identify the distinction nor value the difference, but the pure can.
The passage given to Titus recognises that there are a people who know that which is pure and there are a people who cannot see a distinction and thereby testify nothing to be pure;
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
The “defiled and unbelieving” will not see evil as evil and excuse any impurity as just degrees of separation, therefore “nothing is pure”.
We will address seeing Evil as evil further in the following point.
What matters here is that the Pure in heart know that which is Holy and see the distinction with all that is not. Part of this is learnt as we grow in the Lord
Turn to Ezekiel 44:23–24
In addressing the work of the Priests in the Holy Temple of Ezekiel, the Bible addresses directly what their role is;
Ezekiel 44:23–24
23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.
There is the Holy and the Profane, and the pastors are to teach the difference between them. There is the discernment that must be understood between the unclean and the clean”.
Judgement CANNOT BE ATTENDED TO WITHOUT SUCH DISTINCTION.
We are quite literally living in a time when the Holy and the Profane are seen as just degrees of separation rather than two distinct and separate aspects of reality.
Pastors look at a scale as say “Holy is at this end and profane at the other”, like markings on a Meter rule. But this is NOT how the Bible refers to it.
Holy is “SEPERATE”, it is distinct, it is set apart, it is not even on a scale let alone the same scale at differeing degrees.
Speaking of Christ himself the apostle wrote;
26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Hebrews 7:26
There is a great difference between the Holy and the Profane.
That which is Profane is scalable, just like that which is impure varies by degree.
99.99% (4 x nines) is on a scale with 99.98% (3 x nines and 1x eight).
But that which is pure is pure.
That which is holy is HOLY.
The Pure SEE THE HOLY.
“The words of the Lord are PURE words as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Ps 12:4)
Turn to
1 Corinthians 3:11–15
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
When Gold passes through the fire it is said to remove all impurities. So too silver and so too precious stones. All that is burnt up will be wood, hay and stubble when it comes to our works.
Therefore we ought to be careful of what it is we are storing up for eternity lest all that remains of our eternal reward is access to heaven alone.
Notice verse 15; If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Why is that? Why will “he himself be saved”?
Because he himself was made pure through the blood of Christ. He himself is holy, sanctified and set apart.
Yes, his works may require the trying of the fire, but the soul of the saved man was washed by the blood of the lamb;
…who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Hebrews 7:26
When The Pure see the Holy, they see the very representation of God.
The Pure In Heart See The Evil.
Matthew 5:8
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God
If the pure see the holy, there is little doubt they too see the evil.
They see evil as evil, for it is diametrically opposed to all that is good and all that his holy, and all that is undefiled and separate from sinners;
they who are pure see that which is evil and are unafraid to identify it that way.
There is no “Moral Equivalence” in the minds of those who are pure, evil is evil and good is good.
In other words, they will not employ a moral hierarchy.
Remember in the previous point on that which is holy?
There is no sliding scale of evil in the hearts of those who are pure.
Good is seen as completely separate and distinct, while evil and sin ARE evil and sinful.
Moral Equivalence denies that there are TWO SIDES to a conflict. It denies that one side is wrong and the other is right, one is true and the other false, one is good and the other evil.
While it may be true that one evil can provoke another, it is not true that either are GOOD. (I will explain that more shortly.)
Moral Equivalence, similar to what is known as “Ethical Equivocation” is employed today to distract the truth of a matter, to mislead or avoid taking clear stances on an ethical position.
The assassination this week of Charlie Kirk is EVIL and those who celebrated it testify to the world that they themselves are evil.
The attempted assassination of Donald Trump is EVIL and those disappointed he lived testify they themselves are evil.
The October 7th terrorists attack on innocent people in Israel was EVIL and there is NO MORAL EQUIVALENCE that can justify the cowardly act. All those who respond with, advocating that such terror acts ought to be rewarded with their own state, testify to the world of their evil.
O, they may cover their faces as all cowards do, but God knows exactly who they are.
Evil is not minimised by a crowd!
The more people who do the evil does not diminish the evil they do.
Exodus 23:2
2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
Mob Rule does not equal JUST RULE. Neither is the louder and more popular the voice that which determines just judgment.
Proverbs 1:10–16
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Most importantly however is that they who are PURE see evil clearly IN THEMSELVES.
Matthew 5:8
8 Blessed are the pure in heart:
The “Pure in heart” are they who continually PURIFY their hearts.
Yes beloved, they not only see the evil in themselves, they desire the Lord to search their hearts and to bring out any evil residing therein.
Psalm 139:23–24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
They desire their hearts changed.
Psalm 51:10
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Wrote the sweet psalmist of Israel.
Purged.
Psalm 51:6–7
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
The “Pure in heart” hate their sin, they despise the wicked within. They know that they are but dust and they fall before their Saviour.
They are not clean for anything they have done, they are pure because they have been washed by the blood of Christ alone. Jesus saved them and a new heart is given them.
Psalm 115:1
1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.
Little, respecting evil, seems to shock people today.
Sin has desensitised us.
Christians are justifying their sin today and they testify to others that God is NOT HOLY.
O how happy the black sheep are when the Lords sheep are a dirty grey!
As the love of many toward the Lord is waxing cold, Christians are themselves becoming better adept at validating vice.
Pastors are codling corruption to keep their commission.
The last thing today’s mincing ministers want to do is upset the applecart and preach against sin.
Happy to tolerate wolves in the midst.
The pure in heart recognise sin and are detested by it.
The pure in heart see sin in themselves and DO NOT EXCUSE IT.
The pure in heart condemn their own vice “…hating even the garment spotted by the flesh” (Jd 23).
The Pure in Heart See The Evil
The Pure In Heart See The Righteous
Matthew 5:8
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God
The Pure In Heart See The Righteous.
They who are pure are drawn to those with the same heart.
They love the people of the Lord and they love them who love the Lord.
They gravitate together, and the more they grow in their love for Christ the more they grow in the love one for another.
The more they see that they are NOT SAVED by their own goodness but by his grace, the more patient they become one with another.
The more we forgive one another.
The more grace we show one to another.
The more we give one another the benefit of any doubt and we learn to “judge righteous judgement”.
Incredibly, it is this common bond that testifies to all that we belong to Christ!
Turn to John 13.
John 13:34–35
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
The Pure See the Righteous and are drawn naturally one to the other.
We are a savour of life unto life wrote the apostle.
We draw each other all the more to Christ and are attracted one to another the more we draw to Christ.
We KNOW this is true because it is falsified by the opposite witness: the more we are attracted to God the more we tend to repel the ungodly.
2 Corinthians 2:15–16
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
You have witnessed it no doubt.
To the one you testify to life eternal, and to the other you testify to death eternal.
In ancient Rome the conquests of war would find celebrations in the cities as the soldiers entered in.
There was a savour in the air, a perfume of victory to the victors and they long to smell the Victory Incense Burning, they long to smell the savour of their conquests.
As they entered the cities with their enemies in chains, the smell, the savour to the conquerors was a smell of victory and life, however the savour to the conquered was the smell of defeat and death.
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life.
It is a similar distinction seen in Philippians 1:28.
While we are drawn one to another, it is certain that we repel those unwilling to draw to Christ.
It is made evident by our persecution.
Philippians 1:28
28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
This was true of Charlie Kirk this week.
What was done and what was celebrated was an evident token, a clear witness, of damnation to them who are lost, “but to you of salvation”.
Jesus spoke of the division the pure word of God will cause in the world, the effect we shall have on them who reject God;
Matthew 10:34–36
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
John 3:19
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Do not underestimate how many people who were of the darkness see the light when great evils are committed.
The Pure in heart are DRAWN to the righteous when they are repelled by the extreme elements of that which is unrighteous.
Belief systems that testify to evil, will bring out also the good in those who see the evil.
A STORY
In the fourth century, in Rome, and on a regular time schedule, crowds would gather in the Colosseum to view a spectacle that only a devil would enjoy to see. They would be entertained by men clashing together with a variety of challenges, some sword against sword, some tiger against sword, some with lions and other beasts.
All designed to satisfy the blood lust of the people enthralled by the sport.
Telemachus, an Asiatic monk sense the Lord leading him to plead the games be stopped.
He made his long journey to Rome and heard the cheering of the maddened crowd and cried with as loud a voice as possible, “In the name of Christ Stop”.
Few heard him as he finally made his way onto the pitch and crying again, “In the name of Christ Stop”.
The crowd were not sure if he were part of the entertainment.
When they realised it wasn’t, the laughter turned to anger. As he was pleading with the gladiators to stop, one of them plunged a sword into his body. He fell to the sand. As he was dying, his last words were, “In the name of Christ, stop!”
Then a strange thing happened. The gladiators stood looking at the tiny figure lying there. A hush fell over the Colosseum. Way up in the upper rows, a man stood and made his way to the exit. Others began to follow. In dead silence, everyone left the Colosseum.
The year was b.c. 391, and that was the last battle to the death between gladiators in the Roman Colosseum. Never again in the great stadium did men kill each other for the entertainment of the crowd, all because of one tiny voice that could hardly be heard above the tumult. One voice—one life—that spoke the truth in God’s name.[1]
The Pure SEE the Righteous beloved.
The death of Charlie Kirk stirs the hearts and encourages those of us who desire to be ALL IN.
One courageous man, pure in heart and mind, willing to speak the truth in love, will draw the Pure in Heart.
The Pure Shall See God
Matthew 5:8
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God
Turn to Job 19
Job is identified within the Bible as a “perfect and upright” man, “and one that feared God and eschewed evil” (Jb 1:1).
It tells us “that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east” (Jb 1:3).
He loved his family but most importantly he loved the Lord and both of those aspects of love come together when he prayed and interceded for his Children before God saying “it may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts” (Jb 1:5).
So we see in Job a man “pure in heart” and God certainly blessed him.
He too had confidence that he would see God.
Job 19:25–27
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
This week we witnessed the tragic martyrdom of Charlie Kirk, a man who loved God and loved his country. He loved his family and loved all that was good.
He did by words, not by force, not by law, not by decree, not by violence and not by deceit, but by truthful, logical dialogue, words, to lead people to the truth.
His early years was spent in focus of the political, and he drew some criticism and I was one of those critics. I stated clearly that the focus on the here and now was not going to make a difference.
It was as if the Lord had Charlie learn more of how God cannot be removed from the dialogue, that if truth was to be spoken of then God must be front and centre, for Jesus Christ is “the way, THE TRUTH and the life:” (Jn 14:6). And sure enough Charlie Kirk began to confess Christ more and more and more until there was almost no conversation had that he would not speak of the foundation of all that is truth, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 18:26
26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
Charlie may feature in many sermons around the world on this day, and this verse in Psalm 18:26 testifies to that which occurred this week when Charlie was killed.
God showed himself PURE to Charlie, but to the wicked of the world through Charlie, God had showed himself froward, (Perverse, unsavoury (2 Sam 22:27), contrary).
The goodness of Mr Kirk was hated by the evil of the world.
God shows himself pure to the pure and Charlie testified to the goodness of God, but to an evil world God shows himself as evil. Blind to the darkness within, they hide from the light and if it remains this way till death, they shall abide in darkness for all eternity.
But not to the pure…”they shall see God”
1 Corinthians 13:12
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
You and I this day see through a glass, darkly, we see God through his word and through his work in our lives and in the lives of those around us. We see him through the gospel and through our times of prayer.
We learn of him as we walk with him, but soon we shall see him “face to face”. Today, Charlie Kirk sees him “face to face”.
Christ is coming soon, but some are NOT ready to see him!
Before he left he said, “John 14:1–3
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
This is a joy to the PURE, to those who have believed the Gospel, to those who loved the light of the Gospel.
But too many men love darkness rather than light and will not come to the Light because their deeds are evil (Jn 3:19).
In an interview with the Guardian in 2011, The late physicist Steven Hawking said, of God and particularly heaven, that it is simply “a fairy story for people afraid of the dark”[2].
In a brilliant response to Mr Hawking, Oxford Mathematician John Lennox, in reply said “atheism is a fairy story of people afraid of the light”.
Beloved, those who hate the light will not see God.
The pure will see God.
The Gospel is that Jesus Christ came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost. That is YOU AND I.
That is the “light of the gospel”.
How did Jesus save us? He died in our place.
How do we lay claim to what Jesus Did? Believe he died for you.
Simple.
Those who believe are washed from sin and made whole again.
They are pure and shall see God.
[1] Craig Brian Larson, 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers & Writers, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 94.
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/science/2011/may/15/stephen-hawking-interview-there-is-no-heaven
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