Tuesday 12th May

Matthew 5 vs 8 
“Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”

When we talk in this sense about the heart we’re speaking of the heart standing for the person as a whole. So when we say such and such was close to her heart we mean that it was important to her as a person. The heart when we describe it as good or pure means the will and intentions. “He has a good heart” basically describes someone who is caring and considerate and compassionate who wants to do the right thing. Yeah there may be one or two wee things that are issues but he’s good at heart, he’s a good person.

Here though we’re not talking about someone whose heart is good but pure and that means totally free from any imperfection or blemish, whose intentions and focus are undivided to which the late John Stott added free from falsehood and sincere in will. Where do we find someone like that? Only one ever truly fitted that description and only in him are we counted pure. That one is of course Jesus and only because of him and having his righteousness do we have any hope of seeing God and not being consumed in the process.

That though doesn’t free us from all responsibility for David in Psalm 51:6 writes “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts, you teach me wisdom in the inner place” God still has an expectation that we will grow up into the person we are in Christ. Stott once more writes something that we know with personal experience to be very true “how few of us live one life and live it in the open?”  Jesus words remind us of the absolute need for his people to press on in him to become pure in heart.

PRAYER
Lord I thank that in grace you consider those who put their trust in Jesus as being pure in heart. Lord enable me, with the Spirit’s help to grow into the person he has made me in your sight. AMEN

LISTEN