The truth about Matthew 5:8- "Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God."

Believers, consider the words of Christ in Matthew 5:8- "Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God."

Thanks to its misinterpretation by some, this verse has got many churchgoers trying to "purify" their hearts by obeying the law and doing good deeds. But believer, Acts 15 shows us how the heart is purified-

"8 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"

See the NLT: "God knows people’s hearts, and He confirmed that He accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts through faith. So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?"

These verses from Acts 15 are a part of Peter's response to the heated argument that was started by some legalistic Jewish churchgoers who were insisting that non-Jewish believers in Christ needed to keep/ be burdened with the yoke of the Law of Moses and be circumcised in order to be saved. Like many church pastors who levy the flock with demands based on the use of human strength for the attainment of godliness aka law-keeping, this group in Acts 14 CHALLENGED God by trying to put the yoke (of the law) which heaps the burden of guilt that even they and their fathers were unable to bear (God's word) on the neck of believers. Beware of such.

Acts 15:9 tells us how we get to be counted among those who have a pure heart; it is not something that can be accomplished by any human being or by human striving, no matter how "holy" one tries to be. It is the birthright of every true believer:

"9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." Acts 15:9.

The law is not of faith. Hearts are not purified by trying to obey the law aka striving for godliness by human effort aka the same thing that caused Adam and Eve to lose their God-given position of favour an glory in Eden. Beloved, the purification of hearts is God's work, not man's. It is the result of our trust/belief/faith in Jesus Christ which itself is a gift of God's Grace according to Christ Himself in John 6:43-46-

"Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over Me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent Me is in charge. He draws people to Me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do My work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End...."

And there we were thinking "I decided to follow Jesus all by myself:)" We even wonder why "other people" won't believe when in reality, we would be among the same "other people" but for God's Grace. Believer, one of the reasons God gave us the gift of prayer is so that we can ask for the salvation of those whom we want to see saved; instead of threatening others with hellfire and God's wrath, let's ask our heavenly Father in Christ to touch their hearts and draw them to Christ. Only He can do this.

A purified heart is the birthright of all those who have faith in Christ as their Righteousness and Strength and are not engaging in silly efforts to save themselves or make their hearts clean by obeying the Ten Commandments, sowing seed or generally doing what the law commands in order to get right with God- an effort in futility according to Roman's 3:19-20-

"Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are."

Thought to clarify that "law-keeping" encompasses anything at all that one is doing in a bid to "not perish but have everlasting life" and with the MINDSET that his works are being accomplished by his own strength (arm of flesh that will fail.) Romans 3 says of how we are made right with God:

"26...for He himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."

This is the word of Grace- Christ Himself. To "obey" Christ is to "believe" His word in Romans 3 above. When your believing is right, right living will follow. As surely as Christ says so in John 15:5, alive in and in union with Him, we get to bear much fruit (produce works of faith)-

“I am the sprouting vine and you’re My branches. As you live in union with Me as your Source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from Me you are powerless."

Many churchgoers are yet to understand the weight and power of the Word of the Almighty about how we bear “much fruit" and so try to help God make His word come to pass through human striving at doing works of the law to "prove their faith" and purify their hearts aka keeping the Law or dependence on human effort at obedience.

This “trying to help God" has its root in the belief that God's plan for us cannot succeed without our making it so by some forceful, human/arm of flesh-driven effort on our part, like Uzzah who thought the Ark of God would fall thereby breaking its contents (including the Law) if he didn't do something about it with his own “Uzzah” (meaning Strength in Hebrew.) Uzzah thought he could keep the law from being broken by his human effort. But all have sinned and the wages of sin is death. Uzzah had no idea that even his breathing in and out was purely a matter of God’s mercy so he presumed himself able to do the good work of keeping the law from being broken by his arm of flesh- just as some churchgoers do today. Uzzah died for his seemingly worthy attempt. The letter (law) kills.

In Christ, we are called to be "doers of the word" and not doers of the Ten Commandments (letter of the law) that kills. "The letter (law) kills but the Spirit gives life" is a very popular Bible verse. With the Spirit of the Lord, it is neither by might nor by power. It is impossible for doers of works of the Law to deceive themselves in this matter--

if we believed that it is by Christ's sacrifice ALONE that we do not perish but have everlasting life; if we knew and believed that it is Christ in us doing the works and not our own might and power, it would be difficult for us to point accusing fingers at others who are still struggling with sins and addictions or threaten them with judgment if they don't change. Rather, we would see how helpless man is to overcome sins and produce good works and point such to Christ who saves from sins and transforms the sinner who truly believes to godliness and right living, as it is written of Him in Titus 2:14 -

Those who try to purify their hearts with works of the law reject Christ's finished work and deny the efficacy of His finished work in making the sinner who believes (utterly trusts in Him for salvation from sin and death) righteous in God's sight. Such trust in their ability to obey even a tittle of the law by their human effort (arm of flesh) in order to notch up points of righteousness with God. But Galatians 5:4 says of such:

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's Grace."

Beloved, by God's Grace, let's not be found trusting in self. Human logic/reasoning cannot comprehend God's saving Grace:

"For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18 AMP

Let's continually ask the Lord to cleanse our hearts of false doctrines that make one trust in the arm of flesh/human effort for healing, salvation and deliverance from trouble. Never trust yourself like Peter did before he fell flat on his face three times. Trust in Christ. Again consider the verse:

"Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God."

Christ is not saying that we have to make our hearts pure by ourselves in order to get the blessing of seeing God. Christ is saying that we get to see God BECAUSE we are in Christ- blessed with a pure heart by God. The same applies for all of The Beatitudes: the blessing comes first. We get the benefits because we are blessed. The MSG version brings this out:

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world."

Christ Himself does the putting right of the mind and heart so that we get to see Him. In Christ, the blessing always comes first. When your believing is right, right living will follow.

Also consider Proverbs 4:23- "Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life."

What is in the heart determines what happens to a person in life. When your heart is purified by faith in Christ, even if your earthly walk is imperfect and riddled with sins, addictions, anxiety depression, sickness, lack and whatever earthly ill right now, what is on your outside will eventually align with God's purification of your heart by faith on your inside/your heart, for out of it proceeds the issues of life. The reverse is true for the one who goes about with the MENTALITY that it is his own ability to keep the Ten Commandments, do good things, help the needy and generally do what the law says that makes his heart pure. For such, God's word says in Romans 5:20-

"The law was given so that sin would increase..."

Such who think that their heart is kept pure because of their ability to keep the law and do good (righteousness of self aka self-righteousness) might seem to be walking uprightly right now, but out of the heart proceeds the issues of life: eventually, what is on the inside of their law-dependent heart will align with what is on their outside. We see a picture of this in Peter's three-time denial of Christ. Peter depended on his ability to keep the law: You shall not bear false witness..." He thought his heart was pure because he could obey the law. He even looked like he was making good on his promises when he slashed off someone's ear- ready to defend Christ. Eventually, what was in Peter's heart (dependence on the arm of flesh/human effort for the attainment of godliness aka the law which was given that sin might increase) aligned with his deeds and he denied Christ three times: "The law was given so that sin would increase..."

The teaching of the doctrine of Law-keeping (aka dependence on human effort for the attainment of a pure heart, righteousness, holiness and godly traits in general aka to "be like God") is why the proliferation of churches on every street corner has not translated into godly living and freedom from earthly ills for many churchgoers. Try to keep the law in order to be godly like God and sin will increase. But Christ saves from sins.

Also consider Proverbs‬ ‭17:3‬:‬‬ “In the same way that gold and silver are refined by fire, the Lord purifies your heart by the tests and trials of life.”

If you examine Peter's experience, you will see that what God purifies our hearts from are:

Arrogance: Peter thought Christ His maker was wrong about his then upcoming denials

Superiority: Peter's thought exalted itself against the knowledge of God

Pride in human strength aka the arm of flesh that will fail

Proverbs 21:4 says: "Arrogance, superiority, and pride are the fruits of wickedness

and the true definition of sin."

Peter point blank told Christ that Christ was wrong about the issue of his then upcoming denials. Peter's words refuting Christ's brings to mind "every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God." His sifting by Satan and ensuing denials showed him how weak he was of himself and how utterly he needed God's saving Grace. His heart was purified of pride in his ability to keep the law:

"In the same way that gold and silver are refined by fire, the Lord purifies your heart by the tests and trials of life.” Proverbs 17:3.

Beloved of God, we don’t have to learn lessons the hard and disgraceful way. Many of the trials that we experience in life we do not have to go through; if we, in agreement with God’s word, confess always that we have no good/righteousness and no strength of our own and that Christ is our all, no Satan will bother to come and sift us like wheat for that good/strength that many claim to have. Should Satan taunt us for our imperfections or should circumstances demand that we produce good, Christ our Good and our Strength will never disappoint. This is why we sing "‘Tis no longer I that liveth but Christ that liveth in me.”

Believers, our hearts are made pure by God Himself through our belief (utter reliance, trust, dependence) on our Saviour Jesus Christ for salvation from sin and death so next time you read the verse -

"Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God"

- know that you are the blessed person that Christ is talking about and hearts purification is HIS work, not ours. It is a finished work that He has accomplished for you and I who believe Him. Everything that we need pertaining to life and godliness- Wisdom, Righteousness, Holiness, Redemption - God so loved us that He freely made Christ to become all these things for us. See 1 Corinthians 1:30-

"But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin]."

Don't let any church daddy goad you into having that MENTALITY of self-righteous dependence on human effort in the bid to purify your heart, escape God's wrath, be godly (be like God) or in order to "not perish but have eternal life." Christ has done it all. In Him, God sees us as righteous, "even though we are guilty of many sins." See Romans 5:16 below. This is not so that we should continue to wallow in sins as antichrist pastors who lead the flock to trust in the arm of flesh (human effort at being godly like God) that will fail love to imply; their seemingly good but deathly doctrine is the same one that Satan used to deceive Eve in Eden.

In God's Wisdom, those who receive His gracious, unmerited forgiveness of sins/unending mercy (abundance of Grace) and His gift of righteousness get to live in triumph over sin and death (earthly ills like sickness, stupid mistakes, anxiety, depression, lack, etc are "death begun")--

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:16-17.

When your believing is right, right living will follow.