This is a series on the Lord's "Beatitudes" (Mt. 5.3-12). Click on the following links to explore the various installments (part one, "Spiritual Beggars," contains an introduction to the Beatitudes):
This world is exceedingly impure. John says it has “aligned itself with the wicked one” (1 Jn. 5.19). We are surrounded by worldly distractions, temptations, and falsehood.
But Jesus urges us to be different from the world. His sixth beatitude reads:
“Congratulations to the pure in heart, for they shall see God for themselves” (Mt. 5.8)!
How do we live pure lives in such an impure world?
The Condition: Purity
To be “pure” (katharos) is to be clean — unmixed with undesirable elements.
The term can be used of physical cleanliness, such as when Joseph wrapped Jesus’ corpse in a “clean (katharos) linen cloth” (Mt. 27.59) — i.e., one without spot or stain.
By extension, Bible writers also speak of purity in a moral sense — to be uncontaminated by sin; free from evil motives; to live honestly, without hypocrisy, true and open before all.
When Jesus congratulated the “pure in heart,” he was speaking of moral cleanliness, not of cleaning the body’s blood pump.
A Divine Command
The Scriptures repeatedly require moral purity.
James instructs us to “draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (Jm. 4.8).
Paul urges us to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7.1).
He commanded Timothy to “keep [himself] pure” (1 Tim. 5.22).
In John’s first letter, the apostle speaks about the hope of becoming “like” Jesus biologically (1 Jn. 3.2). Indeed, when Jesus comes again, he shall “transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (Phil. 3.21). But to achieve that biological transformation, we must first transform ourselves spiritually and morally. John writes:
“And everyone who has this hope in Him (viz., the hope of one day being “like him,” v. 2) purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 Jn. 3.3).
In other words, we must be “like him” internally now, so that we can be “like him” externally when he comes again (cf. Ps. 24.3-4; 51.10; 73.1).
What Makes Us Pure?
Soap and water can clean the body, but what can cleanse the soul? Consider three things.
First, the blood of Jesus makes us “pure in heart.”
Since “all have sinned” (Rm. 3.23), we are all contaminated and “unclean” (cf. Isa. 6.5). We must therefore have our “iniquity…taken away” and our “sin purged” (Isa. 6.7).
This is achieved through the sacrificial blood of Jesus, “who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Tit. 2.14).
We access the purifying blood of Jesus through his plan of salvation (see “Salvation In Christ” for more).
Second, the word of Jesus purifies.
Jesus told his disciples:
“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (Jn. 15.3).
When we listen to the teaching of the Lord, our hearts and minds are set apart from the impurities of the world (cf. 1 Pt. 3.15). When we study his word, we can more clearly see the difference between clean and unclean conduct (cf. Heb. 5.14).
David asked: “How can a young man cleanse his way?” This was the answer: “By taking heed according to Your word” (Ps. 119.9).
Peter told the church of Christ in Jerusalem that God “made no distinction” between Jews and Gentiles. In both cases, he “purifies their hearts by the faith” (Acts 15.9). In the original language, there is a definite article attached to the word “faith,” which suggests that it was by the system of faith — the word of Christ — that both Jewish and Gentile hearts are purified.
Finally, our obedient faith in Jesus also makes us “pure in heart.”
Peter wrote that Christians have “purified [their] souls by [their] obedience to the truth” (1 Pt. 1.22, ESV).
Indeed, Jesus is the “source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (Heb. 5.9, ESV).
Areas Of Purity
Once the Lord has cleansed us of sin, we must continue to live pure lives in his service. To be “pure in heart” is to be pure down to the very core of our being — in every aspect of who we are.
First, our thoughts must be pure.
We must have “pure minds” (2 Pt. 3.1). We are to “meditate on” “things” that are “true…noble…just…pure…lovely…of good report…virtuous…” and “praiseworthy” (Phil. 4.8).
Again, purity has to do with being unmixed with undesirable elements. Think about this. When we let our minds ingest sinful things — whether via TV, radio, books, the internet, or in person — we are letting our minds mix with moral filth. Too often, callow Christians think the entertainment programs the world offers us do not affect their spiritual purity. Is it any wonder that these very Christians, who let their minds mix with sinful words and behavior, wind up adopting these things in their own life — or worse yet, abandoning the church altogether?
Conversely, if we keep our spiritual environment clean, we’ll keep our thoughts clean. And if we keep our thoughts clean, we’ll keep ourselves clean (cf. Prov. 4.23; 23.7).
Second, our will must be pure.
There is a vast difference between wanting to do something and willing to do it. “Want” is mere desire, which may or may not have any connection with the real world. But the will is that portion of man that decides upon and initiates action. It is one thing to want to be “pure in heart,” another entirely to will it.
Purity requires a commitment of the will — a heartfelt resolve to live better. God urged Israel:
“Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit” (Eze. 18.31; cf. Isa. 1.16; 55.7).
To become “pure in heart,” we must adopt a new attitude, which detests sin and loves virtue (cf. Rm. 12.9). Our will must be subordinated to the will of God (cf. Mt. 16.24). As Jesus put it, we must have the “will to do his will” (Jn. 7.17; cf. Eph. 4.22-23).
Third, our speech must be pure.
We must abstain from saying words that are “filthy” (Col. 3.8). “Filthy language” (aischrologia) has to do with that which is “foul…low and obscene” (Thayer, p. 17).
Too, we must not engage in “corrupt” speech (Eph. 4.29). “Corrupt” (sapros) denotes that which tends to erode or decay, as when fruit goes bad (cf. Lk. 6.43). This is the type of rotten talk that eats away at one’s moral uprightness. It is worthless, for it only harms the listeners.
Likewise, we must avoid “foolish talking,” “course jesting,” and “foolish disputes” (Eph. 5.4; Tit. 3.9). Gossip, humorous insults, and meaningless disputation may have a certain entertainment value to them, but such talk only serves to promote carnality, not spirituality. It saturates our minds with spiritual mud and erodes our heavenly focus.
Instead, we are to speak words that are “good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Eph. 4.29). We are to “comfort each other and edify one another” (1 Th. 5.11). Whether our words are inspirational or correctional — positive or negative — they should always be designed to promote the welfare of others (cf. Eph. 4.31-32; 2 Tim. 2.24-26).
Fourth, our behavior must be pure.
We are to treat others “with all purity” (1 Tim. 5.1-2). This means we must “cease to do evil and learn to do good” (Isa. 1.16-17). If we are “to please God,” there is a certain way we “ought to walk” — viz., by sanctifying our behavior with all holiness, free from sin and filled with virtue (1 Th. 4.1-8).
Fifth, our doctrine must be pure.
What we teach matters. Paul insisted that “in doctrine” we must be “showing integrity, reverence,” and “incorruptibility” (Tit. 2.7). “Integrity” (aphthoria) literally means “incorruption” (Bauer [et al.], p. 125). The apostle thus urges doctrinal purity; the type of teaching that is “free from (moral) taint” (Vine, p. 131).
We are to oppose those who live “contrary to sound doctrine” (1 Tim. 1.10; cf. 2 Tim. 4.3). We must keep “holding fast the faithful word as [we have] been taught, that [we] may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict” (Tit. 1.9). Indeed, we must “speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine” (Tit. 2.1).
Finally, our religion must be pure.
James wrote:
“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (Jm. 1.27).
“Religion” comes from the Latin religio, which has to do with a set of bonds or obligations that either restrict or require action. The Greek term in James 1.27 is threskeia, which is primarily about “religious worship, especially external, that which consists in ceremonies” (Thayer, p. 292). “Religion” thus alludes to the system of faith and practice by which we express our reverence for the worthiness of God.
According to this passage, being “pure” in our “religion” requires us to have a sense of community — to be benevolent to those in need like “orphans and widows.” It also requires us to practice a faith that is “unspotted from the world,” both individually and collectively (as members of the church).
Hence, not only must our corporate worship be “unspotted from the world” — i.e., it must be “true worship” (Jn. 4.23), which is consistent with God’s word (cf. Jn. 17.17) and conducted with supreme reverence and awe (cf. Heb. 12.28) — but our personal religious beliefs and practices must be kept pure, free from worldly taint.
Guy Hester points out that keeping ourselves “unspotted from the world” means:
“There are many things worldly people do that Christians can’t do. There are many places worldly people go that Christians cannot and must not go. There are many organizations to which worldly people belong that Christians must not” (Hester, p. 97).
In short, Christians may live in the world, but that doesn’t mean the world should live in us!
Therefore, let us be pure in thoughts, will, speech, behavior, doctrine, and in religion.
The Blessing: Seeing God
Jesus congratulates the “pure in heart, for they shall see God for themselves” (Mt. 5.8).
This blessing is nothing short of remarkable.
“See” (horao) is a future middle. The middle voice expresses action that “in some way affects the subject” of the sentence — i.e., the subject acts for its own benefit or upon itself (Mounce, p. 230). In other words, the middle voice is the voice of “self-interest” (ibid.).
In that light, Jesus suggests that the very act of setting our eyes upon God is an act that benefits ourselves — seeing God is a self-rewarding act.
This reward has both an immediate and an ultimate application.
Scholars refer to the ultimate application of seeing God as the “beatific vision” — i.e., when the mere sight of God shall make us supremely happy.
Why Can’t We See God In Person Now?
Sadly, at present, we are unable to “see God” in this ultimate sense. Scripture furnishes two main reasons for this.
First, we are ontologically impeded from seeing God.
Ontology deals with the nature of being. God is a pure-spirit being (Jn. 4.24). He has neither flesh nor blood (Lk. 24.39). Since our nature is fleshly, God is “invisible” to us (Rom. 1.20; Col. 1.15; cf. Job 9.11; 23.8-9).
Second, we are morally impeded from seeing God.
Paul remarked that God dwells “in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen nor can see” (1 Tim. 6.16). “Light” refers to his holiness and truth. His flawless perfection makes men who are morally “unclean” unworthy to “see” him (cf. Isa. 6.1-7). Hence, he is so morally bright it is blinding to men whose eyes are full of sin.
Seeing God Literally Vs. Figuratively
But what exactly does it mean to “see God”?
First, every human being shall “stand before” God on the Day of Judgment (Rm. 14.10-12). In that sense, we will all — pure and impure — be able to “see” him literally (visibly).
Second, however, Jesus employs the word “see” in a figurative sense — i.e., to know him familiarly or to experience him closely.
In that light, only those who are “pure in heart” shall be able to know God personally with friendly nearness, seeing him inside and out. To the impure, however, God will remain a stranger.
In this sense, only the pure can “see God” both now and in the afterlife.
Seeing God Now
There is a sense in which the pure can already “see God” — i.e., know him personally.
The very pursuit of purity is the pursuit of moral resemblance with God. In trying to be like God, we get to know precisely who he is and what he is like.
Paul said that we must “perfect holiness by the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7.1). The more we know God, the more we become like him.
Peter urged Christians to live like “obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pt. 1.14-15). The more we “see” the holiness of God, the more we become holy ourselves.
Moses also “saw” God — i.e., knew him by faith. The Hebrews author wrote:
“By faith [Moses] forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb. 11.27).
There is a slight play on words in these remarks: aoraton…horon. They are more precisely rendered:
“…he endured as one visualizing the invisible.”
This is more than an affirmation of Moses’ faith in God’s existence (cf. Heb 11.6). Rather, Moses believed in the invisible order of things, which no man can see with fleshly eyes, but which every willing man can “see” by reason and revelation. Indeed, as F. F. Bruce remarked:
“The invisible order is the real and permanent one” (Bruce, p. 323).
The Pharaoh of Egypt stands in stark relief to the faith of Moses. Pharaoh rejected any god who could not be seen with fleshly eyes. But since the true and living God must be perceived by the mind, Pharaoh refused to “know the Lord” (Ex. 5.2). But to Moses, God’s invisible existence, power, glory, will, and operations were each clearly perceptible (cf. Rom. 1.20).
In short, pure men like Abraham and Moses can become God’s “friend forever” (2 Chr. 20.7; Isa. 41.8; Jm. 2.23). Hence, they can “see God” — i.e., get to know him personally with friendly nearness — during their sojourn on earth. They can see his reality, his character, his will for us, and his hand in everything.
Seeing God In The Afterlife
While it is true that the “pure in heart” can “see God” now, they may only do so at a certain distance (viz., mentally, spiritually). But, ultimately, they shall get to know God up close — both inside and out — for all eternity. The supreme "beatific vision" is available only to those who are spiritually clean.
John promised that the servants of God “shall see his face” (Rev. 22.4). Indeed, “we shall see him as he is” (1 Jn. 3.2). In other words, in heaven we shall get to know every aspect of God, both internally and externally.
Too, David anticipated being in God’s “presence” and at his “right hand,” a blessing that provides “fullness of joy” and “pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16.11). In Psalm 17.15 — a psalm about David’s confidence in his ultimate salvation — he declared:
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”
In short, only those whose souls have been cleansed of sin and who now live clean lives before him shall (1) get to know him spiritually now and (2) experience his friendship in person forever.
Conclusion
The promise of seeing God is a metaphysical journey toward enlightenment. Those who are pure in heart possess a clarity of vision that allows them to perceive the divine in the ordinary, the sacred in the mundane. Their gaze transcends the superficial and penetrates the essence of existence. It is a quest to “visualize the invisible” order of God, beholding the radiance of God in every moment and in every thing.
When we are “pure in heart,” we are clean of sin — by the blood of Jesus, by the word of Jesus, and by faithful obedience to Jesus. Because of this, we live clean lives — mentally, volitionally, linguistically, behaviorally, doctrinally, and religiously.
In turn, Jesus promises that if we pursue a life of purity, we shall get to know God himself. First, we can “see” what he is like now in a spiritual sense, which gives us peace and assurance. And one day we shall “see” him up close and personal — inside and out – when time blends with eternity.
Purity requires introspection, mindfulness, and a commitment to authenticity. It involves shedding the layers of ego, greed, and negativity that cloud our perception. We must examine our motives, purify our thoughts, and align our actions with the values of the Lord. Let us embrace openness, authenticity, sincerity, and integrity, in every moment striving to see ourselves as we are, confessing and forsaking our weaknesses and reinforcing our strengths, all the while transforming ourselves according to the purity of the Lord.
So let us strive to be among the “pure in heart” — not out of fear of judgment or even out of desire for reward, but out of a genuine longing for spiritual truth and transcendence. As Matthew 5.8 reminds us, the pure in heart shall see God — a promise of inner peace, divine connection, and eternal wisdom for those who dare to seek purity in its truest form.
