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PURITY OF HEART Sermon #40 "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God," MAT 5:8. When analyzing purity of heart, some points touch very deeply. PRO 30:5-6 says, "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." Speaking of purity brings a great responsibility to unfold His Word. Every Word of God is pure, but He cautions, "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." It is so blessed if we may use the Word of God to bring forth our message because every word of God is pure. If we see the fountain of evil that lays within our hearts and that lays in the many different philosophies in today's society, then we must stand in awe of the admonition: "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." In view of this, we understand that unfolding the Word of God is a tremendous responsibility. Our text speaks of purity. In EPH 5:26 the Lord Jesus Christ is speaking about the purity of His church. "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." Isn't that precious? The Word is pure. When looking at true purity of heart, it is necessary to place total emphasis on the Word of God. Looking unto the Word of God is a tremendous responsibility. One of the hymns we often sing says: I am Thine, O give me wisdom, It is so precious if we are able to cultivate out everything that is not based on the Word of God. The authority of the Word of God becomes an urgent message. "Every word of God is pure...," PRO 30:5. May the Lord help us during this message to unfold the Word while looking at the blessedness of the pure in heart, for they shall see God. The beatitudes are the steps which lead into the temple. This was covered in a previous message, but we will now re-emphasize it. Each step must rise above the one before it. The body of Christ is the temple. We must understand that we are speaking of the church. The steps that lead into the temple are the steps which lead into the body of Christ. The steps are set forth in the beatitudes. JOH 2:21 says, "But he spake of the temple of his body." The glory of God, or the purpose of His creation, must fill this temple. The glory of God must fill the body of Christ. In REV 21:22 we read, "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." This verse is speaking of the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of God. When we are in the body of Christ, we are in the temple being spoken of. Righteousness and purity is the glory of God. V:23 continues, "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." What is the glory of God? The Lord is glorified only with righteousness and true holiness, submission, obedience, and reconciliation. Reconciliation is coming back to perfect harmony to the Word of God. God will be glorified with the perfect righteousness of Christ which shall fill the temple. If we have emptiness in us that we fill with something other than the perfect righteousness of Christ, we are filling it with something besides purity. When the emptiness of our heart is filled with the things of this world--the husks of the swine--we don't understand what it means to be purified. It is so important that we understand it is the Lord who gives us the craving after righteousness. When we become spiritually poor and beggars, what are we begging for? We are begging to have all the uncleanness in our soul purged out. When we learn to mourn, we learn to mourn over sin. When we learn meekness and hunger and thirst after righteousness, we are experiencing the graces of regeneration. The fruit of the grace of regeneration is conversion. The first fruit of conversion is to become merciful. If we have had to plead for mercy for our own soul, then we become merciful. The fruit of the true cry for mercy is becoming merciful. The second fruit is purity. Purity is learning that we can no longer feed on the husks of the swine. Then we start hungering after clean bread and clean water. This clean bread and clean water is the broken body of Christ and the work of sanctification of the Spirit. Our text says, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." FOR OUR FIRST POINT , let's consider how nothing that defileth shall enter the Kingdom of heaven. This shows the necessity of the pure in heart.FOR OUR SECOND POINT , let's consider that the impurities in the heart blind the spiritual eyes, so we can never see God. Our text says, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God," MAT 5:8. When we are feeding among the husks of the swine by being caught up in the things of this world, we never see God.FOR OUR THIRD POINT , let's consider that the pure in heart see beauty in Christ.First let's consider how nothing that defileth shall enter the Kingdom of heaven. Before understanding purity, we must understand the defilements that must be taken out. We must learn what defilements are in our hearts by nature and must be purged out. REV 21:27 says, "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." All of the impurities found in our soul must be purged out. The gates of heaven are wide enough for the chiefest of sinners, but they are not wide enough to allow one grain of impurity. The impurities must be purged out with the washing of the water of the Word. ISA 35:8-9 says, "And an highway shall be there,[This is the blessed way of salvation that is open for the chiefest of sinners.] and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there." What does this verse mean when it says that the redeemed shall walk there? First it is telling us that no impurity shall be there. Then it talks of those who are walking in the way, "an highway...and a way." This is speaking of those who walk in righteousness during this life. Who shall be in that way? "...but the redeemed shall walk there." Who are the redeemed? "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins," MAT 1:21. Those who have been redeemed from their sins shall walk in righteousness. They will not walk there in the way of pollution. They will not walk in righteousness while their heart is filled with the bitterness and rebelliousness of this world. That will all be broken and purged away. Otherwise, they are not walking in the way. This is so important to understand. EZE 44:9 says, "Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel." Uncircumcised in heart is relating to the work of regeneration in the soul. The circumcised of heart are those who understand hunger and thirst after righteousness, those who understand spiritual poverty, those who have learned to mourn over sin. Those who are uncircumcised of flesh refers to the walk of life. Those who have been converted and no longer walk in the ways of the world, or have the imaginations of the heart which lead to death, are now walking in the Way. This is the Way that is open. Walking in the Way is being redeemed from the things of this world. ISA 52:1 says, "Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean." We must understand the work of conversion, the purifying of the heart, is so essential. No person with impurities of the heart will enter the heavenly Jerusalem. The verse said, "...O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean." In other words, those uncircumcised of heart and flesh, those strangers to the work of regeneration and sanctification, shall never come in. We are admonished to purify our lives. In 1CO 6:9 we read, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?...." Shouldn't we take notice of that? After believing the Lord has been precious in our soul, we cannot continue in extortion, bitterness, hatred, and the spirit of this world. 1CO 6:9-10 says, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." If our hearts are not purged from these things, we shall never inherit the kingdom of God. 1CO 6:11 says, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." How can we claim experiencing justification in Christ without sanctification? If we still follow in the things of this world and continue in drunkenness, covetousness, revellings, and extortions, how can we claim to experience the nearness of Christ? The Bible says those who claim salvation while they continue in sin are deceiving themselves and that they have the doctrines of Balaam. Balaam had precious experiences, but he never knew the renewing of the heart. He never knew the work of cleansing and conversion. This is so important. Christ's blood and righteousness have opened the gates of heaven wide enough to receive the chiefest of sinners. No sinner need despair of having sinned too long or too much. The Lord says, however, that the gates are too strait and too narrow to admit the smallest grain of impurity. The impurity of heart must be purged out. Blessed are the pure in heart. They shall be dressed in fine linen, clean and white. REV 19:7 says, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." He didn't find a bride that was not ready. How was the wife made ready? She was made ready through the work of sanctification in this lifetime. The purging of the dross in the heart by nature must take place. The heart must be purified and cleaned out. V:7-8 say, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." This fine linen was not given to overlay unrepented sins. This fine linen is not given to cover up the impurities of Balaam. Balaam wanted to die the death of the righteous, but he didn't want to live the life of the righteous! We cannot serve both the world and the Lord. Those who do not serve the Lord are like the wife who has not made herself ready. Making ready is the work of regeneration and conversion. It is essential that the impurities of the heart are purged out. V:9 says, "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." Every word of God is pure, and these are the true sayings of God. No impurity will ever enter heaven, and His wife has made herself ready. It is so important that we understand that if we live in the doctrines of Balaam, regardless of our experiences, we cannot claim eternal life. 1PE 2:5 tells us, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Let's look at the sacrifices we must put upon the altar in our lifetime. We will be as a holy priesthood. This means we must put these sacrifices upon the altar. We must sacrifice the things of this world and everything that is impure in our hearts. We must give it up like Abraham did when he put Isaac on the altar. We must put our own Isaac on the altar. One of the first offerings we must put on the altar is that ugly old monster, Self! Selfishness, pride, and rebellion must be the first idols placed upon that altar. Jesus opened His mouth by pronouncing His blessing upon the first step which leads into His Kingly Temple---humility. When He spoke the first words of the beatitudes, He pronounced the blessing. MAT 5:3 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...." Selfishness, pride, and rebellion must be the first sacrifices placed upon the altar. The blessed Sermon that brought forth the soul's food and drink for all eternity began with humility. It is so important to understand that the first sacrifices upon the altar must be our selfishness, pride, and rebellion. MAT 5:3 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This verse is speaking of spiritual poverty or spiritual humility. This was the beginning of the gospel. Pride, rebellion, disobedience, and questioning the authority of God's Word were born in Paradise. What took place? Man raised up in rebellion and said they would be equal to God. "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil," GEN 3:5. We wanted to be the one to decide right and wrong. What are we called upon to do if we want purity in our hearts? We need the washing of the water of the Word. We must realize that it is not our decision to decide what is right and wrong. We must uphold the authority of the Word of God. What is humility? What does it mean to be humble? The Lord Jesus Christ tells us in PHI 2:8, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Humility is obedience. Humility isn't hanging our head like a bulrush or sitting in sackcloth and ashes. This is not the humility the Lord is looking for. He is looking for people who will humble themselves by becoming obedient unto the Word of God. He is looking for those who will surrender to the will of the Father with true contrition of heart. We must place all our selfishness on the altar as a sacrifice of humility. God complains that His people are not humble. By the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord told His people that He would build them up and not pluck them down if they would obey the Lord and remain in the land. What happened? The people told Jeremiah that he was not speaking the words of the Lord. They told Jeremiah that they were going to Egypt. In JER 44:10 the Lord said, "They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, [They didn't have a holy reverence for the Word of God.] nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers." The Lord says that they are not humble because they are not walking in His law and statutes. Their rebellion has not been broken; this is why they have no humility. Pride must be the first impurity put upon the altar. We must purify our unclean hearts. We must have perfect submission and Godly fear. What is more blessed than holy reverence for God and His will? That is true humility. JER 44:10 says, "They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers." The Lord Jesus Christ humbled himself and became obedient. We must understand that to become pure, selfishness must be put on the altar.
FOR OUR SECOND POINT , the impurities in the heart blind the spiritual eyes. We cannot see the Lord or have His nearness while we are walking in rebellion. The fear of God is one of the first increments needed in the heart to see God. The Lord looks at the heart, not what man sees. Impurities in the heart blind the eyes from seeing God.MAT 5:8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." The ability to see God is blinded by impurities of the heart. If your eyes are filled with dirt, you are blinded; by nature of the fall this is how our hearts are spiritually. "Blessed are the pure in heart...." Heart sins bring forth acts of sin. The actual sins are the fruits of sins in the heart. The fruit of a pure heart is acts of purity, love, gentleness, kindness, and obedience. The heart must first become pure, i.e., the desires and motives of the heart. Heart sins are the first to be placed upon the altar. Those things that are corrupt in the heart can be found in MAT 15:18- 20. "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man," V:18. The things which go into the mouth don't defile the man. It isn't what we eat. Those things which come out of the mouth proceeding from the heart defile the man. Therefore, we must start searching for the impurities of the heart, so we can purge them out. V:19 says, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Doesn't the Lord Jesus tell us that if you cast your eye after a woman to lust after her, you have committed adultery in your heart already? MAT 5:28. The sin is in the heart. The eye casts forth at a woman, and the adultery is committed in the heart. Every hateful thought is from the heart. This is murder in the heart. Then the hate proceeds from the mouth but the impurities are in the heart. The pure in heart are blessed. They shall see God. V:20 says, "These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." What is the first sin of the heart that must be put on the altar? MAT 15:19 mentioned a great number of heart sins. Which was the first that must be placed on the altar? Attitude is the first heart sin mentioned by our Saviour. He said, "evil thoughts." Sometimes we have the wrong attitude toward our brother. Most often we have the wrong attitude toward God. We have a self- serving attitude. Our attitude is not right, and we try to justify it by pointing to someone else's wrong attitude. Do two wrongs make a right? If somebody else has a wrong attitude, you win them over with a right attitude. This is the only way to correct a wrong attitude. Just yesterday I spoke with a man who had a wrong attitude. He had gotten into a shouting match with the Mayor--his employer. He asked me what the solution was. I pointed out to him that the problem was his attitude. I told the man that no matter what the Mayor said, he should never shout back at him because that man was his superior. If this man's attitude was right, then maybe the Mayor's attitude would be right. I explained to this man how to solve the problem. This man needed to tell his employer that he would do what was asked of him. After apologizing to the Mayor, both had the right attitude. The problem was solved. Our attitude must be the first sacrifice placed upon the altar. When we are boisterous and offensive with a wrong attitude, the other person becomes defensive to guard against us. If we are humble and in the Spirit of Christ, the other person is no longer defensive. What is the result? Both have the right attitude. Our wrong attitude must be on the altar. We must humble ourselves before the Lord. We must be able to suffer wrong for His name's sake. We are able to suffer wrong for righteousness' sake. From the wrong attitude comes evil thoughts. We build evil accusations against our fellow man when our attitude is wrong. Out of the mouth comes forth this wrong attitude. The Lord Jesus said this. Evil thoughts come forth from the mouth, they come from a wrong attitude. When the Lord gives us a converted attitude, then we go forth confessing our own wrongs and apologize for them. Consequently, our fellow man's attitude comes to the right place because he sees a Christ-like Spirit. JAM 3:6 says, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." This is very strong language. The tongue sets on fire the whole course of nature. It is set on fire of hell. This is the wrong attitude. Our attitude must be put on the altar. The heavenly priesthood is making the sacrifice. The sacrifice must be ourself and our pride. Our attitudes must go on the altar. Then others will recognize that we are a different man. They see Christ formed in us because of the conversion of our attitude. Think of the contradiction when a person can tell of tremendous experiences of the nearness of God and rich blessings to the soul, and yet conversion does not accompany what he professes. Someone might be deceived into thinking this person is a Christian because of his profession, yet the first words out of his mouth are set on fire of hell. The loudest claims of rich experience with no conversion only prove you have the doctrines of Balaam. It is terrible if conversion does not accompany what we profess. We must understand that. MAT 15:11 says, "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." Speaking of, "Blessed are the pure in heart...." we must understand what has to be purged out to obtain purity of heart. We need practical religion. We must practice what we profess. If we profess to be a Christian, we must act like a Christian. We must walk as a Christian. We have to submit ourselves into the lowest position. We must prefer others before ourselves. The heart is the fountain of either bitter or sweet water. JAM 3:11 says, "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?" The answer is no! When we have bitterness in our heart, the fountain, which brings forth the water, pours bitterness out of our mouths. Our hearts must be changed. There must be a change of attitude and a renewing of the mind. The heart must be renewed and purified. V:12-13 say, "Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom." Meekness must proceed forth from the fountain of the heart out of our mouths. This is wisdom. James shows that the heart is the source of bitterness as in JAM 3:14-16. "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." It flows from the impurities of the heart. It makes our heart tremble to really bring forth what we see from God's Word. This is why I began with establishing that every word of God is pure. This is why it is absolutely essential to use the Word of God to say what I say. The purity of heart is so essential. We must strive and pray against our impurities of heart. When we see that we are not able to control these impurities, we must go before the Lord with an urgent prayer. We must ask Him to purge and clean the evil from our hearts. Instead of rising in defense and trying to justify our impurities of the heart, we must be able to put our selfishness and pride on the altar. MAT 5:8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart...." JAM 3:17 says, "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, [Purity must come first.] then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." So many people get upset about troublemakers because the Bible says to be peaceful and gentle. The Bible, however, says that first we must be pure. We must uphold the purity of the Word of God. The apostle Paul was probably the worst troublemaker to walk the face of the earth outside of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ was the biggest troublemaker, and Paul was second. What was the trouble they made? In JOH 7:7 Jesus said, " The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil." The authority of the Word of God was what caused the trouble. They were first pure. Pureness must come from a heart of love. We may not stand before God with belligerence, bitterness, false accusations, sharp tongue, and a wrong attitude. We must strive for purity. We may not concede to views against the Word of God for peace's sake. First we must be pure, then gentle. "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace," JAM 3:17-18. I must be easily entreated, as long as I don't have to sacrifice the Word of God. If I compromise the Word of God for peace's sake, if I allow the Word of God to be trampled upon for peace's sake, then I have violated the pureness of heart. Purity must come first. From that point on, we must lay as a carpet for people to walk upon. We must be easily entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. These are the fruits of a pure heart. "And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace," JAM 3:18. We must be peaceful and loving, but first we must be pure. The next three beatitudes are the fruit of regeneration which is conversion. In the way of conversion the Spirit brings purity in the heart and soul. Purity is one of the fruits of conversion. The work of regeneration is learning to mourn over sin, to hunger and thirst after righteousness. ROM 6:17 says, "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." This is seeking purity of heart. If we look for righteousness, we cannot contain impurities in our heart. That is the fruit that reveals itself. EPH 6:6-7 says, "Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; [That is purity of heart.] With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men." We don't do it to please men, but we do it as the servants of Christ who do the will of God from the heart. It is so important that we do it unto the Lord and not unto man. Impurities do so blind the eyes. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Impurities in the heart cause spiritual blindness. There are spiritual beauties, and immoral horrors that cannot be seen because of impurities of heart. Let's look at a few of the impurities we have to deal with. These are the things which blind us from seeing God. To a covetous man no other dust is as blinding as gold dust. This is an impurity of the heart that blinds the eyes. Gold dust will blind the eyes worse than any other impurity. This is what we learn of a covetous man. A covetous man sees no beauty in generosity. A covetous man shows no mercy. In his coveting, he will rob widow's houses. The gold dust blinded his eyes. He doesn't see a merciful God; he doesn't understand mercy. In LUK 6:35-36 we read, "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." Does a covetous man show mercy? Does he lend to an enemy? Does he lend to a widow or one in need? Does he give to the poor? No, he does not. Because of his coveting, he doesn't see the beauty in mercy. He will never see God as merciful. His covetousness has brought spiritual blindness. The sin of oppression blinds the eyes. The oppressor does not see the Lord's protection over His poor. ISA 54:14 says, "In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee." The Lord has promised to protect His poor and needy ones from the oppressors. The oppressor doesn't see this. When he fails in his attempt at stealing the widow's house, he doesn't see that the protecting hand of the Lord stopped him. The oppressor will only try again. The oppressor does not see God's displeasure upon oppression. If he saw that he brought the wrath of God upon himself by oppressing the needy, he wouldn't dare do it. Through oppression, however, his eyes are blinded from seeing the Lord. EZE 22:29 says, "The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully." The Lord looks upon oppression with such displeasure. The oppressors don't realize how displeased the Lord is. V:30-31 say, "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD." The oppressor doesn't see the displeasure of the Lord upon the oppression of the poor. They are blinded by the impurities of their hearts. They are blinded to see the blessedness of God. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." The oppressors do not see God, for they are blinded. The Lord will arise for the oppression of the poor. In PSA 12:5 we read, "For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him." The Lord will be a hedge around about His own. The Lord comes with His restraining Spirit to protect them and stop the oppressor. In his greed, the oppressor doesn't see that it is the Lord restraining him. His eyes are blinded with impurities of oppression. Oppression is a very common sin. ECC 5:8 says, "If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they." The Lord sees it, and the Lord understands it. The Lord is so displeased. Take notice that the impure do not see any beauty in Christ. Those with the impurities of the heart are blinded from seeing the beauty of Christ. ISA 53:2-3 says, "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Why is that? The impurities of the heart have blinded the eyes from seeing the beauty in the Man of sorrow. They have never learned to see their impurities and wretchedness. They have never seen the need of being washed and cleansed of their sin. These impurities of their heart blind them.
FOR OUR THIRD POINT , let's look at how the pure in heart see the beauty in Christ.Every man whose hope is in Christ sees their purity in Him. In proportion as we learn the impurities of our hearts, we will learn to see our need to obtain mercy in Christ. The more we learn to see our spiritual poverty, the more we will see beauty in the riches there are in Christ. As we begin to mourn spiritually over sin, and start hungering and thirsting after righteousness and see our need for mercy, we will become beggars before the throne of grace for mercy. We understand that it is only in Christ's imputed righteousness that we can obtain mercy and only through Christ's purity that we can obtain purities in our soul. 1JO 3:3 says, "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." What does the purifying do? Our eyes are lifted up to look to Jesus as the example. When we understand PHI 2:8, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," we will see that obedience is the will of the Father. We will understand that righteousness is conformity of life to the divine law. We will hunger and thirst after righteousness because we want to see the purity there is in Christ. There is such harmony in the Scriptures. 1PE 1:22-23 says, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." When the rebellion is broke, when our heart is reconciled with God, when we start to understand true fear of God, the fruit is conversion. We will walk in the ways of the Lord. Each succeeding beatitude rises higher than the one that comes before it. Purity in heart succeeds spiritual poverty, or humility. Purity in heart succeeds mourning over sin, or penitence. Purity in heart succeeds meekness. Purity in heart succeeds spiritual hunger and thirst. Purity in heart succeeds mercifulness. The pure in heart understand all of these traits. The pure in heart understand what it means to be merciful because they have obtained mercy themselves. In TIT 1:15 we read, "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." What does 1CO 13:5 mean when it says that love "thinketh no evil?" To the pure in heart all things are pure. We see the wrong attitude in our fellow man when we have a wrong attitude. When love proceeds from our heart, when the fruits of the Spirit, i.e., love, peaceable, gentle, longsuffering, are the fruits of our heart, we will find that unto the pure all things are pure. We will not judge our fellow person wrongly. We will realize that the other man may have misunderstood us, and we won't rise up against them right away. We will condescend to men of low estate. V:16 says, "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." V:15 said, "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." Do you see the difference? Even their mind and conscience is defiled. "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." What is reprobate? To be reprobate means to be void of sound judgment. The reprobate call good, evil; and evil, good. The more Christ is revealed, the more we see our impurities. This is essential to understand. I will give an illustration of seeing the purity of Christ. A mechanic in a shop gets very dirty. Every morning, the mechanic starts clean. Throughout the day, he becomes dirty; but he does not feel overly dirty because he has been like that for days on end. When he looks at himself, he thinks he is relatively clean. He started clean in the morning, and he cannot see how filthy he has become during the day. Imagine, however, if right after work, the mechanic went to a wedding. He tried to embrace the bride, who was wearing a pure white dress. All of the sudden, he realized that he was filthy. The purity of the white dress caused the mechanic to see his own impurity. So it is with the purity of the heart. The more we see the purity of Christ, the more we see our own filthiness. When we see the heavenly Bride Groom dressed in white, we see the blessedness and purity of the robe of Christ's righteousness. The more we see the purity of Christ, the more we see the uncleanness and impurities of our own soul. When Isaiah saw His Lord he said in ISA 6:5, "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." When the prophet Isaiah had a revelation of the beauty of Christ, he saw a blessed perfection in Christ. In ISA 53, he brought forth beautiful prophesies of the coming of Christ and His perfect work. When Isaiah saw this, he said, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." The Lord had commissioned Isaiah to start bringing forth the blessed message of the salvation of Christ. Isaiah saw that his lips were unclean. Isaiah saw that he needed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to be able to bring forth the preciousness and beauty of such a lovely Bride Groom. Isaiah saw the impurities of his own soul. This has been my experience every time the Lord comes to me and gives me to see more of the blessedness of my Saviour. In the revelation of the Saviour, I see the beautiful light of the Lamb, which shall be the light of heaven, shining in the soul. This is when we must all cry out with Isaiah, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." I experienced this one time when I spoke harshly to another man. The Lord smote my conscience and showed me how I had harshly spoken to that man. Then I laid that sin before the Lord. He showed me this verse in ISA to show the corruption of the human heart. "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." When the woman of Samaria saw the Messiah, she saw her sins. Watch what JOH 4:28-29 says, "The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" In the revelation of Christ, she saw her uncleanness. She was unclean. She had five husbands. The man she was now with was not her husband. She stood naked before the eyes of God. The Lord said unto her in JOH 4:17-18, "Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly." The woman realized that Jesus saw her sins. The result of such a precious revelation of Christ was that she said, "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" When we have a revelation of Christ, when the purity of Christ truly shines into our soul, we see the impurities of our hearts. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." The heart's desire is to be pure and to do what is pleasing to the Lord. When this happens, we start receiving a revelation of Christ. As we have the revelation of Christ, we continue to see more and more of the pollution of our hearts. Think of what a revelation it was for Jacob to hear, "Joseph is yet alive." When Jacob received the message that Joseph was yet alive, it was a type of the revelation of Christ. In the revelation that Joseph was yet alive, what did Jacob see? Jacob could remember how he had deceived his own father with the coat of his brother. Jacob's sons had to confess to him that they had deceived him with Joseph's coat. Jacob saw that the fountain was so corrupt. Jacob saw that his children had inherited his deceit. Jacob had inherited his mother's deceit. Jacob spent twenty years harvesting the fruit of his Uncle Laban's deceit. Deceit was inherited as his original sin. It set forth in the fruit of his children. What a moment it must have been when Jacob heard that Joseph was yet alive. In the revelation of salvation, Jacob saw the corruption of his own heart. GEN 45:25-26 says, "And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not." In MAR 5:6-7 we read about the Gadarene. "But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not." The Gadarene saw the pollution in his heart. He asked to be cleansed. Jesus asked the Gadarene "What is thy name." In the revelation of Jesus, the Gadarene saw the legions of devils in his heart. MAR 5:9 says, "And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many." In that revelation of Christ, he received a revelation of the corruptions and impurities of the heart. This is so blessed. It is precious when we see the beauty, perfection, and purity of Christ; then our own heart is revealed. It is unveiled in us so that our hearts can flow unto the Lord. Then our hearts will hunger and thirst for the beauty, perfection, and purity in Christ, and we will see the sinfulness of sin. We will see that we must be delivered from the power of sin. The purity of our heart brings us to see God. When we see the work of conversion in our soul, we see what more has to be purged out. This brings us to become prostrate before the Lord. Our hearts come unto the Lord crying like David in PSA 51:7, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Then we see the need for our soul to be cleansed, and we cry unto the Lord to cleanse it. Amen |
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