Blessed Are The Pure In Heart

                                                         Blessed Are The Pure In Heart

(Words From the Mountain)

 

In our series, "Words from the Mountain," we have been exploring Jesus' teachings to become better followers of Christ. So far, we have learned that the poor in spirit will enter God's Kingdom. As citizens of God's Kingdom, we mourn our own sins and the sins of others, and God comforts us with the gift of salvation. We recognize that only through gentleness can we win people over. When we hunger and thirst for God's righteousness, God satisfies us, and we become merciful to others just as God has been merciful to us.

We arrive at one of the most important teachings of Christ: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Matthew 5:8. This beatitude is not about God's actions in response to our deeds, but about seeing God Himself. How exciting is the idea of seeing God in His Glory! We start our journey by understanding what is meant by the term "The Heart."

I. The Human Heart:

            The Bible uses the term heart in different ways. In Hebrew, two words were used for the heart: Leb and Lebab. Depending on the context, these words emphasized mind, emotions, and will. More often, they referred to the entire inner person, the inner man, or the personality. The Greek word translated as "heart" is" Kardia," which is still used today in modern medicine, such as in Cardiology and Cardiac disease, etc.[1]

According to Lloyd Jones, the human heart in scripture includes intellect, emotions, and will. It is the center of man's being and personality; it is the fount out of which everything else comes. It is the total man, and that is the thing our Lord has been after, the human heart."[2] The heart is not only the seat of our whole personality but also has been the seat of all our troubles.

This is how the scriptures describe the condition of the human heart since the Fall. Genesis 6:5-6, "The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled." Even now, God grieves by seeing how far humans have strayed in their wicked ways.

II. The Deceitful Heart

For the past few months, I have been acutely aware of my heart due to a specific heart condition. Several tests and scans were performed to evaluate my heart's health. I even joked with the technician performing the MRI: "Wow! You get to see my heart. What did you see?" I was amazed by the knowledge and skills of the radiologists and cardiologists who diagnosed a particular disease of my heart and found a suitable treatment option.

I wondered whether they have any idea how broken, sick, evil, and deceived my own heart, my inner personality, has been. Not to mention fixing my broken heart. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, accurately assessed the human heart. "The heart is more deceitful than all else, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9 NASB.

King Solomon further revealed what truly occurs in the hearts of humankind. "The hearts of all people, moreover, are full of evil, and there is madness in their hearts while they live, afterword they join the dead. Ecc 9: 3 If no one can understand and heal our broken hearts, then who can? Only God! "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds." Jeremiah 17:10.

So we cry out to the Lord, saying, "Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed, Save me, and I will be saved." Jeremiah 17:14. How is your heart today? Does it need some fixing? We have recognized how sick we are and who can heal us. Let's explore what purity of heart looks like.

III. Blessed Are The Pure In Heart.

            Our main verse comes from Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." We will explore what it means to be pure in heart and how this enables us to see God. Have you ever wondered what motivates someone to commit a terrible crime like murder, adultery, or lash out in anger at loved ones? It is the evil that resides in their hearts. Jesus, while addressing the Pharisees' hypocrisy, reveals the impurity of the unregenerate human heart.

            Matthew 15:18-20, "But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them." This is the true nature of the fallen human beings.

While making a point that the mouth speaks what the heart is full of, Jesus said, "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart." Luke 6:45. What have we stored up in our hearts today?

What is necessary before we can see God? Holiness! Psalm 24:3-4, "Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false God." Hebrews 12:14, "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."

 What did our Lord mean by, "pure in heart'? A pure heart means a heart free of hypocrisy, which means single-mindedness.[3] Jesus taught his disciples about the single, and evil eye in Matt 6:22, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness! KJV. Then made a profound statement: Matt. 6:24, "You cannot serve both God and money."

The purity of heart, therefore, relates to singleness or complete devotion to God alone. One of the best definitions of purity is found in Psalm 86:11, "Unite my heart to fear thy name." NASB. The real issue with followers of Christ is a divided heart. We are distracted by many things that divert our focus from following God to the ways of the world. The need of the hour is to pray to God so that He might unite our hearts to fear His name.

To be pure in heart means to avoid evil and to live a life that glorifies God by obeying His commandments. Jesus said all the law and the prophetsthe prophets hang these two vital commandments. Matthew 2:37-40, Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." When we live in obedience to these commandments, we shall see God.

What did Jesus mean by saying, "We shall see God"? Does it mean we shall see God in this world? Or when we get to heaven? Partially, this has been fulfilled here and now and in its totality in the Kingdom of God. In a way, Christians, God's children, have a unique sense of God's presence in and all around them. When we look at creation, we see God's fingerprints everywhere. When we see God's saving power in the way He saved us. We observe God's healing power as He heals our sicknesses and restores broken hearts.

All these partial manifestations of God are his mirror reflections in this world. I Cor 13:12. John the Beloved Disciple further amplified our future vision of Jesus. I John 3: 2-3, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." You and I, who are going through troubles and challenges in life, will one day see God face to face and live with Him forever? If we can grasp this glorious vision, it will revolutionize our lives!

 

Scriptures for further reading.

Job 19:25-27

Job 26:7-14

I Peter 1:8-9

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[1] Bruce Thompson, Walls Of My Heart page 35

[2] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon On The Mount, Page 93

[3] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon On The Mount, Page 94

 

Blessed Are The Merciful

                                                             Blessed Are the Merciful.

(Words From the Mountain)

 

Tim Keller shared a story about a man named Hasheem Garrett, who learned the power of forgiveness. Hashim was a 15-year-old living with his mother and hanging out on the streets of Brooklyn with a gang when he was shot six times and left paralyzed from the waist down.

For most of the next year, he lay in a New York City hospital fantasizing about revenge. He later wrote: Revenge consumed me. All I could think about was, just wait, till I get better; just wait till I see this kid."

But when he was lying on the sidewalk immediately after his shooting, he had instinctively called out to God for help, and, to his surprise, he felt this strange tranquility. Now, during his rehabilitation, a new thought struck him—that if he took revenge on this kid, why should God not pay him back for all his sins? "You see, six months before this happened," he wrote, "I shot a kid, for no reason except that a friend told me to do it and I wanted to prove how tough I was. Six months later, I am shot by somebody because his friend told him to do it."

That thought was electrifying … He couldn't feel superior to the perpetrator. They were both fellow sinners who deserved punishment and needed forgiveness.

Hasheem said, "In the end, I decided to forgive. I felt God had saved my life for a reason, and then I knew I had to fulfill that purpose … And I knew I could never go back out there and hurt someone. I was done with that mindset and the life that goes with it … I realized I had to let go and stop hating."[1] The natural instinct for Hasheem was to take revenge and harm the boy who had paralyzed him. But when God changed his life, He showed mercy by forgiving that boy.

In our series, "Words from the Mountain," we have been exploring the teachings of Jesus to become better followers of Christ. So far, we have learned that through the poverty of spirit will we enter the Kingdom of Heaven. As Kingdom citizens, we can now mourn our own sins and the sins of others. We recognize that in the end, pride is not what wins; it is gentleness.

We find satisfaction when we hunger and thirst for God's righteousness. We will examine what a forgiven Christian should do in response. I titled this message "Blessed Are the Merciful." The key verse is: Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." NASB. What is Mercy? What does being merciful mean, and what blessings accompany it?

 I. What is Mercy, and how does it differ from grace?

The word "mercy" is defined as compassion, leniency, or restraint (such as in the imposition of punishment), shown especially to an offender or someone under another's authority. It also includes acts of compassion toward those in distress.[2] Biblically, "mercy" is one of God's moral attributes. To understand how mercy motivates God, consider these scriptures.

Exodus 34:6-7, "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, 'The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin."

 

The Psalmist describes these aspects of God's character:  Psalm 103:8-9, "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. ⁹ He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever."

 

What restrains God from destroying us despite our sins? It is His Mercy. Lamentation 3:22-23, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

 

In the scriptures, various words, such as "compassion, lovingkindness, favor, and steadfast love, often appear to illustrate the idea of mercy. On a human level, mercy is the benevolent or compassionate treatment of someone suffering or in need. Mercy is an attitude that motivates us to act on behalf of the unfortunate."[3] In his pastoral letters, the Apostle Paul, while greeting, includes these words: Grace, Mercy, and Peace to explain how they are different.

Martyn Loyd Jones notes, "The best definition of the two that I have ever encountered is this: Grace is especially associated with men in their sins; Mercy is especially associated with men in their misery. In other words, while grace looks down upon sin as a whole, mercy looks especially upon the miserable consequence of sin. The essential meaning of being merciful is pity plus the action. While grace feels pity, mercy acts to alleviate someone's misery."[4]

The best illustration of being merciful in the NT is the parable of the Good Samaritan. Luke 10:25-37. On one occasion, four men were on a journey going down from Jerusalem. One man was robbed, beaten up, and left half dead on the side of the road. A Priest and a Levite saw the man from a distance and may have felt compassion and pity for him, but went on their way.

A Samaritain saw the man in misery, had compassion on him, went to him on the other side of the road, dressed his wounds, took him to an inn, spent the night, took care of the man, and made provision for him. That is being merciful. It doesn't mean only feeling pity, but doing what we can to relieve the situation. Jesus commanded the Lawyer, saying, "Go and do likewise, (the acts of mercy). Let's see how God manifested this life-giving attribute toward us sinners.

II. God's Tender Mercies and The Gift of Salvation

            Several OT prophets prophesied that one day the God of heaven would send a savior to redeem his people who had gone astray from Him. As a prophetic fulfillment, John, the forerunner of the Savior, was born. His Father, Zachariah, while acknowledging his son's role in God's saving mission, prophesied this about the Savior of the World.

Luke 1:77-79, "To give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."

 

Our gracious God, because of his tender mercies, saw the miserable state of humanity and sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world. Jesus was full of grace, truth, and compassion. While he was on the earth, he performed many acts of mercy to deliver people from demonic oppression, healed the sick, and raised the dead. Mercy motivated Christ to give "himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God," so that, through Him, we might be forgiven of our sins and granted the gift of eternal life.

The salvation Christ offers is a gift. Eph 2:8, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Titus 3:5, "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." I Peter 1:3, "In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." What does our God, who is tender and rich in Mercy (Eph 2:4), expect from his children in response?

III. Blessed Are The Merciful

 

            Our key verse is Matthew 5:7: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." Here, Jesus calls his followers to develop the divine trait of mercy. Luke presents it as a command rather than a suggestion and offers a reason. Luke 6:36 states, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." In a world that is vindictive, where people hate and fight with each other, how could that even be possible? Yet we are commanded to be merciful.

            Are we to be merciful to those deserving or to everyone? What about our enemies? God lets the Sun shine on all people, both the righteous and the unrighteous. God loves all people, including those who don't believe in Him and those who hate and oppose Him. God is merciful to all, including His enemies. Christ died for us while we were still His enemies. Rom 5:10

            Therefore, those of us God's children, whose sins have been forgiven, are given this command to be Merciful, which means putting our compassion to action. We are called to help meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those in need, especially members of God's family. James 2:15-16, "Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? At Hope Church, we are mindful of one another's needs.

 If one member is hurting, besides praying, we do what we can to alleviate that person's troubling situation. We have the Deacon's fund, also called the Benevolence fund, to help temporarily those who might be financially challenged. When we help others in their time of need, God will be merciful toward us in ours. The same principles of “whoever refreshes others will be refreshed "Prov 11:25 and “give, it will be given to you,” Lk 6:38, apply to us being merciful. In closing, let’s examine ourselves. Are we being merciful, including toward our enemies? That is the test! Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Amen!

 

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[1] Tim Keller, Forgive, (Viking, 2022), page 16

[2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercy

[3] https://www.gotquestions.org/definition-of-mercy.html

[4] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon On The Mount, page 84

Righteousness and Blessedness

                                              RIGHTEOUSNESS AND BLESSEDNESS

(Words From the Mountain)

 

On May 17, 2026, at the National Mall in Washington, a remarkable event took place. Thousands gathered for Rededicate 250, a nationwide prayer service in connection with the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States. President Donald Trump appeared via video, reading II Chronicles 7. Political leaders, along with evangelical figures, prayed and spoke.

The purpose of this gathering, however, seemed to be that if we, as a nation, publicly rededicate our country to God, then God will bless us and make us great and economically prosperous again. But what truly exalts a nation? It is not necessarily a public demonstration of rededication. In God's providence, the USA has been a blessed nation not because of its great people, but because many people trust in a Great God who is Just and Righteous in all His ways.

Thomas Jefferson, one of the founders of the nation, worried about what might happen when we violate God's gifts and turn away from Him. "Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever."[1]

In our series, "Words from the Mountain," Today, we will examine a crucial expectation of God for all His followers and the blessings that come with it, and also answer the question of what truly exalts our country, or any nation, for that matter. I title this message: Righteousness and Blessedness. Our key verse: Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." NASB. This raises several questions: What is righteousness? Who is righteous (Man or God)? What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and what blessedness does it carry?

I. What is Righteousness?

 According to the definition, a righteous person is someone who acts in accordance with divine or moral laws, free from guilt or sin. However, the question is whose moral and divine laws are these? The Bible defines righteousness as one of God's moral attributes. It is God's standard that He wants humanity to conform to, but can humanity reach it?

II. Who is righteous, (Man or God)?

Is there anyone truly free from wrongdoing or deception? The wise King Solomon lamented, "Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins." Ecclesiastes 7:20. Paul, writing to the Romans, explains how a sinful person thinks and acts. Romans 3:10-12 states, "As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

If none of us is righteous, then who is? Only our God is righteous, and all He does is just and right at all times. Moses wrote this song about God's character after seeing how He brought justice. "I will proclaim the name of the LORD, Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock; his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God, who does no wrong, upright and just is he." Deut 32:3-4. King David confessed, "The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does." Ps 145:17.

Not only is God righteous, but His Kingdom is also righteous. Isaiah prophesied that God, "will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever." Isaiah 9:7.

King David declared, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne.” Ps 89:14. What exalts a nation is not man’s great ideas, but it is God and His people living according to His righteous standards.

Paul challenged Corinthian believers to know this fact: “the unrighteous and anyone unholy will not enter God’s Kingdom.” II Corinthians 6:9 In heaven, sin is finally dealt with.

If entering heaven requires a high standard of righteousness, how can a sinful person ever gain entry? In their sinful nature, they are unable to do so, so God provided a solution. That solution was His Son, Jesus Christ, who was completely sinless. God made Him to be sin for us so that, in Him, we might become the righteousness of God and enter His Kingdom. II Cor 5:21

Not everyone, but all those who have believed in Christ, and have their sins confessed and forgiven, will be clothed with robes of righteousness. Listen to the joyful singing of a saved soul, “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10. Well, it is all about our future in heaven, but we are not there yet! What are we supposed to do in the meantime?

III. Righteousness and Blessedness

Jesus continued his teaching by saying, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." NASB. Let’s look at what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness and the blessings that are associated with it. An attitude of spiritual helplessness is the entry point into God’s kingdom, enabling us to be sorrowful for our own sins and others’ sins. Through gentleness, a believer actively combats sin rather than adopting a passive, indifferent attitude. Only then do they hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness.

In Greek grammar, those who hunger and thirst are understood not as a continuous action. So, it can be said, “the hungering ones and the thirsting ones,” indicating constant and repetitive satisfaction with God’s righteousness, similar to physical hunger and thirst. Hunger and thirst are our primary drives that fulfill our survival needs.

Jesus used a physical phenomenon to encourage believers to pursue God’s righteousness and to be satisfied with Him. Just as food and water are vital for our physical survival, spiritual bread and living water are crucial for our spiritual growth. Only Jesus can meet both our physical and spiritual needs. After feeding over five thousand people, Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger.” John 6:35. On the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus made another powerful declaration of himself.

            John 7:37-38 says, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” The timing of Jesus’ offer of living water was perfect. “During the feast, each morning for seven days, a priest led a procession with music from the temple to the nearby Pool of Siloam.

He fills a golden container with water and carries it back to the temple as the people sing praises to God. At the altar, the priest pours out the water, while another priest offers a drink-offering of wine on the opposite side of the altar. On the eighth and final day, according to some sources, the water-pouring ceremony was not repeated. It was on that waterless day that Jesus stood in the temple and declared that He Himself was the source of living water.”

What does this mean for us? This blessing of contentment with Jesus is granted to those who believe in and accept Him as their Savior. When we regularly and consistently turn to Jesus by reading His Word, He will satisfy our spiritual needs. The Holy Spirit will reveal God’s Kingdom principles and empower us to do His will.

It is the grace of God that “teaches us to say No to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:12-14

 

 

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[1] https://www.azquotes.com/author/7392-Thomas_Jefferson/tag/god