Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
The pure in heart refers to who you really are. It is not an outward legalistic righteousness that purity refers to. Often in modern Christian circles purity refers to sexual relationships, but much more than that is in mind here in this scripture. Pure in heart means a single mindedness that is preoccupied with God. It involves the thoughts, desires, purpose, will, understanding, and character. It is who you are inwardly. Purity means not being hindered by worldly things. Often sexual purity is in mind, but there is also greed, hate, bitterness, unforgiving attitudes, judgement of others and other things that keep us from being pure in heart. The previous beatitudes said "in spirit," but here it says "in heart." Maybe Jesus didn't mean anything different other than he was just using a different word, or maybe it was a slight change in meaning.
They will see God
They will see God. This can refer to the revealing of God at the judgement at the end of the age when our eyes will literally see God. But it also refers to the spiritual eyes that can "see" God now.
This purity is also obtained by faith. There are countless books and such to help you grow spiritually and can help, but it is God who makes us pure, and we receive that by faith.
In our lowly human state, we cannot be completely pure. Paul said we see through a glass darkly. But with the eyes of faith we can see God when we rely on the purity of Christ.
Pure by faith
Im not sure I have ever felt pure in heart really, though I have felt that i've seen God in nature and in music, and even in religion at times.
But perhaps you would not feel you were pure if you were pure, because purity is not egotistical at all.
There seems to always be some worldly thing that is still there, no matter how close i feel to God. I guess it is just the human condition.
Still, i don't think purity is something to be sought. We should seek God instead, who will give us a pure heart.
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