The Pure In Heart

(Matthew 5:8 NASB) “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

In Matthew 5:8, Jesus delivers a profound blessing: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." This promise not only invites us into a deeper relationship with the Creator but also highlights the transformative power of purity in the heart. To understand the significance of this promise, we must explore the meaning of "pure," the nature of the heart in Scripture, the process of spiritual purification, and the ultimate fulfillment of seeing God in His glory. As we reflect on these truths, we discover that purity of heart is not only a call to personal holiness but also a pathway to experiencing God's presence in a way that shapes our lives and hearts for eternity.

The Meaning of "Pure" in Scripture

The Greek word for "pure" in Matthew 5:8, “katharos”, refers to being ethically free from corrupt desires, sin, and guilt. Throughout the New Testament, this word is used in various contexts:

To describe someone free from any mixture of falsehood (1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3).

To express genuineness (James 1:27) or qualities such as sincerity, blamelessness, and innocence (Acts 18:6; Acts 20:26).

In a Levitical sense, it signifies cleanliness or the lawful use of something that is not forbidden (Luke 11:41).

In John's Gospel, katharos is used to describe a vine cleansed by pruning so it can bear fruit. In Revelation, it refers to gold purified by fire (Revelation 21:18, 21).

The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) frequently uses katharos, particularly to describe the gold used in constructing the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle’s furnishings (Exodus 25). This gold had to be refined and purified by fire to be worthy of hosting God’s manifest presence. The key takeaway is that God’s presence demands absolute purity—free from any mixture of impurity.

(Psalm 24:3-4 NASB) “Who may ascend onto the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 One who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to deceit and has not sworn deceitfully.”

The Purity of the Heart

In Scripture, "the heart" often symbolizes the soul or mind—the source of our thoughts, passions, desires, affections, and purposes.

(Proverbs 4:23 NASB) "Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life."

This beatitude calls for more than just external religious purity. It addresses the deepest, most authentic, and unseen parts of who we are. To have a pure heart means to live with single-minded devotion—free from guilt and sinful desires—aligning every aspect of our being with God’s thoughts, passions, and purposes.

The Process of Purification

Through salvation, our impurity is hidden in Christ (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). We begin our journey with hearts that are deceitful and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9), yet in Christ, God sees us through the perfect sacrifice of His Son (2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:22). However, He remains committed to refining and disciplining us into His image (Hebrews 12:10-11; John 15:2; Malachi 3:3). Through sanctification, we become partakers of His holiness and purity (2 Peter 1:4; Romans 8:29; Philippians 3:9).

“We must take refuge from God in God. Above all we must believe that God sees us perfect in His Son while He disciplines and chastens and purges us that we may be partakers of His holiness" - A.W. Tozer

(1 Peter 2:24 NASB) “He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed.”

(Colossians 1:22 NASB) “Yet He has now reconciled you in His body of flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach”

(Hebrews 12:10-11 NASB) “…but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

God’s purification process is not merely about external obedience but about shaping our hearts into a place where His presence can dwell.

The Promise of Seeing God

Jesus promised that the pure in heart will see God. In the Old Testament, both Jacob and Moses encountered God in profound ways. Moses saw God because he found favor with Him (Exodus 33:17–23), while Jacob saw God because he wrestled with Him all night and contended for a blessing (Genesis 32:24–32).

We find favor with God when we walk in humility, maintain a contrite spirit, and tremble at His Word—qualities that reflect a pure heart. Likewise, we can see God when we are willing to wrestle with Him, allowing ourselves to be confronted, refined, and shaped by Him, as well as when we fervently contend for His blessing and favor.

(Isaiah 66:2 NIV) “Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”

(Psalm 24:5-6 NASB) “He will receive a blessing from the Lord And righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah”

The Path to Spiritual Clarity

Growing in purity of heart through God’s grace is the key to healing from spiritual blindness. As we fix our gaze on Him, we begin to remove everything that hinders our vision—sin, selfish ambition, and lesser pleasures. By setting our minds on things above and putting on the “new self” through sanctification, we are transformed and made ready to behold the glory of God revealed in the face of Jesus.

(Colossians 3:2-10 NASB) “Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. 5 Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it”

(2 Corinthians 4:3-6 NASB) “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants on account of Jesus. 6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

The Ultimate Fulfillment

The promise of seeing God will be fully realized in the age to come. When Christ returns, we will see Him face to face and behold His glory in its fullness.

(1 Corinthians 13:12 NASB) “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known.”

(1 John 3:2 NASB) “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”

(Revelation 22:3-4 NASB) There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads”

The pure in heart are given the privilege of seeing glimpses of God now through His Word, His Spirit, and His work in our lives. But one day, we will see Him fully, standing in His presence, transformed into His likeness.

Final Thoughts

The call to purity of heart is a lifelong journey of transformation, one that aligns our desires, passions, and actions with God's will. Through salvation, sanctification, and God's refining work in our lives, we are prepared to see Him both now and in the age to come. As we walk in humility, surrendering our hearts to His purifying work, we are granted glimpses of His glory—first through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and ultimately when we behold Him face to face. The promise of seeing God is not merely a distant hope but a present reality for those who seek Him with a pure heart. May we pursue purity, knowing that in doing so, we draw closer to the One who promises to reveal Himself fully to us.