April 21

Purity of Heart

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. — Matt 5:8 BSB

There is no beatitude for anything unclean. The Bible also tells us that nothing impure can enter heaven. If we hope to enter heaven, we must prepare for it here. When a child once wondered how he could ever get to heaven since it seemed so far away, his mother wisely said, “Heaven must first come down to you. Heaven must enter your heart.” These words are true—heaven must be within us, or we can never enter heaven. And as our hearts become pure, heaven is entering us.

But what does it mean to have a pure heart? It doesn’t mean being sinless because no one is sinless. A pure heart is a repentant heart that has been cleansed by Christ’s blood. The Bible promises that though our sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow. A pure heart is one that Christ has cleansed, and it’s kept pure through obedient living and close communion with God. The Bible teaches that true religion includes keeping ourselves unspotted from the world.

We live in an evil world, but if we faithfully follow Christ, doing His will and keeping our hearts open to the influence of the Holy Spirit, God will keep us from being stained by the corruption around us. Just as a lily grows pure and unstained in the muddy waters of a swamp, a humble, loving, patient Christian can remain pure in the midst of the world’s sin. Over such a heart, God’s face shines in constant blessing. While our vision of God on earth will never be full or clear, it will grow brighter as we walk toward the morning. One day, in heaven, we will see Him clearly, face to face.