“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Mt 5:8)
Just as crystal-clear pure water in a mountain lake allows us to see all the way to the lake’s bottom, a person with a pure heart is transparent in their character. They show favor and extend kindness without expecting anything in return.
“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.” (1 Tim 1:5)
A pure heart is to have Christ in control of one’s life. A person who is pure in heart would learn to see good even in the midst of evil. A good conscience is to keep our conscience clear and do what we know is right. How can we keep our conscience clear? Treasure our faith more than anything else and do what we know is right. Each time we deliberately ignore our conscience, we are hardening our heart. If we act on our conscience to do what is right, then our conscience will remain clear.
We are drowning in a sea of impurity. Wherever we look, we will find temptations to lead impure lives. How do we stay pure in an impure environment? Storing God’s word in our hearts holds us back from sin. If we turn our thoughts to God and His word, we will discover more and more goodness, despite all the evil in this world. Whatever we choose to fill our mind with will affect the way we think and act. When we fill our mind with what is good, there will be little room for what is evil. Have we sought to be filled with the Holy Spirit, so that we have no appetite for other indulgences or desires?
The Bible is the word of God that can help a person’s sanctification. We must read the Bible. We also need to teach our children while they are still innocent and ask them to memorize and recite the word of God. To keep life pure, we need to do as Paul teaches us in 2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
To keep ourselves pure, it is important to make friends with a pure heart. Having such friends will help us avoid unnecessary peer pressure and provide precious prayer companions. Just like Daniel and his three friends, praying together with those who have a pure heart will make our prayers more effective and help us draw nearer to God.
The pure in heart will meet God face-to-face.