“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matt. 5:8 (NIV). This is one of the most popular verses in Christian history. Devout followers of Jesus who wanted to be close to God and “see” him in their lives made a serious effort to purify their lives. This verse gives us a tremendous gift: the opportunity to see God!
Jesus doesn’t give details about what that means but we know that it means that we will be very close to him. In this life it may mean that we experience his presence in a powerful way. Or, that we see his truths more clearly. In the next life we get to see God directly. The condition is that we have a pure heart. Believers have judicial purity but Jesus is also asking for actual purity in our hearts. This takes time and effort and a willingness to examine our hearts. But if we pursue this we will be rewarded with more of the vision of God in our lives. When we cooperate with God to purge the self-centeredness, confusion and hedonism from our hearts, then our spiritual eyes no longer strain in a fog, rather, they will see God more clearly through the pure sky.
How much do you desire to “see” God? What makes your spiritual sight cloudy or polluted? What would God like you to purify?
