Blessed are the Pure in Heart
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613 laws in the Old Testament…all with the same intention, to keep us pure, or to make us pure before God...
Isaiah tells us why.....
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Our sin has separated us from God and because of this God longed to be with His people…thus laws to purify us and keep us pure...
But, we failed.. We couldn’t do it…we couldn’t possibly keep 613 laws…so we had sacrifices...
We had so many stinking sacrifices to make up for the sins that we would commit...
We even had a sacrifice for improper sacrifices…but we still failed...
So, what should happen?
God, in His great grace and mercy sent His Son to be the final sacrifice…the one to cover all sins...
1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.
4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ ” 8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second.
10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
I didn’t really understand this until recently reading through all of Law, Genesis through Deuteronomy....
Jesus really did replace all of the sacrifices in one act…that is quite incredible
It is only because of His work on the cross that we can become pure in heart.....
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Who are the pure in heart?
Who are the pure in heart?
They are the ones who recognize, believe, and accept Christ’s gift of grace and salvation....they are:
Positionally Righteous
Before, they were separated from God because of their sin....
Now, they acknowledge what Jesus did on the cross and through the resurrection and have shifted positions....
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Because of God’s work and forgiveness we are now positionally righteous before God!
A few weeks ago Michael Dorn came up to me and said “you need to have a follow-up sermon on not letting our sin define us.”
Like a good pastor, I stuck to the plan and didn’t deviate....
But, here is....and Michael will have to hear this message on the recording...
So, we are positionally righteous before God, what does this mean for us in regards to our sin?
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Sin does not define us!
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Can anyone see as far is the east is from the west?
Some of us can’t even read the small print in our Bibles....i.e. me!
How many miles is the east from the west?
Maybe that’s the point....
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
When we confess our sins…He for gives us! He removes our sin from us....
So, why do we pick the sin back up?
Why do we define ourselves by our sin?
Isn’t it a slap in God’s face to accept His forgiveness, but then go around defining ourselves by our sin?
If He has forgiven us, that is not who we are anymore...
I don’t live in that house anymore…no need to forward my mail!
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
As we read before, there is now no condemnation…how much condemnation? none...
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...
Then why are you condemning yourself?
25 “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
The sin that you have committed and confessed has been removed as far as the east is from the west....Christ has purified you from all unrighteousness…He remembers your sins no more....don’t pick it back up!
So, the pure in heart are those who are a new creation in Christ…they are the ones who have been forgiven and are now positionally righteous before God!
These are the ones who will see God...
What does a person who is pure in heart look like?
1. Positionally right with God!
1. Positionally right with God!
They know who and who’s they are....they are no longer condemning theirselves...
They are walking with and following the ways of God...
2. Repent of Sin!
2. Repent of Sin!
They constantly pray for God to reveal sin to them!
They have guilt, which leads to repentance
10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
The pure in heart are heart broken over sins....they feel guilty, repent and accept God’s forgiveness!
3. Have Pure Intentions!
3. Have Pure Intentions!
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
The pure in heart constantly pray for God to reveal the junk that is in our hearts...
I started BJJ a couple of weeks ago and it is going well…and by “well” I mean my body reminds me every day just how well it’s going..
I’m old…and sore...
We have this and massager and yesterday I asked Tasia to massage the knot out of my back...
And you know how it is when you are having a knot massaged out…it hurts like crazy, but also has this weirdly good feeling about it.
And, when it is done, usually you feel much better.
Similarly, this is like when we ask God to remove the things from our heart that are not of Him...
It hurts a lot at first, but it is good for us in the long run!
I like how Rich Mullins says this in his song “My One Thing”
Everybody I know says they need just one thing
And what they really mean is that they need just one thing more
And everybody seems to think they've got it coming
Well I know that I don't deserve You
Still I want to love and serve You more and more
You're my one thing
Save me from those things that might distract me
Please take them away and purify my heart
I don't want to lose the eternal for the things that are passing
Cause what will I have when the world is gone
If it isn't for the love that goes on and on with
My one thing
You're my one thing
And the pure in heart shall see God
You're my one thing
You're my one thing
They desire to have pure intentions and motivation…They desire to have God search their heart and reveal the things that are not of Him.
As David says in:
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
The benefit of being pure in heart is
They will see God!
They will see God!
David again writes:
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
The benefit and promise of being pure in heart is that we will see God!
And when we see God, life has meaning and purpose...
We have peace and comfort...
We have grace and mercy...
We have life!
1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
God is good, let us be pure in heart....
I want to give some time for us to really reflect this morning...
I have set some pens and paper up here....
Play deep dive…leave paper at the foot of the cross...
Worship team come up as soon as song is over