My Dear Friend,

Jesus declared, "Blessed are the pure in heart," and added the promise, "for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). At the moment, He was focused on our hearts. He still is. Are we?

Sadly, to most fallen human beings, the heart - our spirit, mind, core, innermost being - is very unimportant. We prefer to focus on exterior issues, such as, behavior and physical appearance. Scripture confirms this.

Through Samuel, God declared, "Man looketh on the outward appearance" (1 Samuel 16:7). Yet, to God, our interior, or heart issues, are most important. Samuel continued, "But the Lord looketh on [examines, focuses on, evaluates by] the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). The Proverb also warns, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23, NKJV); or, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life" (NLT).

As we ponder Jesus' beatitude, and these other key texts, one question naturally arises: what is a "pure" heart? Particularly as Jesus sees it, since that matters most? This is the object of our study.

In our probe, we will assume Jesus' and the Bible's views are the same, since the Living and written Word are one, ever confirming and never contradicting each other. John called Jesus "the Word" (John 1:1), describing the wondrous Incarnation in these unforgettable words, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14).

Our study will ask two key questions: what is in a pure heart? what is not in a pure heart? But first, let's consider our awful condition and God's awesome response to it.

Our Fallen Condition and God's Marvelous Redemption

None of us is pure in heart until God gives us a new heart. The sin nature with which we were born is incapable of purity, and thus of union with a holy God. This "total depravity," or complete inability to save ourselves due to the devastating effects of sin, is real and ruinous. So, we must be saved by another: something outside us must enter us within.

Thus, God has provided the New Birth, a miraculous change of heart resulting from our conviction, confession of sin, and receiving of the Savior. This new life we receive is divine, sinless, pristine, nothing less than the very nature of Jesus in us. It is the fulfillment of God's promise in Ezekiel 37:26: "A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you." Anything less than this miraculous, regenerative, infusion of divine life is not biblical salvation.

But to function properly, this divine nature needs full divine empowerment, the second Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit. Therefore, God has provided the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. It is an experience, a work of grace, received by faith just like New Birth. In this second work of grace, the born-again Christian asks the Lord Jesus - the Baptizer - for the full measure of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:11-13; Acts 19:1-7). God also promised this in Ezekiel 37:27: "And I will put my Spirit within you." Now, with our new divine nature fully empowered, we are ready to begin pursuing heart purity.

This happens as we immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of the holy. We seek God daily, soaking in His Word, praying regularly, and praising and worshiping Him in humble, thankful, adoring love. The Holy Spirit - the Father's heart specialist - then begins His purification process.

He leads us straight into stressful situations, the more pressurized, the better. In them we become aware of sinful elements - bad attitudes, wrong motives, sinful desires, bad habits, wrong reactions, uncontrolled emotions - still lurking in us, specifically, the continuing manifestations of our old nature. His plan is to "mortify," or minister death to, these remnants of the old life, so they no longer manifest but are rendered as dead, meaning they do not regularly manifest and control and trouble our life. Why? So the new life may grow, develop, and manifest Christlikeness through us regularly.

Our reaction to these purifying trials is crucial. If we are proud and stubborn, refusing to acknowledge sin manifestations when they arise, they will remain and heart purity will be impossible. If we respond in humility and truth, quickly confessing our sins when they arise - in thought, word, action, or inaction - the Spirit applies God's supernatural cleanser, the blood of Christ, that not only washes but also purges us. Then we very intentionally turn our mind to God's Word and obey what it says concerning the particular sin manifestations that have arisen.

If we are angry, we "cease from anger, and forsake wrath" (Psalm 37:8). If murmuring, we "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18, ESV). If unforgiving, we "forgive, if we have anything against anyone," so our Father may forgive us (Mark 11:25-26). If proud, we "humble" ourselves under God's "mighty hand" (1 Peter 5:6). If misjudging or condemning others, we stop, and "judge not" or "condemn not," so we won't be judged or condemned (Luke 6:38). If speaking harshly, we repent, thereafter "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). And so forth. The more faithfully we do this, the purer and humbler our hearts become. Christ's perfections manifest more regularly and sin’s impurities less often.

Always remember, this is a process (progressive sanctification), not a single experience (New Birth). It is an ongoing work of grace, not a single divine encounter that in one miraculous moment eradicates our sin nature and makes us incapable of sinning. Being mindful of this keeps us from being discouraged when we occasionally fail in this purification process. Why is this encouragement needed?

The Holy Spirit is very persistent! At times we wish He would go pay attention to our critics, or our friends, anyone, but just leave us blessedly alone. But He persists, intent on purifying us first, not our companions or adversaries. Without wavering He focuses on cleaning up our hearts (minds and affections), so the benediction of Jesus may rest upon us more fully: because we're becoming purer in heart, we begin to "see God!" Accurately. We see and understand His nature! We discern His hand at work in our life! We clearly distinguish His voice from deceiving spirits and His work from Satan's. Now our two questions.

What is in a Pure Heart?

In a pure heart, righteous thoughts are present. We feed our mind, our central computer, or more literally, our brain, with right thought stuff: God's Word, biblical devotionals and teachings, and spiritually minded discussions that help us understand God, our relationship to Him, and true holiness. We also input other worthy subjects - anything good, true, or virtuous - by reading, listening, and studying (Philippians 4:8).

Right motives are in a pure heart. We intend only to do God's good will in one form or another. We aim to redeem and reconcile sinners, to help, heal, and restore what sin has broken, so wrong-doing sinners may become right-living saints.

Right desires are there. We want to bless God's heart and be a blessing to others. We want to grow the church, fulfill our commissions, and exercise our grace-gifts faithfully. We want to enjoy human blessings, when possible, as long as they are clean and right and do not hinder God's plan for our life.

Right attitudes are present. We learn to adopt God's viewpoints toward people and situations, to see them as the Savior and Scriptures see them. Most importantly, we offer thanks "in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV), knowing God personally arranges all our circumstances, delights in thankful Christians, and grieves over complaining ones (Ephesians 4:30-31).

Right emotions are there. We allow only God's love, peace, joy, and contentment to rest in us and disallow anything that disturbs the purity of our amazing, God-given, inner rest.

Faith, hope, and grace are present. They keep us linked to the faithful One, hoping expectantly for His help, and showing His grace to the ungracious.

All these aspects of purity reside in the Spirit-purified heart. Now our second question.

What is Not in a Pure Heart?

Evil thoughts are disallowed. Proud thoughts of vanity, superiority, prejudice, or hatred are cast out: "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Unforgiveness, vengeance, and envy (unjustified anger at others for their God-given advantages and blessings) are expelled.

An offended spirit is overruled, for we are never justified in being huffed at or disappointed in Him who "causes all things" - good, bad, fair, unfair - to "work together for good" (Romans 8:28, NAS).

Fear is disallowed, as it implies distrust in our utterly loving, faithful God and His many promises to accompany, comfort, and assist us in every adversity however hard, low, or long.

Critical, judgmental, and condemning thoughts are also disallowed, as well as those fostering unloving, bitter, competitive rivalries toward sinners or saints.

Wrong motives, including ulterior motives (appearing to act selflessly while holding selfish intentions), are identified and put away.

We purposely purge hypocrisy - consciously acting saintly in public while living sinfully in private.

We quickly rein-in imaginations, or thoughts we do not know to be factual. Daydreams, dreads, snap judgments of others, assumptions about their motives, mental replays of past offenses - these and other unfair, un-Christlike, non-factual intruders are firmly checked and brought into captivity to Christ.

We identify and toss away unbelief - doubts and contradictions of Bible texts - since they insult the integrity and veracity of the Bible's Author. Thus, with the Holy Spirit's help, heresy is quickly recognized for the anti-biblical, anti-Christ poison it is, and not ingested.

Wrong attitudes are not allowed to remain and control us, toward family members, spouses, children, parents, friends, fellow Christians, enemies, and even the worst sinners with whom we interact regularly.

Murmuring is targeted for rapid expulsion, since it insults God as being an unloving Father and Christ an uncaring Shepherd unworthy of thanksgiving and deserving only of complaints.

Plans to respond to our hateful adversaries with plots or slander - the coward's preferred means of counterattack - are quickly quenched, as we choose to trust God alone to defend us (Romans 12:17-21).

Destructive emotions, such as, anger (volcanic or simmering), anxiety, panic, and impatience, are recognized and quenched before they vex us, others, and Christ.

Inner alarms sound loudly whenever the infamous three cohorts of carnality - greed, lust, and discontent - rise up within us, and we quietly but firmly put them down.

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This is just a brief survey, not an exhaustive study. May it prompt you to think, study, and ponder heart purity more extensively. And remember, you cannot purify your own heart. Only the Holy Spirit can create holy hearts. So, cooperate with Him, your holiness professor, daily. And be glad.

The great, twofold secret to this sanctification process is very simple: humility and truthfulness! If you'll tell the truth, the Spirit will always show you the truth - you'll never be deceived! If you'll walk in the light, He'll wash you in the blood (1 John 1:7). If you'll confess your sins, He'll cleanse them (1 John 1:9). If you'll be consistent, He'll consistently conform you to Christ's image. If you'll be pliable in His hands, He'll mold you into a vessel of honor, mature and pure. Not overnight, but over time.

And you will increasingly become an incarnation of Christ's beatitude, "blessed" and "seeing" God, discerning, sensing, and experiencing Him personally as never before.

Pursuing a pure heart,

Dr. Greg Hinnant

GREG HINNANT MINISTRIES