Again here in verse 8 as in the previous verse, Jesus speaks of another Christian characteristic that plays a prominent role during a Christian’s sanctifying walk with God. And as with the previous characteristic, the common thread is the work of the Holy Spirit in the minds of Christians during sanctification, from justification until physical death.
“Blessed are the pure in heart.” This phrase of verse 8 identifies another Christian characteristic that results in a state of spiritual well-being and approval from God. This characteristic is referred to as “pure in heart.” Of all the characteristics enumerated in the Beatitudes, this one―the pure in heart―is seemingly the most all-encompassing one. This characteristic is wrought by God in Christians who must also possess the other beatific characteristics. The pure in heart have a heart washed from evil (Jer. 4:14). The pure heart is cleansed of corrupt thoughts and acts of the flesh. Scripture teaches that the children of God must have “clean hands and a pure heart” (Ps. 24:4); they must have thoughts, motives, and behavior that is righteous. Clearly, for this to be accomplished in the believer, he or she must also be a Christian who is poor in spirit and who approaches God in humility, with the single-minded purpose of hungering and thirsting for the righteousness of Christ.
We know what Jesus called this characteristic, but how are we to understand this phrase? The first thing to make out is the meaning of the word “pure.”
The Bible states that God’s Word is pure [KJV, NASB], true [ESV], flawless [NIV], tested [AB], and tried [ASV] (Prov. 30:5). The choice of words used in the several biblical translations may help in understanding how the word “pure” is used. This purity speaks of a state or condition or character that lacks adulteration and corruption by the admixture of contaminants. Thus when God speaks, it is absolute, flawless, undefiled truth.
Scripture describes Christians as being “tried” and “tested” by God as silver is tried (Ps. 66:10). God’s revealed Word uses the metaphor of refining precious metals to describe what is pure. Malachi 4:3 describes Christ “as a refiner and purifier of silver.” God metaphorically uses the refining of silver since it is more difficult to refine even more than gold.
The silversmith heats the natural silver ore, which contains contaminants, in order to separate the non-silver substances from the silver. As the sample of ore is heated, these foreign contaminants rise to the surface of the liquid. The silversmith must watch the liquid carefully at all times and as the dross (i.e., the scum or unwanted material that forms on the surface of molten silver) forms on the surface, the silversmith skims it off and discards it. This process continues until the silversmith, instead of seeing the scum on the surface of the molten silver, sees his reflection in the liquid silver which indicates that the silver is pure.
This is metaphorically what God does in our lives as He presents us with trials and tribulations (the fire) that work to teach and to cleanse our souls. God is always with the Christian during the period of sanctification as He refines and purifies our souls. God’s work of purification is evident in us when He can see His reflection in us.
We first see a reference to the phrase “pure heart” in Psalm 24:4 which states “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and who does not swear deceitfully (emphasis added). This verse contains the answer to the question asked in verse 3 “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?” The holy place, refers to the sanctuary of God or heaven when considered in the context of Jesus’ statements in the Beatitudes. The pure in heart are further identified in verses 5 and 6 which state “He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.”
A pure heart in this context and in the context of Jesus’ beatific axioms, means the acts, motives, thoughts, and conduct that are exercised in accordance with God’s law. The Christian seeks to glorify God through righteous living with a singlemindedness of purpose. This un-distracted, pure commitment to obedience that glorifies God is the essential sum and substance of the purity of heart that Jesus is speaking of in verse 8.
One commentator nicely describes the pure in heart in this manner.
Those who, in the worship of the true God in accordance with the truth revealed in his Word, strive without hypocrisy to please and glorify him. These, these alone, are “the pure in heart.” They worship God “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24) and love to dwell on and practice the virtues mentioned in I Cor. 13; Gal. 5:22, 23; Eph. 4:32; 5:1; Phil. 2:1-4; 4:8, 9; Col. 3:1-17; etc. Their heart, the very mainspring of dispositions as well as of feelings and thoughts (Matt. 15:19; 22:37; Eph. 1:18; 3:17; Phil. 1:7; I Tim. 1:5), is in tune with the heart of God.[1]
“for they shall see God.”
This promise is a comforting thought for Christians. Jesus promises that the believer who is pure in heart shall see God. Some may ask “How can this be?” in light of 1 Timothy 6:16? Paul was saying in this verse that human beings on earth cannot look upon the unapproachable light of God. This is true that humans cannot look upon God and live (Ex. 33:20). But what Jesus is teaching here is that we shall see God in this life by faith and in heaven directly. Jesus Christ gave all Christians direct access to God so that all believers can walk with God in spirit until death (Eph. 2:18, 3:12). After death of course, in the glorified state, the Christian will actually be in the presence of God face to face (Cf. John 1:18, 14:9; 1 John 3:2).
This promise that Christians who are pure in heart shall see God is best understood when we realize that there is a “now and not yet” aspect to seeing God. We find something similar in the kingdom of God and in salvation as well where the final consummation of what has begun presently is yet to come at the second coming of Christ. Christians see God in the here and now by faith through the access provided by Christ and ultimately in heaven directly face to face.
The pure in heart shall see God in life on earth in that they will fellowship with Him in Christ. The apostle John relates an answer Jesus gave to a question from Judas (not Iscariot) that helps us understand seeing God, I think. The question was “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” (John 14:22). And then “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23, emphasis added). Jesus followed this with a warning that “Whoever does not love me does not keep my words” (John 14:24). Thus if one does not keep the words of God, one does not love God, is not pure in heart, and shall not see God.
[1] William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary, Matthew, n. 265 (Baker Academic 1973), 269.
