Detailed Notes: COV008       31.7.20

Pure in heart 3

Dear brethren,

This is a helpful time for us to see clearly and be deeply convicted it is feasible for believers to learn and grow and have an abiding sense of true peace and well-being under all circumstances – and how to go about it

• whether it be the current pandemic or whatever we may have to go through in the future
• in our personal lives and together in church life.

One vital area we need to pay attention to if we want to fare well under all circumstances is: pure in heart.

This sharing and the preceding two sharing on this subject can help us appreciate

• why the apostle Paul tells us the goal of his instruction is love from a pure heart…1 Tim.1:5
• why it is crucial for believers to continually look to the Lord to help us nurture a heart that is increasingly pure in meaning and quality – and how this can be true for our lives.

It is very important and helpful to be deeply impressed with this area of truth.

We can be properly motivated to commit ourselves to live in this way when we see clearly biblical revelation tells us:

• The heart is the source of the positive and negative moral meaning of our thoughts, words and deeds
• where purpose is formed, and decision made
• how we believe and exercise faith
• the core centre of man as a moral being
• from which flows forth true worship and ministry.

• One who is pure in heart is a person whose heart is washed, cleansed and consecrated to God.

Two major aspects

1. State of heart: clean, cleansed, no stain, defilement

2. Direction of heart: intent, purpose, will, what motivates us

• a heart focused/immersed in God and His righteousness, love, light and truth - God's kingdom, God's will and the fulfilment of His purposes
• oneness of our heart with the heart of God
• committed to God, God's will and the fulfilment of God's purposes

• no negative or selfish intent
• not harbouring anything contrary to God's will
• not tainted by fleshly motives, intent, purpose.

• from such a heart will flow forth love, light, truth and life – love, light, truth and life from a pure heart
• in word and deed

• the foundational basis of a life of spiritual health, growth, witness, fruitfulness, and effectiveness in participation in the fulfilment of God's purposes
• what every believer would or ought to regard as most important.

Pure in heart is what God looks at, looks for in a person

• what we should all the time be concerned about
• in ourselves and what we look for, look at in a person.

When the Spirit of God helps us to gain spiritual insight into this area of truth, it will help us understand why the Lord Jesus tells us:

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God: Matt. 5:8

We will now reflect further on the far-reaching implications in the lives of believers who are pure in heart

• including the meaning of ‘for they shall see God’.

Being pure in heart is crucial in our relationship with God.

‘see God’:

The prophet Isaiah says he saw the Lord:

Isaiah 6:1  

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

Many years later, the apostle John says:

no man has seen God at any time

John 1:18  

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

The Scriptures tells us the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face but at the same time the Lord told Moses:

‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live’.

Exodus 33:11

Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.

Exodus 33:20

But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”

God is Spirit – we cannot see Him with physical eyes

Note:

Heb 11:27

Moses endured, as seeing Him who is unseen (or invisible)

Hebrews 11:27  

By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king;

for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

We cannot with our physical eyes see the being of God but perhaps some manifestations.

Spiritual seeing

Paul mentions the eyes of heart enlightened by God

Ephesians 1:15–19  

15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints,

16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might

The Holy Spirit enables us to know/see God abides in us and we in Him

1 John 4:13–14  

13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

God is pure, holy

• if we are pure, holy, we can see Him
• through eyes of heart enlightened, in our spirit
• i.e. experience, know, fellowship.

God is absolutely pure, holy.

We are not.

The meaning, quality and degree of purity of our hearts have a direct bearing on the depth and intimacy of fellowship we can have with God, and our knowledge of God

• why it is crucial for believers to continually look to the Lord to help us nurture a heart that is increasingly pure in meaning and quality.

Faring well in all important aspects of our lives is closely related to having a pure heart

8 related points

1. The Spirit-filled life

The apostle Paul exhorts all believers to be filled and continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit:

Ephesians 5:18  

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation,

but be filled with the Spirit,

This subject has been covered in detail in AR179-186 available in audio and edited text messages, carefully substantiated from the Scriptures

• I am looking to the Lord to have these eight edited text messages compiled into a book: The Spirit-filled life
• but before that, the Lord willing, I intend to publish first: Death of Christ.

A brief summary of how to be filled and continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit and the crucial issue of being pure in heart:

How to be filled with the Spirit

Vital: preparation of heart: pure/clean in heart

a) heart cleansed

b) direction of heart: commitment to God and will of God, love, light, truth, righteousness; heart not harbouring any negative intent, not tainted by fleshly motives, anything contrary to the will of God

Then ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit, believing in our hearts God desires to and will do so – for those who have prepared their hearts in this way.

→

• continue to nurture a heart that is increasingly pure in meaning and quality
• from time to time reaffirm our commitment to the Lord and ask Him to forgive us and wash away our sins, and fill us afresh with the Holy Spirit

→ continuing growth and increasingly, richer experience of the fullness of the Spirit.

2. God's blessings, guidance and undertaking

The Lord Jesus tells us:

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

This includes the enjoyment of God's blessings, meaningful, intimate knowledge of God and relationship with God, and the assurance of God's undertaking and guidance.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

 And do not lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight.

v.5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

 And do not lean on your own understanding.

With all our heart we believe in God, trust Him and His will, guidance for our lives, committed to obeying Him and His will

• meaning of true faith in God, trusting God with all our heart
• not leaning on, depending on our own understanding.

v.6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight.

In everything we look to the Lord for guidance, undertaking and enabling

→ assurance of God's guidance, enabling and sovereign undertaking for a good outcome: Rom. 8:28

Romans 12:1-2

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Commitment, consecration, worship → transformation, renewing of the mind → know, experience, live out the will of God – which is always good and acceptable and perfect.

Problem of those who ask for God's blessings, guidance and undertaking but no commitment and purity of heart

• what they really want is blessings without Lordship
• want to avoid problems, disaster but without inconvenient discipleship, cost of discipleship

• mouth ask for God's guidance, but heart not committed to following God’s leading/will
• except where ‘agreeable’ to personal inclination.

3. Set-apart time with God each day

• Communion with God, meaning and joy of fellowship, worship
• state and direction of heart vital

• Absorption of truth, spiritual nourishment and growth

1 Peter 2:1–2  

1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, (pure in heart)

2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word,

so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

4. Quality and power of prayer

1 John 3:21–22  

21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us,

we have confidence before God;

22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him,

because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

Maintain a pure heart with a clear conscience before God

→ confidence in God's presence and effective prayer

• because we obey Him, do His will and do what is pleasing in his sight.

5. Quality and effectiveness of witness and service flowing forth from a pure heart

Proverbs 4:23  

Watch over your heart with all diligence,

For from it flow the springs of life.

Relate this point to points 1. and 2. – the Spirit-filled life and God's guidance, undertaking and blessings.

We have noted:

From such a heart will flow forth love, light, truth and life – love, light, truth and life from a pure heart

• in word and deed

→ powerful witness, effective service.

6. Basic condition for benefiting from many of God’s promises and assurances in the Scriptures

e.g. Rom. 8:28, answers to prayer, labour not in vain, God's approval, blessings, provision, protection, guidance…love, joy and peace of God, bearing good fruit.

7. Increasingly conformed to the image of Christ

God will have much freedom to speak to, work in and transform one who is pure in heart - the life of a believer who has this kind of commitment, spirit, attitude and receptivity

• and he will become increasingly conformed to the image of Christ: Rom. 12:1-2.

8. Readiness to meet our Lord

If we live in this way, we will be ready to meet the Lord

• faithful steward/stewardship of what God has entrusted to us – faithful stewardship of the mystery.

We can, like the apostle Paul, look forward to the crown of righteousness:

2 Timothy 4:7–8  

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;

8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Concluding remarks

If we want to fare well, we must continually look to the Lord to help us nurture a heart that is increasingly pure in meaning and quality.

Such a life is feasible under all circumstances

• for those who love the Lord and walk with Him
• whatever the Lord sees fit for us to go through
• this pandemic and whatever may lie ahead.

Trials and difficulties the Lord sees fit for us to go through become contexts helpful for purification of our hearts, nurturing of positive qualities like patience, steadfastness, love, deeper fellowship with God.

Being pure in heart is the foundational basis of a life of spiritual health, growth, witness, fruitfulness, and effectiveness in participation in the fulfilment of God's purposes.

In fellowship,

Kou