Authentic Christianity

I Can See Clearly Now
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

We might be able to fool people by pretending to be something we are not, but God is not fooled.  It is clear that God looks past outward behavior and outward appearance to the real issue - the condition of our hearts.

Do we really understand what morality with integrity is and where it comes from?

You cannot legislate righteousness.

We do not control our Christianity, our Christianity controls us.

The Call to Purity of Heart - Blessed are the pure in heart, v.8a

“pure” - clean, unadulterated, unmixed, winnowed, refined, sincere

“in heart” - Jesus again elevates the internal against the external Matthew 23:27-28

A person who is pure in heart does not have mixed motives.  They are not double-minded or two-souled.

Purity of heart is not speaking of sinlessness but genuineness.

To be pure of heart is the opposite of being hypocritical.

Often, the greatest deception is of ourselves.

That which begins as a divided mind develops into a disturbed mind and deteriorates into a distressed mind.

God knows our hearts and reveals them to us through His Word.
Hebrews 4:12

The Process of Purity of Heart - Psalm 139:23 Psalm 51:5,10

Becoming “pure in heart” is really the process of sanctification.

The need to be purified suggests an outside cleansing agent.

The Greek word for "pure" is based upon the passive form of the verb.

The Result of Purity of Heart- for they shall see God.  v.8b

What we know influences what we see.

They shall see God means fellowship with God. 

The pure in heart will see God in heaven. (Beatific Vision)

The pure in heart will see God in the world about them and in the experiences of their own lives.

It is what is within us that enables us to see things without us as they really are.

All Satan needs is one piece of our heart to take us from Christ.