Do You Want to See God?

Struggle: “Have you seen God? What is keeping you from seeing Him?" Many people live their lives, watch anything they want, listen to anything they want, and read anything they want, then wonder why they have never seen God? 

Scripture Truth:

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

Truth Encounter:

The Pharisees thought outward cleansing and outward purity, keeping of laws, was sufficient ground for entering the kingdom of God. They, like many professing Christians, outwardly appear righteous through their good works and yet inwardly their hearts are impure and unclean. Jeremiah 17:9-10 tells us, “The heart is deceitfully wicked above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”  Jeremiah was saying that the heart is the center for the mind, emotions, and will, and each person will be rewarded based on the purity of the heart. Jesus said that if you belong to the Kingdom, then your heart will be changed. He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” 

What constitutes a pure heart? Jesus is not saying that a Follower of Christ will not sin, but he is saying that the Follower of Christ is not a sinner. A believer is a new person, cleansed by the blood of Jesus and is forgiven. In other words Jesus was calling us to a lifestyle of purity; a pure heart, a pure purpose, and a pure passion. Therefore we are set aside for God’s purpose - to honor God. 2 Peter 3:14 says "...make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight." This means putting God’s word into practice in terms with how we live our lives. This means we will refuse to live as the world lives. We must do this each day by making choices to obey God’s Word and to honor Him through our words and actions. Not only are we to make wise choices but 2 Timothy 2:22 tells us to “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (NIV)

So each of us has a choice to allow our hearts to be wicked or to seek and possess a pure heart. We are told that, " No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him." (1Jo 3:6); nor will they live with him for eternity. However, there is a reward for those who seek and possess a pure heart, “they will see God.”

Do you want to see God? Many want to see God, yet they are not interested in guarding their heart? Psalms 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.”  We could focus on the things we that cause an impure heart, instead what can we do to guard our hearts? What scripture verse(s) comes to your mind that challenges us to keep our hearts pure?

Prayer:

Dear Father, Search me, and know my heart; 
test me and know my anxious thoughts. 
See if there is any offensive way in me, 
and lead me in the way everlasting. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.