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"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
(Matthew 5:8)
The pure in heart receive two things, according to Jesus in Matthew 5:8. First, they receive the blessed, makarios level of living. The pure in heart have inner joy, peace, contentment, and are at peace with God and their fellow man. They have mourned over sins committed both by them and against them, and they have given forgiveness to others and don't have time to maintain regrets because they think about the ways God loves them. They are satisfied and happy in the truest and most sublime sense of the word.
Second, they see God. The Greek word translated "see" is optanomai, and it is the root of English words like optic, optometrist, and ophthalmology. It relates to eyes, eyesight, and vision. But what does it mean to see God? There are two dimensions or realties in seeing God. First, there is the temporal reality, and second, there is the eternal reality of seeing God.
Those who have pure hearts see God at work here on this earth. They have seen Him by faith at work in their own hearts and lives, as they believed in Him and His Son, Jesus, whom He sent from Heaven to be the Savior of the world. We see God in nature, in history, and in His involvement and dealings in our everyday life. I saw Him at work powerfully recently in South Asia. We can only see God with the eyes of faith, but the moment we believe, then our eyes are open to the incredible vistas of His handiwork in, around, above, and through us. (Source: Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, p. 97.)
The second aspect of seeing God deals with the eternal state. One glorious day, the follower of Jesus Christ will behold the Triune God in His glory: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We shall see Him. Does that not thrill your soul?! We shall see Him, and this wonderful truth captures us and motivates us to live pure lives in preparation for that great day. In 1 John 3:2-3, I think John had this beatitude in mind when he wrote these words:
"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."
Have a blessed weekend!
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