The pure in Heart.

     Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to and idol or swear by what is false. He will recieve blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.    Psalm 24:3-6 (NIV)


    Jesus said the pure in heart would see God (Matt. 5:8). Who are the pure in heart, and how did they get that way?  The Bible portrays humanity as depraved, dead in sin with hearts bent on evil (Rom. 3:10-18, Eph 2:1-3). This is true. From birth, we are selfish individuals. As we grow it gets worse and worse, just watch a child go through the "terrible twos." That may sound funny, but it is really the selfish nature within working itself out. At some point we all reach a place where we become morally accountable for our actions, a point of rebellion against God. This is the mind set on the flesh, the mind that is hostile towards God, the mind that will not submit to the law of God (Rom 8:7). Such an individual cannot see God, not now nor in the age to come.
     What is needed is a complete change. Not a change of actions, but a change of heart. A change from selfishness, and rebellion, to submission to God and His law. A mind that is now set on pleasing God, and following Him.
     God, through the working of the Holy Spirit does His part in convicting us of  sin, showing us our lost state, the depth of our depravity, and our total inability to do anything about it apart from Him. By His Spirit, He leads us to the cross of Christ, where we repent of our sin and look to Him with eyes of faith, receiving His forgiveness and being adopted as sons of God. Without repentance, there is no saving faith, and no forgiveness. We remain dead in sin. However if we repent, and surrender ourselves to Christ we are regenerated, or born again. There is now a new principle active in our lives. Instead of being hostile towards God we now long for Him. We desire to please Him. We love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. We follow Him with a faith that works by love. We are indeed a new creation, the old is gone, the new is come. We no longer live as we used to, we are ruled by a new nature that subjects itself to the law of God. We can truly say that our hearts are pure, we are not just forgiven, but truly changed from within. These are the people who see God. They see Him now with eyes of faith, they experience fellowship with Him now, and will see Him face to face on that great day. Such is the generation who seek Him!