Old Llantrisant Hill
- The message from v8 - "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God"
- The Sermon on the Mount starts with "Blessed"
- The Book of Psalms stars with "Blessed"
- "Blessed is the man"
- A way of living
- Jesus does the same thing, states what a blessed man is like
- These are the Beatitudes
- 8 Beatitudes
- Jesus is not saying if you try to live like this you will be blessed by God - this is not the way of salvation
- Rather this is a description of those who belong to God
- There must be repentance, a change of heart and calling upon God for salvation
- This is what a Christian looks like
- Focusing on v8
- The most striking and heart searching of the Beatitudes
- The most glorious promise
- The Lord Jesus is speaking about the heart
- Jesus was speaking to those with a Jewish understanding of the heart
- Not a Western understanding of the heart - explanation
- The Biblical understanding is that the heart includes the mind, heart and soul - the whole being
- The Biblical understanding is lower, everything is moved downwards in Jewish understanding - explanation
- Jesus is talking more than just desires - but the very centre of our being
- How does it relate to the other Beatitudes?
- The first steps are downwards
- Poor in spirit
- Empty
- Nothing that you can bring to God
- Not good
- No credit with God - bankrupt
- Mourning
- Not only do you have nothing - you are a sinner
- Not only do you lack credit but you are in debit
- Your sins weight heavily upon you
- Meekness
- Recognising yourself as God and others see you
- Humility
- Then the steps are upwards
- Hungering for God
- You start looking up to God
- You start hungering and thirsting
- Crying out to God to be filled
- Mercy
- God fills your heart with mercy
- You become more merciful to others
- Pure in heart
- Your heart has been made new by God
- Peacemakers
- You have been made right with God so you want others to be right with God and one another
- The Beatitudes are a description of Christian existence
- These things happen throughout our Christian life
- It should be a constant process
- God lifts us up - and then we become the object of the world's hatred
- Our heart - is impure
- Mark 7:20-23
- The Christian understands the world
- We understand why people do bad things
- We understand why there is a tendency in the world to evil
- It does not come from the environment, poor education, being poor or from bad company
- It comes from a problem with the heart
- Each of us has a heart that is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
- This is the testimony of God
- This is something we understand as we go on more and more
- The pure in heart
- Not innocent
- The Biblical explanation - an undivided heart
- Going in one way - not pulling in different ways
- Ps 86:11
- The Biblical explanation - undefiled
- A clean heart
- A heart that has been cleansed and remade
- Ps 51:7-10
- It is essential to have this sort of heart - without this we cannot approach God
- With holiness we cannot see the Lord - Hebrews
- How can our hearts be purified?
- The Bible and our consciences (if correctly calibrated) testify to our impure, sinful heart
- In the cleansing of our sin by the Lord Jesus Christ
- Rev 1:5
- We must come in repentance and mourn our sinful hearts
- Keep a short account with God - explanation
- Have you had you heart cleansed with Christ?
- Seeing God
- A great promise to every believer - we will all see God
- We will see God in heaven
- Right now we can see God
- 1 Cor 13:12
- Dimly at present, a poor reflection
- We see Him in creation - example
- We see Him in world events
- We see Him in our own lives and experiences
- Moses saw God
- One day we will see very clearly in heaven
- Concluding remarks