“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8 ESV
An Undivided Heart
In Psalm 86:11-12, King David prays, “Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor You. With all my heart I will praise You, O LORD my God. I will give glory to Your name forever” (NLT). Other translations say, “give me an undivided heart” or an “undivided mind.”
These verses give us a picture of what Jesus is talking about when He bestows blessing on the pure in heart. The pure in heart don’t cling to the things of the world; they, like David, have a singular devotion to and affection for God. They don’t claim to live with purity while secretly harboring unrepentant sin; their inner lives look the same as their outer lives. They’re truthful, they walk with integrity, and they show God’s love to everyone they encounter.
Life with the Father
While it’s true that there is nothing that could ever disqualify us from God’s love—not “death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell” (Romans 8:38 NLT)—it is possible to experience less intimacy with our Father than what is always available to us. When we choose to indulge our sinful natures, we don’t lose God’s love, but we do forfeit intimacy––or a closer relationship––with Him. One commentary says it this way: “The polluting sins of covetousness, oppression, lust, and chosen deception have a definite blinding effect upon a person; and the one pure of heart is freer from these pollutions” [1].
This isn’t to say a purehearted person is without sin—that is, of course, impossible in our fallen state. The key word is freer. God wants us, through His strength and power at work within us, to live freer from such “polluting sins.” In doing so, we are able to enjoy more closeness, more peace, and more joy in Him.
