Having a Kingdom Attitude 6

The sixth Beatitude say: "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." Approved by God are those who have a pure heart. What does it mean to have a pure heart? The word pure in the Greek means clean from pollution, clean from the guilt of sin; sincere and upright. Just in the very definition we see that a pure heart is not what a human can do on their own, but rather what Christ has done and is doing for us. Christ is conforming us to His standard, the standard of holiness. Man, naturally has a wicked heart (Jer. 17:9), and needs a heart transplant - a pure heart (Ez. 11:10, Ps. 51:10). When God gives us His heart, it is kept pure as we walk after the Spirit of Righteousness (2 Tim. 2:22).
Our illustration for this beatitude comes from Luke 19:1-10. In the story of Zaccheus, we are introduced to one of the "worse" figures is society. To a Jew, if anyone is filthy and on their way to hell, the tax collectors were in front of the line. By his encounter with Jesus we see three actions one must take in order to have a pure heart. First, you must seek Jesus. Zaccheus could have made many excuse and even had a valid obstacle (his height) from seeing Jesus, and yet he kept persistent despite personal obstacles and reputation (19:3-4). Second, you must obey Jesus (19:5-6). When Jesus spoke, he quickly followed. He did not question or falter, he received Jesus into his house quickly and with great happiness. Third, you must be possessed by Jesus (19:7-8). After listening to Jesus, we see that Zaccheus purposed to living right. He could not make this change on his own, he was now possessed by Christ. And the way you can know that you are possessed by Christ is the willingness and joy you have to give up your money and possession in order to help others. You see, purity of heart is not only seen in one's faith but also in one's works (James 2:1-ff). When we have Jesus controlling our lives, it is His desire to make us like Him every day. When we walk with a pure heart, then we will truly have a less stressed life. Until next time, keep walking close to Christ.