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When we ARE this: |
It allows us to BE this: |
Poor in spirit and realize our utter helplessness and reach to God as a spiritual beggar in need of rescuing then we can be… |
Merciful. We can show mercy to those around us know matter what status they have in life, no matter what their past, no matter how different they are from us. We all start out in the same place with the same need with the same hopelessness. |
Mourning over our sin beginning to understand the destruction it causes, our potential to indulge in it, and learning more and more how much it grieves God allows us to continue to grow…. |
Pure in Heart. We will seek to be pure in heart as a result of mourning our sin. The more contrite and broken we become over sin, the more we desire the holiness and purity of God. |
Meek and gentle learning to live in supreme confidence under supreme Holy Spirit control forsaking the need to pursue our “rights”, get what’s “fair” and defending our self against every perceived offense; we are now ready to be… |
Peacemakers. Lesson 8 |
Hungry and thirsty for righteousness cultivating an ever increasing and single-minded hunger to serve God and know Him better which gives us a foundation to endure being… |
Persecuted. Lesson 9 |
· Psalms 24:4 He who has clean hands
· Psalm 73:1 Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart.
- 1 Timothy 1:3-7 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.
- 2 Timothy 2:19-26 The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
- 1 Peter 1:22-23 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever…
- Psalm 24 The earth is the Lords, in all its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it. He founded it on the seas, and established it on the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His Holy place? Answer: Matt 5:8 says the pure in heart, that’s who! They shall see God.
- Proverbs 20: 9 Who can say, “I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin”? Answer: only those who have been washed in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb.
The pure in heart will see God. The pure in heart are those people who, through a broken spirit have reached out to God and seen the sad state of their sinfulness and the destruction it has caused.
The pure in heart are alive with the Spirit’s conscience allowing Him to purify everything act, every thought, every motive and every attitude.
There are different kinds of purity:
- Fundamental purity – the purity of God. This is the essence of purity. Purity in this sense is not an attribute, it is the primal element. It is what everything pure is compared to. It IS purity in its very existence.
- Secondary purity – this kind of purity is the purity that God creates from Himself. The original creation of the universe and man was pure until sin entered.
- Recreated purity – eventually the heavens and earth will be recreated and saved men will receive a glorified body recreated in eternal purity to exist with God.
- Accounted purity – this is the purity that is applied to us, or accounted to us through Christ’s sacrifice. When we are saved, God sees us as pure because of Christ even though our actual existence has not yet seen purity in whole.
- Relative purity – This type of purity is a false purity that is obtained by measuring against an impure standard such as other people or society in general. This is the type of purity that deceives us into thinking we’re “not that bad”.
- Deceptive purity – this is purity perceived from ignorance or false teaching. We may sincerely seek a purity that is less than God’s standard if we do not soak ourselves in His Word.
- Practical purity – this is the purity of our daily lives. This is the purity that we continually work on and fail to achieve while in this life. This is the purity that we must pray for an ask God to increase in our lives every day.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart O God.
Purity in our lives today has become somewhat of a laughable, outdated, old-fashioned kind of joke. In the back of our minds we know the truth of its need, but it is easier to make light of our failures than it is to mourn our true sinfulness.
Today’s typical Christian uses the world to measure their own purity and stays just enough “purer” to be able to justify very worldly standards in their everyday living. We don’t:
- Watch movies that are as bad
- Tell jokes that are as raw
- Use language that is as vulgar
- Gamble as much
- Lust as much
- Dress as immodestly
- Listen to as bad of music
… than the world. And if that’s not enough we:
- Go to church more than them
- Give more money than them
- Do more good things than them
- Look and act more Godly than them
The totality of our “don’ts” and “do’s” allow us to rationalize and justify sin in our lives and become comfortable with a level of purity far below what we would accept if God, and God alone, were our standard. It has been said that:
Most Christians have just enough of the world in them to make them miserable at church, and just enough God in them to make them miserable out in the world.
What does it mean to be pure in heart?
- It means living an uncompromising life measured only to God’s standard ignoring what has been acceptable or “good” in the culture you live in.
- It means avoiding all comparison of your life to other people and measuring it only by God’s perfection.
- It means asking God continually through the Spirit to clearly reveal all areas of impurity in your life
- It means realizing that with our own human effort it is impossible to be pure and that only God Himself can impart purity that is acceptable in His eyes
- Think of that. God calls us to purity. God demands purity. But yet being the merciful and great God that He is, He freely blesses us with the very thing that He demands. This principle is true of everything God asks from us. Whatever He asks, He is the One who gives it to start with.
- It means continually living in God’s presence with a pure and fervent desire to be pure.
- It means being pure in motive. All pure acts are derived from pure motive. No act, no matter how apparently good, is worthwhile if our motives aren’t pure. The Master Surgeon will diagnose, reveal and remove impure motives if only we will make an appointment for an examination or surgery!
- It means engaging in self examination of our everyday life:
- What forms of impure entertainment do I enjoy?
- What impure clothing do I wear?
- What impure acts do I commit?
- What disciplines do I forsake that contribute to my less than pure standard of living?
- What impure words do I allow?
- What impurity in attitude is tolerated?
- What kind of impure behavior is rationalized because of circumstance?
- Do my friends and those I spend time with encourage and live a life of purity as well? Or do they feed my worldly desires and ambitions? Surround yourself with those people who consistently demonstrate the Godly qualities you should have.
- It means prayerfully engaging in self examination of our spiritual life:
- Is my worship impure?
- What impurity exists in my motives to serve God?
- What parts of my praying are not pure in God’s eyes?
- What “Christian” activities or habits fall short of God’s purity?
Becoming pure in heart is hard work. It requires continual diligence, effort, examination and sweat. We war with our flesh and it is not a mere skirmish. It is a World War for our heart and dedication to God. Praise God we already know who will ultimately win the War, but our duty today is to fight the daily battles. And fight we must. Purity on a practical daily level is not free, it is not cheap, it is not easily obtained; it is elusive, fleeting and fragile for the time being while we live in a sinful fallen world.
But the superior satisfaction of living a pure life in God’s eyes is not to be compared with the cheap thrills and pleasures this life has to offer.
Faith is the means by which we are purified. But what is faith? Apart from a 14 word description in Hebrews
Faith is our focus on God. It is like our eyes, always looking outward, incapable of looking back on itself. What your eyes focus on becomes what you have faith in. Focus on the world; put your faith in this world. Focus on God; your faith will be in Him.
Faith in God, focusing your eyes solely on Him will create purity in your life.
It is the only way, the proven way, the sure way, God’s way.
And blessed are those who are pure in heart….
For they shall see Heaven!
Lesson 7 Notes – Blessed Are The Pure In Heart
When we ARE this: |
It allows us to BE this: |
Poor in spirit |
Merciful. |
Mourning over our sin |
Pure in Heart. |
Meek and gentle |
Peacemakers. |
Hungry and thirsty |
Persecuted. |
The ________________ will see God. The pure in heart are those people who, through a broken spirit have reached out to God and seen the sad state of their sinfulness and the destruction it has caused.
The pure in heart are alive with the Spirit’s conscience allowing Him to purify everything act, every thought, every motive and every attitude.
There are different kinds of purity:
- Fundamental purity – ____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
- Secondary purity – ____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
- Recreated purity – ____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
- Accounted purity – ____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
- Practical purity – ____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Psalm 51:10 Create in me ___________________________________________.
Most Christians have ______________________________ in them to make them miserable
at church, and ____________________ in them to make them miserable out in the world.
2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved,
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, _____________________________ in the fear of God.
What does it mean to be pure in heart?
Faith in God, focusing your eyes _________________
It is the _________ way, the _________ way, the _________ way, _________
Lesson 7 – Group Discussion, Private Contemplation & Application
Group Discussion:
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Private Contemplation:
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Life Application Suggestions:
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