HOW TO BE HAPPY Blessed are the Pure Matthew 5:8 Cooper Abrams

INTRO:

        1. A well known Bible commentator said that, "Some truths in the Bible we can readily understand and transmit. But there are other things that seem like bottomless pits; the breadth of some truths are difficult to encompass. Matthew 5:8 is one such truth....it is difficult to begin to explain the passage in one brief lesson, because it stretches over everything else that is revealed in Scripture. The matter of a pure heart is dealt with from beginning of the Bible to the end."



       Let us look at the context of the Sermon on the Mount and see why Jesus stated this truth.



        2. Historically the spiritual condition of the Jews was that they were weak being dominated by the Pharisees who had changed the Word of God to fit their selfish and prideful ends. Further they controlled the people with their oppressive authority having set themselves up as God's representatives dictating to the people what they claimed was God's instructions. They set themselves up as the authorities on God. If you disagreed with them....you were disagreeing with God. Live a godly and pure heart under these circumstances was a burden, not a joy. It honored no one because although they made a show of being pure, they were not and they knew it. They certainly by their self-righteous ways did not honor the Lord.



        It was a legalistic system that required obedience to what it dictated. The Word of God was perverted to suit there ends. It was impossible to live it, yet they outwardly put on a show of doing so. For example they would stand in the streets and pray long and loud prayers. Jesus condemned their public behavior and said when you pray go into your closet.



        The people were confused and desperate. They were under a heavy guilt of not being able to keep the law. Their false religious system offered them no hope or relief.

        John the Baptist, had appeared and began to preach "repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand." The people were looking for a Messiah and John had a great following. They saw in the promised Messiah relief from the oppression of the Romans with their high taxes and paganism. The Jews were not crying for another rabbi, with more rules, but for a Savior to deliver them.



a. They had the promise of God. Ezekiel. 36:25-32. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

God promised to make them clean, give them a new heart (v26) bless them (v2-30). It was their hope for deliverance.



David knew of God's forgiveness, Psalm 32:2, "Happy is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity."



b. The Pharisees religious system tested their spiritual standing by comparing themselves to other people.



In Luke 18:11, Jesus referred to the sin of the Pharisess and their self-righteousnees when He described the Pharisees prayer, "God, (he prayed) I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector."
However, the publican, saw himself as the sinner he was and his response was, "And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." (Luke 18:13)


c. Because he was a hypocrite he looked for someone who he thought was worst than he was and made that his standard. One can always find someone who we are better than.



What a trick of the devil. What does this mean? It means the worst person on earth the most despicable fellow is the ultimate standard the world judges itself be. "I'm better than he is! Therefore I not so bad...right?"



They reasoning was I think God ought to be pleased with me, why I'm better that Hitler or some mass murderer. So because I'm better that the worst of humanity I'm fit for heaven!



Not a lot has changed today. People are still making the same soul damning old mistakes. Like the Jews most people listen to the modern Pharisees and let them set their standards.



d. God's standard is quite different.



1 Peter 1:16 "Be ye Holy, for I am holy."



Matt 5:48, "Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect."



That is the standard!



e. Matthew 5:8, says "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they "alone" shall see God." The word "they" is Greek word "autoi" It is in the nominative case which is the case of designation. Thus the verse is saying "they alone" shall see God.



QUESTION? Who is going to enter the kingdom of God? Who will be saved? Who is fit to enter God's presence?



ANSWER: Only those who are pure in heart, they will be the only one's to see God.



I. How then can I be pure in heart?



A. "Pure" is the Greek word "kath-ar-i-zo," and means to "cleanse from filth and iniquity." In other words to be free from sin.



1. Did you know that "morality" can damn a man's soul the same as vice or evil deeds?



Think: The sin of the Pharisees was not doing evil it was in fact, making an outward show of doing good. They were not bad people, crimmals but were outwardly morally pure. They were proud of themselves and looked down on everyone else. Their morality, was in fact a sin to them.
On a personal note. I know that some do not like it when I preach against sin. I know that some will not come to church here because I am the pastor and I preach the whole counsel of God's word....which includes preaching against in the lives of those who attend here. Many preachers under this pressure avoid it. In some ways I envy them....but I cannot be unfaithful to the Lord who called me to be His preacher. I had a misguided professor in college who told us to always preach positive messages and be successful. Can I tell you it is personally a heart wretching matter for me to have people offended at me because I tried to tell them God's truth and help them overcome sin and its destructive influence their lives, their family, relatives and friends. I can name several who came for a time and left. I honestly try to preach and teach God's word with compassion and not with a condemning spirit. I try so very hard to be tactful in preaching God's truth. Yet, some are offended.


2. You can sink a vessel just as easy with gold as with dirt.



B. God is asking us to obtain that which is impossible for us to obtain...to be pure.



1. Why then is that the standard, and the requirement of God? How can He ask us to be pure when we all know that we are sinners. We do wrong and we fail all the time. In fact the Bible says:



"There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become un profitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Rom. 3:10-18).



Verse 23 states, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

That dear friend is what God says about us and it is certainly a dark and hopeless picture of man.

a. You cannot make yourself pure! Proverbs 20:9, "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" The answer is rhetorical: NO ONE!!



b. Jeremiah 13:23 says, "Can the Ethiopian change the color of his skin, or the leopard his spots? May you also do good, that are accustomed to evil?"



2. The bottom line is this: man is born a sinner lost in sin. Man sins because it is his nature to sin.



Man then is guilty before God and like the convicted criminal can not free himself of the debt he owes God. He can not go back and undo what he has done? It stands and can not be changed by the man.



C. There is an answer to this dilemma comes from God Himself. God says I can make you pure and righteous.



1 John. 1:7, "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His son, cleanseth us from all sin."



It is hard to give the steering wheel to someone else, and let them direct our life. Yet, that is the where saving faith is proved and exercised. Saving faith trusts God and submits to Him. It is a life time commitment to let God run your life.



God is saying to us, "I want a heart that is trusting me to do what is necessary to satisfy God."



Folks this is first! Once you trust God to do what for you what you cannot do for yourself, He will do it. He will forgive, cleanse you from sin and in His own eyes declare you righteous.



You must want to be pure and in that admit that you are a sinner.



So many people misunderstand this simply truth of the Gospel. You can not make your heart pure by doing good works, and it is not necessary.




In God's plan of salvation, His instruction book does not say anywhere you can merit or earn your salvation. Only God is Holy and Righteous and the only source of the same. If a man or woman would be pure it must come from God.



He simply says, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved."



Trust me the Lord says, because in truth am only I can make you pure. I have the books and record of your life. I am in charge of them I made them and called them into being, I am God your Creator, I want erase the slate and make it clean!



D. Next, you need to read God's word and pray.

I suppose sometimes people get tired of hearing their preachers tell them that they should pray and read God's Word. It is offensive to many and many preaches have quit preaching this. I also know that preaching on sin can be done in such a way that it discourages people. Yet, if we see it as God does we understand that with every warning and condemnation of sin God always offers free forgiveness and a sure hope. His message is not that we remain under any condemnation, but rather that we would be free from sins destruction in our lives. The true preachers must realize that is God's ultimate message....forgiveness of sin and righteousness if offered by our loving God.



Yet, if they are true to their called they will teach the Word of God which says, John 15:3, "You are clean through the Word."



QUESTION? Who can make a clean thing out of an unclean one? ONLY GOD CAN and God has chosen to instruct us in righteousness by His written word.



2 Tim. 3:16-17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."



Jesus said in John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."



So many Christians have believed and been saved and they remain a babies because they do not know the Word of God. They try to figure out how to live their lives using their wisdom instead of seeking the God's instructions that are the only correct way to live. God has our best interest at heart and will never mislead us. He was is best and saves us from a mountain of heartache and trouble.



E. What is the promise for a pure heart.



"They shall see God." The grammatical structure of the phrase says, "They shall "continuously see God for themselves."



Want to see God? Let God purify your heart!



II. How can I have a pure heart?



A. First a person must accept by faith Jesus Christ as one's Savior and Lord.

1. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."



2. This verse can be a source of comfort or a stern warning from God of the consequences of rejecting and not believing in the Lord Jesus.



3. The verse says God loves the world, meaning you and I and that if we believe on Him we will have everlasting life.



4. It also tells us that those who do not believe will perish. That means as the Bible explains...people who reject God will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire as Revelation 20:11-15 explains.



5. Verse 17-19, says, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (John 3:17-20)



a. We are born sinners when we reach the age of accountability we sin and are responsible for it.

b. Most men reject God because they like their sin. They maybe want a little religion, but do not want God making too many demands on them. They want heaven, but are often not much interested in the holiest of heaven and righteousness of God.



B. Yet, God says "He that believeth on him is not condemned."

1. He proclaims that, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."



2. That's God's promise. That means if you believe right now you can be instantly made pure in God's eyes and receive eternal life.





C. After one is saved we have the ability to be pure because we have the Holy Spirit who indwells us and gives us the very nature of God. We can live godly lives because of God's presence in our lives.



1. Does this mean I will never sin any more? The answer is no, because God says in 1 John 1:8 and 10:



"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. . . . If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."



Therefore how can the Christian live godly and pure.



2. The answer is found between verses 8 and 10.



"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."



3. God has made provision for us that if we confess our sins to Him, He not only forgives, but he helps us to overcome the sin, to cleanse us from it that we would commit that sin no more.



CONCLUSION:



The matter rests on two things:



1. For the person who has never believed and truly places their faith in Jesus Christ. Only by accepting God's forgiveness can a person be made pure in God's eyes.



Lets look at Romans 5:17-21



17 "For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

20 Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.



Did you note verse 18? "So by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinner, so by obedience of one shall many be made righteous."



Who are the "many" who will be made righteous? Those that acknowledging their sin, repent and in faith put their trust in Jesus Christ to forgive them and make them clean in God's sight.



2. For the Christian God says in 1 Timothy 6:11 "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness."



Whose standard will you chose this morning? We can chose the world's standard and justify ourselves saying there are certainly worse people than we are. Or we can accept God's instructions and only true standard...that being God Himself.

We can seek to make ourselves righteous or we can let God make us pure.



What well we do this morning? Will we let God make us pure and thereby "see" God. What a blessing if we would all fully, as God desires, see Him and experience all the blessings that surely brings.



7-13-08