The pure in heart

1
The pure in heart

• Kingdom Attitudes a series on Mat 5

2
So far.progressive demands

• See self as needy and desperate

3
So far.progressive demands

• See self as needy and desperate
• Be gentle and not self seeking
• amazed that God and man can think of him as
  well as they do and treat him as well as they
  do. MLJ
• Passionately desire righteousness
• Show mercy to others

4
So far.progressive demands

• See self as needy and desperate
• Be gentle and not self seeking
• Passionately desire righteousness
• Show mercy to others
• Be pure in heart

5
Why?....progressive rewards

• Theirs is the Kingdom of heaven
• Belonging now and in the future
• Comfort
• The God of all comfort, who comforts us in all
  our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort
  those who are in any affliction, with the comfort
  with which we ourselves are comforted by
  God..(2 Corinthians 13-10, ESV)
• He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and
  death shall be no more, neither shall there be
  mourning nor crying nor pain anymore (Re 214,
  ESV).

6
Why?....progressive rewards

• Theirs is the Kingdom of heaven
• Comfort
• Inherit the earth
• A man who is truly meek is always satisfied, he
  isalready content MLJ
• All things are yours (1 Co 321)
• I have learned in whatever situation I am to be
  content. I know how to be brought low, and I know
  how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I
  have learned the secret of facing plenty and
  hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things
  through him who strengthens me. (Php 411-13).

7
Why?....progressive rewards

• Theirs is the Kingdom of heaven
• Comfort
• Inherit the earth
• For I consider that the sufferings of this
  present time are not worth comparing with the
  glory that is to be revealed to us. For the
  creation waits with eager longing for the
  revealing of the sons of God. (Romans 818-19)
• And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are you
  to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you
  were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people
  for God from every tribe and language and people
  and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and
  priests to our God, and they shall reign on the
  earth. (Revelation 59-10)
• Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the
  first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
  and the sea was no more. (Revelation 211)

8
Why?....progressive rewards

• Theirs is the Kingdom of heaven
• Comfort
• Inherit the earth and be
• satisfied
• Be shown mercy
• See God
• All now but not yet

9
To See God

• THE desire of men
• The task of the preacher and theologian to show
  God
• Yet No one has ever seen God (John 118)
• ..man shall not see me and live. (Ex 320)
• Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may
  stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands
  and a pure heart. (Ps 243-4)

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Pure in heart

• Not the beating organ!
• Nor simply emotions
• Emotional, intellectual and volitional centre of
  mans being and personalitythe source of their
  every activity
• Instincts and passions
• Pure means unadulterated, clean and fixed

11
A pure heart?

• The heart is deceitful above all things and
  beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD
  search the heart and examine the mind (Jer
  179-10, NIV)

12
A pure heart?

• For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder,
  adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false
  testimony, slander.(Mt 1519)

13
How to get a pure heart

• Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a
  steadfast spirit within me.Do not cast me from
  your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
  (Ps 5110-11)
• Having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a
  guilty conscience (Heb 1022)
• O Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be
  saved. (Jer 414)
• Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your
  hearts, you double-minded. (James 48,ESV)

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How to get a clean heart

• Prayer for God to purify me
• The word of God
• Christ loved the church and gave himself up for
  her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed
  her by the washing of water with the word (Eph
  525-27)
• Challenging the ideas of the world which pollute
  us.
• Do not let the world squeeze you into its mould
  but be transformed by the renewal of your mind
  (Ro 122)
• Being with Gods people

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Our glorious future
.
.

• "Beloved, we are Gods children now, and what we
  will be has not yet appeared but we know that
  when he appears we will be like him, because we
  shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus
  hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure." (1
  John 32-3, ESV)