Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8

As with the other beatitudes, we must first acknowledge that no mere human being has a pure heart. Romans 3:9-19 summarizes the teaching of the whole scripture concerning the purity of the sinful human heart. There is none, no not one!

Based on that, it is clear that the blessing of purity of heart is not a reward for having a pure heart. It is the blessing of receiving a pure heart by God’s grace alone, received through faith alone, in Christ Jesus alone. Only He has a pure Heart, but He graciously gives those who trust in Him new hearts that are pure as His heart is pure.

Wait a minute! The redeemed still sin! Yes, but according to Romans 6 and 7, the sinful people the elect were as children of Adam, died on the cross with Jesus and rose incorruptible with Jesus (Romans 6:3-10). As a result, the new creatures we are in Christ do not continue sin. The sin that saved people commit is because of the vestiges of sin that remain in us (Romans 7:17) even though we are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:18 & 22).

What has this to do with pure hearts? The first blessing is receiving the gracious gift of a pure heart when we were born again. The second blessing is that, having received a pure heart by virtue of being “in Christ,” we shall see God when we are glorified.

Don’t forget the Old Testament blessing of having God’s face shining on us. The fulfillment of that blessing is that we will at least see His face. We will see what we cannot see until we are glorified. We shall with pure hearts see the unimaginably beautiful face of God. What glory that will be!