[Pastor Ralph]

Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?

[Tabatha]

Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?

(Psalm 119:9)
" How can a believer keep his heart pure? By keeping it according to The Word of God "

Therefore, one of the most important questions that we can ask is how can we be truly pure in our hearts and clean of filth and sin? How can we be pure in our imaginations, in our thoughts, in our words,in , in our decision making, and in our desires?How can we think what God thinks.will what God wills, desires, desire what God desires, hate what God hates, and love what God loves? In other words how can our hearts be pure hearts, free from sins like pride and envy, free from evil thoughts and evil deeds?

The truth is we can't do any of these things on our own. We can't reform ourselves. We can't self clean ourselves. Many people have tried to clean themselves. Some have tried to do this through as leading a life of complete self denial, or by other methods such as by going away from the world and living in solitude. or permanent silence. They have tried to cleanse themselves through celibacy. fasting, and prayers. But such asceticism is not biblical and it will not result in purity of heart.!

So the first point we must be aware of is this.
The path to a pure heart begins with the realization that we have impure hearts. The entire Bible revolves around the central theme that the Lord looks at the heart of the person and not at the external appearance, their behavior, or their achievements. The Lord does not acclaim education, intellect, businesss success, or social position, as the world does.

The Second point we must b aware of is God must clean us. God alone is able to make rotten people pure in their imaginationas, thoughts, words, deeds, and desires. The pure heart are those who are free from evil desires and evil purposes. So if God is the only one who can cleanse us,then how does He do it? Well, the bible tells us that God has a plan to deal with the problem of sin infected hearts. God has a plan to save us and make us Holy in thought and deed. And the plan is found in many places such as ( Romans 8:29 ) Here God tells us He wants " to conform us to the image and likeness of His Son" Thus God's plan is to make us like His own Son, like Jesus. His purpose is nothing less than that we be pure in heart just like Jesus Christ !

This Beatitude tell us if we are pure in heart then we will see God. The reward for this beatitude is truly marvelous because when the believer becomes pure in heart, not only will they see God as they pass into heaven immediately upon death,But they will see God right now, not with their natural eyes, but through their spiritual vision, through their faith in Jesus Christ. For the pure in heart will see God in all His Glory in every single thing that they see. To the pure in heart. God will become extremely visible!

[Rosemary NoVA]

Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?

When I think on a 'pure heart' I am reminded of offering the heart as Jesus' throne. Also, the scripture/song, "Create in me a pure heart O God / Let me be like you in all your ways" & Psalm 24 "Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in the holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart" and one more comes to mind, "Search me o God, and know my heart..."

These "heart" scriptures reveal how to grow in intimacy with God. I believe the condition of a "chronic sinner" is one of a precious child who has not yet learned to submit to God. She has not yet learned to trust God more than she trusts her own determinations and whims in that area.
Jesus has been asked to save, but has yet to be given Lordship in the area of the chronic sin.
I believe obtaining a pure or clean heart is the work of the Holy Spirit in a submitted life.

A pure & clean heart is the result of a prayer life where the sheep is:
quiet before the Master and receives His rest ("Come away with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" Mark 6:30);
feeding on the Word of God,
seeking & receiving the Shepherd's healing touch &
participating in the life of the Body of Christ as he/she is equiped by the Holy Spirit.

[Elwood C O'Dell]

Only Christ, through His cleansing blood which He shed on Calvary, can make our heart pure. He died for this very reason. Sin in our heart hinders our relationship with God. In fact the one who sins will die. But when we seek Him with all our heart, truly believe on Him and truly desire that He live and reign within, we can through Him have that purity of heart which Christ speaks about. One must come to the place Paul spoke about when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself on my behalf.” (Gal. 2:20 MKJV) Purity of heart is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

[Roxanne]

[quote name='Pastor Ralph' date='Dec 19 2007, 10:41 PM' post='32175']
Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?

BECAUSE BY CHRIST DYING WE ARE MADE PURE,....WE TRULY BELIEVE HIM ANDS THAT HE CAN DO ABOVE AND BEYOND ANYTHING.....BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SEE PAST THIER SINNERS THEY ARE BLINDED BY THIER SIN.....BY LIVING GOD'S WORD.

[VollieFireman]

What a difficult question to answer. As a sinful people, we do not have a pure heart. Nor will we have a pure heart, because we will always sin. However, as we grow older and learn more, we can start to have a more pure heart. As was stated, doing God’s will fully, being devoted as God’s servant. Will we be able to see God? Yes, we will for as we grow more dependent on the Father and less on ourselves, we become more devoted to his will.

Who are “chronic” sinners? If you think back at the Mosaic times, all people were sinners. There was over 600 laws that needed to be kept. Violation of just one law meant you were guilty of them all. Only one man was able to keep the law, and he died for all our sins. If you define “chronic” as doing the same sin over and over again, then they are not repentant. If they commit different sins, but then repent from that sin and not commit the same sin, then they are not “chronic” even though they still commit sin.

We can obtain a pure or clean heart by fully committing to God’s will. Following His plan and trusting what He can do, and will do. Only by being fully devoted to God, will we have a pure heart. In the materialistic world that we live in, this is very difficult to do.

[Patricia Borg]

Oh! At last i did figure ou how to write without quoting someone else. I'm new to such forums and had to get aquainted first. Ok I think chronic sinners cannot see God because "chronic" means that one is still into himself and not seeking God at all. Jesus is always there, but we can be blind. It's very simple to say and more tricky to act upon it, but all we need is to appreciate His presence and seek to love Him desperately. We find help along the way and a heart that's pure can be achieved even if not to the fullest like God Himself. I'm positive and I wish so many others see what I see from Jesus. His heart is tender waiting for us to look upon Him and everything will follow from then on. It wouldn't start perfectly right away; that's a lifetime journey but attainable each day. Don't leave for tomorrows. He's here, right now.

[charisbarak]

Those with pure hearts--who have confessed their sins and have a right relationship with God daily, can see, know & discern God, because this is part of our relationship with Him.

Those who choose to sin--as a life style--may not even be saved. If our relationship with God is clogged by unconfessed sin, we won't see Him. He is too holy.


God alone gives us clean/pure hearts--he gives us new hearts. We need to work on keeping our relationship open to Him and allowing Him to continually cleanse us.

[UncleBlake]

Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?

People with a pure heart see God because of the purity itself. Purity is the Holiness of God, people without that purity cannot see God because of the corruption that blinds us. It's sort of like when after a heavy snow, it warms a bit, and starts to melt, things get horridly muddy, the windshield of your car becomes caked with mud and dirt. What once was clear has become clouded, you cannot see. We obtain a pure, or clean heart by simply asking God. Putting it all at the feet of Jesus, trusting that He will take care of it all, and relying on the promise He made.

[allyntown]

Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?

ANSWER:
Because those with pure hearts have nothing clouding their view of God. Chronic sinners live in darkness. They cannot nor do they WANT to see their sin. God lives in light and is the Light. The bible says "in Him there is no darkness." As long as we live in darkness we will not see God.

We obtain this clean or pure heart by living in the light of God. When we live in His light every dark area of our heart will be lit and we can deal with those dark areas. Once they have been cleaned they will be pure and it is up to us to keep them pure by staying in the will of God.

[JanMary]

[quote name='Pastor Ralph' date='Dec 20 2007, 02:41 AM' post='32175']
Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?
[/quote

Chronic sinners, live in darkness, wearing blinders which shut out the "Light". That was the street I lived on, until I began to hunger & thirst after God. Suddenly, when I met my Savior, the blinders came off, and I blinked in the brightness of His Love and wondered how I could have lived for 30 years, blind to His creation and His work all around me! Suddenly, a sunset or baby or beautiful deer would move me to tears, or take my breath away. Not only was I a new creature, I had new eyes to see Him and His creation.

When His blood had cleansed my heart of hardness and sin, It was as if the "receptors" had rusted over,and were suddenly resurfaced and I was able to perceive and discern Him...like the laser eye on my stereo which has gotten dusty, and is unable to "read" the C.D.'s I try to play....That's my analogy at the moment. (I'm a visual learner, so I love analogies I can visualize)
Until the laser eye is cleaned, I won't be able to hear any music. His blood is the cleaner, which purified me at salvation, and which continues to cleanse and purify me every day as I confess my sin and receive His forgivess.

[JanMary]

[quote name='Pastor Ralph' date='Dec 20 2007, 02:41 AM' post='32175']
Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?
[/quote

Chronic sinners, live in darkness, wearing blinders which shut out the "Light". That was the street I lived on, until I began to hunger & thirst after God. Suddenly, when I met my Savior, the blinders came off, and I blinked in the brightness of His Love and wondered how I could have lived for 30 years, blind to His creation and His work all around me! Suddenly, a sunset or baby or beautiful deer would move me to tears, or take my breath away. Not only was I a new creature, I had new eyes to see Him and His creation.

When His blood had cleansed my heart of hardness and sin, It was as if the "receptors" had rusted over,and were suddenly resurfaced and I was able to perceive and discern Him...like the laser eye on my stereo which has gotten dusty, and is unable to "read" the C.D.'s I try to play....That's my analogy at the moment. (I'm a visual learner, so I love analogies I can visualize)
Until the laser eye is cleaned, I won't be able to hear any music. His blood is the cleaner, which purified me at salvation, and which continues to cleanse and purify me every day as I confess my sin and receive His forgivess.

[Stan]

Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?

Because Jesus sent His Spirit to live in their hearts the first time they cried out to Him, as the Spirit enters their heart they are given an unquenchable thirst for more of the knowledge of Christ and the Father this thirst purifies their heart and draws them near their God who blesses them with mercy and grace that only He can give.

Chronic sinners are caught up in their desire for the world and the things that it deems important lost to the need to love and come to the knowledge of the all powerful God who created them.

The clean heart that Jesus describes is only given by the Spirit of Christ as we seek and search after His righteousness. He come to live in our hearts and gives us the strength to grow and come to a fuller understanding of the things that should be important in our lives replacing the desires of the world. He forgives our sin and purifies us from all unrighteousness.

[JustJeff]

The answer to the first two parts of this question are the same. God is wholely holy and without holiness no one can see Him. Those who seek Him with all their heart, a pure heart will find Him. Simply put, those who live in sin cannot have a relationship with the Lord. Those that truly want Him will cease from sin. Again, a pure heart comes to those who honestly want to walk the walk, as led by the Holy Spirit.

[Loisb]

Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?

1. If you live by the Word of God and pattern your life after him, you will be able to see him. You can develop a close relationship with God by praying and reading His Word and you won't have time to think about the evil in this world.

2. "Chronic" sinners can't see God because their heart is filled with the things of the world. No matter how hard you try to show them things of righteousness, they don't understand, because their heart has been hardened.

3. You must go to God and ask him to purge the corruption of your heart and make it pure.

[masika]

Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?
God wants us to be pure and clean up our behavior when we begin a new life with Him.
If we want to see God, then we are to follow and obey what the Word Of God tells.
Sinners can see God only if they leave their sinful life and turn to God in repentance.
We obtain clean heart once we repent and turn to God in truth. .

[sisterlily]

Good morning, at a bible study last nite I mention that descernment and how it ispossible, it comes with the relationship we have with God. He allows us to see through His eyes and be able to tell the differencefrom the world. You must be trusting in our Lord and in constant prayer with Him thats hoew it works, a personal relationship. People that do not commit themselves to God will not receive from God blessings that He promises us who not only believe but endure, amen enjoy the snow day and keep God first.

[lulu 1931]

As we strive for a pure heart, we must first confess our sins..then live with the fact that Jesus was sent to us and died on the cross for us to forgive our sins.We need to love from the heart and follow in his footsteps.
Chronic sinners will not see God for they have not yet accepted the fact that they have sinned...so they have not asked for forgiveness.
We need to work every moment of our lives to follow Jesus's teaching,love from our hearts and souls,and trust in him..















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[June]

They have been delivered...They show mercy and do not judge others. When we act like God, we receive His Blessings. When we are aware of our own needs, then we can help others. By not compromising and not being wishy-washy in our faith and doing only as Jesus did. We must repent and ask forgiveness of God and have Him cleanse us. We must have the same attitude of heart as God.

[PATJOE]

Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?

Only those who love and trust God with their very lives, will ask Him to purify their hearts and cleanse them. God will then make them pure again and give them the holy vision of God. Chronic sinners who deny God's presence, will never ask Him for their cleansing, and will never be given the opportunity by God to behold the vision of Him on their own.