THE BEATITUDES

LESSON SIX
The pure in heart.
Memorize Mt 5:8 with proper punctuation.

You will need it for both the section test as well as for the Final Test.

Matthew 5:8
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

A. Definitions: “pure.”

1. Secular definitions.

a. General:

1) Free from mixture or contact with that which weakens, impairs, or pollutes;

containing no foreign or vitiating (contaminating) material.

2) Free from moral defilement; innocent; chaste; unsullied.

b. Music.

1) Mathematically correct as to intervals.

2) Free from harsh quality in tone.

c. Metaphorically:

(Considered apart from its attributes or from concrete experience, abstract.)

d. “Pure,” derived from < Latin, “purus,” meaning clean.

e. Clean. (F&W)

1) Free from dirt, impurity, or defilement; unblemished; pure.

2) Having no imperfection; complete; perfect; whole.

2. Bible definitions.

a. Gk kaqaroi from kaqaroV(on) (katharos or katharon), meaning pure, clean, sincere,

unfeigned, upright, virtuous, void of evil.

b. A thumbnail definition from the Bible would be, “spotlessly clean,” generally of things and
always of people, and made that way by God and His Word.

Examples:

1) Acts 20:26 “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I [am]

pure (kaqaroV) from the blood of all [men]. “

:27 “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel

of God.”

They should have been spotlessly clean because Paul had left no spot uncleaned.

Nevertheless, Paul himself was “pure,” (spotlessly clean) from their blood because

he had done his part and declared unto them “all the counsel of God.”

2) Ro 14:20 “For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed [are]

pure; but [it is] evil for that man who eateth with offence. “

The meat is spotlessly clean. Only certain kinds of use of it can dirty it.

3) Other uses of the word in scripture:

I Tim 1:5 “... charity out of a pure heart.”

3:9 “... a pure conscience.”

II Tim 1:3 “... pure conscience.”

2:22 “... a pure heart.”

Ti 1:15 “Unto the pure all things [are] pure: but unto them that are defiled

and unbelieving [is] nothing pure; but even their mind and

conscience is defiled.”

Heb 10:22 “... pure water...”

Jas 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled...”

I Pet 1:22 “... a pure heart...”

Rev 15:6 “... clothed in pure and white linen...”

Rev 21:18 “... the city was pure gold...”

Rev 21:21 “... street of the city was pure gold...”

Rev 22:1 “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,

proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. “

4) Use in Matthew of derivatives of the word.

                    a) Mt 8:2, 3
                            In these two verses a derivative of the word is used concerning the
                        cleansing of a leper by Christ. (Leprosy is also a biblical "type" for sin.)

b) Mt 23:25, 26

In these two verses the same derivative is used by Christ to rebuke the
Pharisees concerning their lack of internal, (heart, spiritual, etc.) cleanness.

They were all show and no substance.

                    c) Mt 27:59
                           In this verse the derivative word describes the linen cloth that Jesus was
                        buried in as clean, i.e., unsoiled.

Now compare this with the righteousness of the saints which in Rev 19:8, 14,
is symbolized by, “clean,” white linen.

c. Now contrast this word kaqaroV (katharos), and its derivatives, with agnoV

(hagnos) meaning, innocent, modest, perfect, which is also translated in the
KJV as chaste, clean, or pure.

Phil 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are]

honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure ,

whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if

[there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.”

I Tim 5:22 “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other

men's sins: keep thyself pure.”

Jas 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To

visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself

unspotted from the world.”

Jas 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure , then peaceable,

gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without

partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

I Jn 3:3 “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as

he is pure .”

d. Now contrast kaqaroV (katharos) and its derivatives with the word eilikrinh
(aylikrinay) from eilh (helay) (the Sun’s ray) meaning, judged by sunlight,

                    i.e., tested as genuine; trans. pure or sincere.
                     This was the practice of taking pottery, statuary, paintings or other crafted pieces out
                  into the sunlight in order to see imperfections that otherwise might be hidden to the eye.
                     Note the crack across the back end of the bull and extending from there down toward
                   the right on the urn in the picture to the right.

II Pet 3:1 “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in [both] which

I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:”

3. Comparison. In our text verse, Mt 5:8, it is now clear, after seeing the other words and

derivatives, that God is not talking about something that is merely clean as in “chaste,

             innocent, genuine, or sincere.” (Phil; I Tim; Jas; I Jn; and II Pet You have already read
             the references.) Instead, He is talking about a heart that is “spotlessly clean,” which can only
             be brought about by means of God and/or His Word.

image.

B. What then does God mean by the phrase, “... pure in heart...?”

1. If we combine the definitions given earlier, we can come up with a usable meaning.

Pure, as in:

a. Free from mixture or contact with that which weakens, impairs, or pollutes;

containing no foreign or vitiating (contaminating) material.

b. Free from moral defilement; innocent; chaste; unsullied.

c. Free from harsh quality.

d. Considered, metaphorically, apart from its attributes or from concrete experience.

(In other words, nothing we can do can bring about this purity.)

e. Free from dirt, impurity, or defilement; unblemished; pure.

f. Having no imperfections; complete; perfect; whole.

2. Summary: A heart that is absolutely and spotlessly clean, whole, perfect, and

undefiled. A pure heart brought about by no action or inherent attribute of our own.

3. I don’t know about you, but not even the slightest part of that definition applies to my

heart in its natural condition!

4. My heart fits right in with the bunch mentioned in God’s statement in Jeremiah.

Jer 17:9 “The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who

can know it?”

C. How do I get this “pure” heart?

1. We have already found that it is not based on what I, or you, can do in this life. Our

wicked hearts make that an impossibility.

2. There is, however, hope in these kinds of impossible situations because our God is a

God that delights in being the God of the impossible.

(Mt ch. 19; Mk ch. 10; Lk chs. 1 & 18; et al. These again are just chapters for reference.
You don't have to read them if you don't want to.)

Mk 10:26 "And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves,

Who then can be saved?"

Mk 10:27 "And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men [it is] impossible,

but not with God: for with God all things are possible."

Ezek 36:25 “... ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your

idols, will I cleanse you.”

Ezek 36:26 “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.”

Ezek 36:27 "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]."

Ezek 36:29 "I will also save you from all your uncleannesses..."

Jas 1:21 "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and

receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls."

Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of [ his ] glory, and the express image of his

person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by

himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;"

Heb 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal

Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from

dead works to serve the living God?"

Jas 4:8 "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your]

hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded.”

I Jn 1:7 "But 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.”

C. Purity and righteousness, God’s view and Man’s view.

1. God’s view is in Romans, I Cor, and I Jn, among many other books and verses.
(You need not read these whole book references because you will read specific verses below)

This is how God sees us:

a. Ro 6:17 “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin , but ye have

obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”

Ro 6:18 “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of

righteousness.”

Ro 6:20 “20 For when ye were the servants of sin , ye were free from

righteousness. “

Ro 6:22 “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God,

ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.“

Ro 7:17 “Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

Ro 7:20 “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin

that dwelleth in me.”

I Cor 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are

sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus,

and by the Spirit of our God.“

I Jn 3:9 “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed

remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

b. In God’s eyes we are pure, in Christ, by the Holy Spirit.

2. Man’s view is in James. (This is how other people, and even we ourselves, see us.)

I call this man’s view, but is it just man’s view? After all God wrote it.

Jas 2:14 “What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath

faith, and have not works? can faith save him?“

Jas 2:17 “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”

Jas 2:20 “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

3. God and man, a combined view.

a. Jas 2:20 “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works

is dead?”

b. Mt 7:16 “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of

thorns, or figs of thistles?”

Mt 7:17 “Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt

tree bringeth forth evil fruit.”

Mt 7:18 “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt

tree bring forth good fruit.”

Mt 7:19 “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down,

and cast into the fire.”

Mt 7:20 “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

Gal 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,

that shall he also reap.”

Gal 6:8 “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;

but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.“

I Jn 3:7 “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness

is righteous, even as he is righteous.”

            4. The trap of “easy believism.”
                a. The Pentacostals, Assemblies of God, Church of Christ, Church of God In Christ, Catholics,
                    and probably 99% of the other churches today, both Christian and non-Christian accuse
                    us Baptists of “easy believism." Westcott and Hort even called us “perverted.”

b. Many times, to an outsider, our preaching misleads people into thinking that’s what we

believe.

c. We spend so much time, and rightfully so, preaching “Grace,” that they fail to understand

that we place the works part under “Separation,” where it belongs, and not under

“Salvation,” which is where they place it.

It is easy to understand why they misunderstand, since most of them have

adopted so many of the world’s traits and habits that “Separation,” is no longer

a doctrine that holds much sway over them. Therefore, they lump works under

“Salvation,” where it does not belong, and then accuse us of “easy believism.”

d. Although Salvation and Separation are two different doctrines, God doesn’t

separate them quite so far apart as we Baptists tend to do. He holds them as

two inextricably intertwined and inseparable “Siamese Twins.” Two separate

entities, yes, but sharing much between themselves.

e. Now stay with me. I’m not teaching Salvation by works; but I am trying to make

a point concerning, “... the pure in heart...” from our text verse, Mt 5:8.

f. There are two words at work, ”effectual” and “indicator.”

1) Effectual: definition; (F&W) possessing or exercising adequate power to

produce a designed effect; completely efficient; efficacious.

a) God’s grace through the faith that He gives us, and that we exercise, is all

that is necessary for our Salvation.

b) We will be, “... pure in heart...” and shall, “... see God,” strictly by the

effectual faith, given to us by God’s grace, through the power of the gospel

of Jesus Christ. (Ro 1:16; Eph 2:8-9)

2) The second word is, “indicator,” defined (F&W) as, that which indicates or

points out.
We will now apply these definitions, especially the second one, indicator, to our study.

                        a) You can look at a person’s life, and I am talking about their life as a whole and
                            not just small parts, single facets, or, if you will, little snippets of it, and tell if they are
                            really saved, i.e., whether they are truly, “... pure in heart...”

II Cor 6:17 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye

separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing];

and I will receive you,”

II Cor 6:18 “And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my

sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Titus 2:14 “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from

all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous

of good works.”

I Jn 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in

darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:”

I Jn 1:7 “But 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.”

I Cor 6:9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the

kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor

idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of

themselves with mankind,”

I Cor 6:10 “Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,

nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

I Cor 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye

are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus,

and by the Spirit of our God.”

b) You can look at a person’s persistent and consistent works and tell if they are saved;
i.e., if they are truly, “... pure in heart...”

Mt 7:20 “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

Gal 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man

soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Gal 6:8 “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap

corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit

reap life everlasting.“

I Jn 3:7 “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth

righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.”

c) Others, as well as ourselves, can tell if we are truly saved. This is done by

simply examining our life and our works in it.

D. Both God and Man expect your pure heart to show!

1. Let’s not confuse the “Siamese twin,” doctrines of Salvation and Separation. They are separate.

2. But let us also not attempt to separate them quite so far apart either.

3. They are inextricably intertwined one with the other.

4. In fact, God says that one without the other is dead.

Jas 2:20 “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

               Meaning that a faith without works is a dead faith; it is not a living faith capable of being a
            channel for God's grace which bring us Salvation and eternal life. (Eph 2:8-9)
        5. Question. Is a supposed accomplishment without an indicator an observable fact?

            a. Is someone who says they can fly by flapping their arms stating a true fact,
                 especially in the light of our knowledge which has taught us from past
                 observation that it is impossible for a human being to fly? Do we believe
                 them just on their word? No! They have to prove it is true and the only way
                            they can do that is to do it. They will have to fly (observably in the past,
                 present, or future) by flapping their arms in order to make us believe that
                 what they say is truth.
           b. Can someone who says they believe in God and are following Him, as Hitler

                 stated he was, be telling the truth? No! By his fruit, the slaughter of six
                 million Jews, God’s chosen nation, you can tell that he was a liar. Contrary
                 to what he stated, his actions proved that what he claimed, no matter how
                 adamantly he claimed it, was just not the truth.
            c. Can someone who claims to be a Christian constantly flaunt the rules set down
                 in God’s Bible against cursing, lying, cheating, stealing, smoking (killing them-

                 selves), dancing (flaunting your body publicly and enticing members of the opposite sex
                 who are not your spouse), drinking, not attending church like God commands in Hebrews,
                 not tithing, not reading their Bible, taking dope, committing adultery and/or fornication,

etc.; i.e., dressing, talking, walking, and acting exactly like this world that’s totally given

over to the Devil? Are they really, “...pure in heart..?” Do you really believe it, do they
really believe it, more important does God believe they are pure in heart? Can they act like

that and truly be saved?

d. Absolutely not!
They will not see God in anything other than judgment and condemnation?

Gal 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man

soweth, that shall he also reap.”

6. Summary:

a. Effectual grace, resulting in Salvation, is always observable; i.e., it will have an

indicator, which is good works.

b. Likewise, effectual purity of heart from God is always observable.

It too will have the same indicator, good works.

7. What you do in the flesh shows what you are in the spirit.

8. The two, Salvation by Grace and Works in the flesh, are inseparable.

a. The first is the cause of the second.

            b. The second is a natural outcome and an indicator of the first.
        9. When we have developed the previous character traits then the outcome will be not just an
            outward show but an inward purity that will show outwardly.
               This character trait of purity in heart will develop within us and then manifest itself to us
            and to others in purity of tongue, purity of thought, and purity of deed.

Job 19:26
“And [though] after my skin [worms] destroy
this [body], yet in my flesh shall I see God.”

Matt 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

Make sure you have memorized Mt 5:8 with proper punctuation.

You will be required to quote it from memory for the Scripture
Memorization practice Test and for the Lesson One Test.
You will not include the quotation marks nor the scripture
reference, Matthew 5:8, in your answer.

You will also be asked if you meditated on the precept taught in this Beatitude.

1. You are required to click HERE to go to the practice index page to practice your scripture memorization before proceeding to the Lesson test. On the practice index page, scroll down to the practice test for this Lesson and click on it. No practice test scores are added to your file. If you do not pass the practice quiz, then to take it again just close the test and you will return to the practice index page and you can choose the test to take it again. When you are finished with your practice, close the practice page to return to this page.

2. You can not proceed to the Lesson Test without first having a 100% score on the Scripture Memorization test. Take it as many times for practice as is necessary to achieve the required score of 100%. Each practice test will automatically come to the college. If you wish to take the practice test more times to make sure you have the scripture memorized, please feel free to do so. The first practice test with a score of 100% will be placed in your test file only for verification purposes and it is a prerequisite before you can take the Lesson Test and have the Lesson score credited to your file.

3. Did you meditate on this beatitude as you were instructed to do?
(Click one answer.) Yes No Was I supposed to meditate on it?

LESSON SIX TEST
Lesson test is "open book" except for the verse memorization question
which must be answered from memory alone as a closed book question.

You cannot proceed to the next Lesson until the day after you have
passed this Lesson Test and found all of the correct answers
in the textbook to all questions missed on this test
even though you received a passing score.

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