After two days of rest, I am back sharing Rev. Sang Ho Bae's expository study on the Beatitudes. This time he wants to explore the meaning of the blessedness of those whose hearts are pure.
Jesus proclaimed in the Sermon on the Mount:
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
The Lord’s concern is always with the “heart” rather than a person’s outward appearance or actions. The gaze of God that runs through the entire Scripture is the same. As the Word says, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God always regards the condition of the heart as the most important standard. The reason the Pharisees and the scribes were rebuked by Jesus was precisely because their hearts were not clean. They cleansed the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they were full of greed and self-indulgence. Their outward appearance seemed devout, but before God their hearts were full of uncleanness.
No matter how good the environment is, sin does not disappear because of the evil heart of man. Even if systems are reformed and surroundings improved, no fundamental change occurs unless the heart is transformed. History has repeatedly proven this. For a nation or society to stand upright, a spiritual awakening that renews the heart must first take place. Augustine said, “Unless the human heart turns toward God, no system can make a person good.” Unless the heart is renewed, the world can never be renewed.
Jesus said that the pure in heart are blessed because they shall see God. Since God is Spirit, He cannot be seen with physical eyes. Therefore, to “see God” does not mean a visual experience but that one’s spiritual senses are opened to perceive the reality of God’s presence. When the heart is clean, one sees God even in nature. In flowers one feels God’s love, and in the passing breeze one hears His voice. Even in a raging storm one senses the mighty hand of God and receives comfort. One gains courage and strength, thinking, “If the God who moves that vast sea protects me, what do I have to fear?" When spring comes and new sprouts rise throughout the earth, one marvels at God’s power. Looking at the moon and stars in the night sky, one vividly feels the living God and is filled with the Holy Spirit.
David praised God with overflowing awe as he looked at nature. He was not moved while reading Scripture at that moment, but he saw God through creation itself: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, there are no words; their voice is not heard. Yet their sound goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
A person with a pure heart clearly perceives the indwelling presence of the Lord. For such a person, not believing in God becomes even more difficult, because God is felt so unmistakably. In a certain sense, a Christian possesses the sensitivity of a poet. A poet is one who is moved; without being moved, one cannot write poetry. Christians are often moved. They give thanks for small things and sense grace in ordinary moments. Therefore, a true believer cannot have a hardened heart. A heart that knows how to be moved can never become hard like stone.
The pure in heart see God even in this world, but in heaven they will see Him far more fully. What we now know of God is like seeing dimly in a mirror, but in heaven we shall behold the Lord face to face. The Church Fathers called this the “beatific vision,” the blessed beholding of God. It is the greatest blessing a human being can receive and the eternal reward promised to the pure in heart.
How then can one obtain a pure heart? It cannot be achieved by human effort alone, for the human heart is corrupt by nature. Jeremiah asks, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?” This shows that human nature cannot cleanse itself. If it were merely dirt, it could be washed off, but the nature itself cannot be changed. Therefore, the heart becomes clean only when the Holy Spirit washes it. There must be the “washing of regeneration” through the Word and the Spirit. When the light of the Spirit shines upon the heart, a person finally realizes that he is a sinner and longs to be delivered from his uncleanness. At that moment the heart begins to be renewed.
Yet even a born-again believer may at times have the heart stained by sin. In such moments one must confess sin and seek forgiveness: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Though the believer has already been bathed in the blood of Christ, he must strive for daily cleansing of the heart, just as one washes hands each day. Not only prayer but also the effort to “strive against sin to the point of shedding blood” is required.
The best way for the heart to be pure is to obey the influence of the Holy Spirit who works within. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of holy purity. When one obeys His prompting, uncleanness departs, and one senses the heart becoming clean. This becomes the joy of the Christian. Pure and clear joy flows from a pure heart. Thomas à Kempis said, “The one who has a pure heart finds God everywhere.” When the heart is pure, the spiritual sight that beholds God is opened. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
As I reflect on Jesus’ words, I am reminded that God is not impressed by how I appear on the outside but deeply concerned with who I am on the inside. It is easy to look faithful, busy, or moral, yet still carry pride, self-interest, or hidden sin in the heart. This passage gently but firmly calls me to examine not my image but my inner life before God.
I realize that true change does not begin with better systems or improved surroundings but with a transformed heart. Without God’s cleansing work, I remain the same person even in a better environment. Only the Holy Spirit can wash my heart, awaken me to my sin, and renew my desires. This humbles me, because purity is not something I achieve—it is something I receive by grace.
When my heart is being purified, I begin to “see God” more clearly—not with my eyes, but with spiritual sensitivity. I sense His presence in ordinary moments: in quiet mornings, in nature, in answered prayers, and even in storms. A softened heart learns to be moved, to give thanks, and to recognize God’s nearness in daily life.
This reflection calls me to daily confession, obedience, and attentiveness to the Spirit. I long for a heart that remains tender before God, because a pure heart brings clear joy—and the greatest blessing of all: to truly see Him now and forever.
