ONLY THE PURE IN HEART WILL SEE GOD

Christians today lack good teaching about what it means to repent. True repentance is turning from all disobedience and offering oneself completely to God as a living sacrifice. Paul said it this way:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."  Romans 12:1

We must love God more than anything in this world, including our own life, before we can learn the width and depth of the Ten Commandments; for they are the perfect law; the royal law of the kingdom of God.  It all starts with a pure heart that is willing to say to The Heavenly Father:  "Show me what you want me to do --and I will DO IT --no matter what it costs."

Here, Jesus gives us the two great precepts of the law:

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."  Mark 12:30-31

Jesus was quoting Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18.  In context, Deut 6:5 is referring to The Ten Commandments with the statutes and the judgments that teach us how to obey them.  (For context also read Deut 5:)

Now, let us consider "Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself." and we will see that in context it is also upholding the Ten Commandments; because "sin is transgression of the law":

"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."  Leviticus 19:17-18

Jesus and the apostles based their teaching upon The Ten Commandments and the moral precepts of the law of Moses.  Jesus taught us to feed, clothe, and comfort his poor brethren.  ( See Matthew 25:34-40; Matthew 12:50)  If we refuse to lay down our lives for the brethren, and to act in mercy and love, then we have committed sin.  We have known to do good and didn't do it.  We have transgressed the law that is holy, just and good by our covetousness which is idolatry.  (James 2:17; Romans 7; 12)

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."  Exodus 20:3

If we refuse to obey The Ten Commandments, the moral precepts of the law of Moses, the teaching of Jesus and the apostles, then we are breaking the First Commandment; we have usurped the authority of God and have become the ruler of our life.  As the preacher said:

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Every secret thing (whether it be good, or whether it be evil) is what is hidden in our heart.  Will we obey God with all of our heart --or will we love the world with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life?    Only the pure in heart will see God.

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

Harold and Donna Kupp