“Whoever Believes…” p. 118
The great challenge of faith is found in all the things that cannot be visibly seen. Religious activity is easily observed – but what is not so readily seen is the motivation or intent behind those activities.
What Jesus is telling us is that all human beings can do things that have the appearance of godliness or purity – but only those whose hearts are pure can reveal a true revelation and representation of the King of the Kingdom. God sees our actions – and He sees the heart behind those actions. The actions that truly please Him are the actions that flow from a pure heart.
What is a pure heart? It is a heart that is not only cleansed of all unrighteousness, but also emptied of all self-serving motivations. Pure hearts do not seek gain, or recognition, or applause from their activities. Pure hearts seek only to please the King of the Kingdom. Pure hearts do not seek attention or expect an earthly reward. Their hearts’ response is consistently: “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.”(Lk. 17:10)
Genuine love “is not self-seeking.” (1Co. 13:5) This is the kind of love God has for us – and the kind of love we saw on display through the Master. Jesus was perpetually giving of Himself, with zero regard for meriting the favor of humanity. He was consistently and constantly seeking only to please God, and to reveal the Heart of God behind all that He did.
This is the reality of all Kingdom people. Motivated by the love of God, eager to give of one’s self (and of what one has received) for the benefit of others, and for the true revelation of God. Love in motion. Love in motivation.
The very definition of pure in heart.
The love of God is infinite in capacity – able to overcome and surpass any and all human limitations and barriers – and this is the type of love found within all of God’s new creations. New creations are pure in heart – made so by the complete and completed work of Christ – and enabled to fully love as God loves, and to do so without the need for personal approval or recognition.
What we see so remarkably displayed in Jesus is also what is within every Kingdom person. Made pure in heart by the work of Jesus – and enabled to live pure in heart and love as He loved, by that same purifying work.
It is most important to understand that our revelation of God, and Who He really is, is connected to living life as pure in heart. We do not become pure in heart (by decades of work) we are pure in heart – because Jesus has come to do all that was necessary to make us just as He is.
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