A defiled heart cannot and will not see God, and probably doesn’t really have a desire to do so.
The apostle Paul doesn’t hold back when he tells Titus:
“To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled” (Titus 1:15).
We rightly view the libertine as one who embraces sin with a devil-may-care charm. He is not about to hide that which he is most proud of (we must pity his soul). But on the other hand, we are easily fooled by the legalist’s outward piety. For within him hypocrisy stalks his every step as he pits his self-righteousness against fleshly temptation. It’s no contest, sin will win!
The pure in heart will see God only because Christ has first cleansed that heart from all its sinful impurities; we must confess our sins (1 John 1:9).
It’s not hard to test the purity levels of your heart. Paul speaks of the impurities that will exclude your soul from the Kingdom:
“But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:3-5).
Of course, sheer willpower, no matter how sincere, will not purify your heart. As a disciple of Christ, you must “keep seeking the things above, where Christ is” (Colossians 3:1).
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
John Staiger
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