This week we are considering the sixth Beatitude,
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
We can define a pure heart as unmixed or sincere in its devotion to God. It’s authenticity. It’s doing things to be seen by God rather than doing things to be seen by people.
Today, we are considering how one gets a pure heart.
The bible paints a bleak picture of our heart before we come to God. We read,
‘The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.’ (Jeremiah 17:9)
The first sign of God’s work in our lives is a sense of the wretchedness of our own heart. When the Holy Spirit begins to work in someone, they realise their own sin and need for God’s help; they may use different words, but the Holy Spirit convicts us in order to bring us to Jesus.
A pure heart ( sincere and unmixed) for God is the gift of God. To have desires to live for Jesus is a sign that the Holy Spirit had done a miracle in your life.
Here are two texts that speak of the miracle of God’s work in us:
‘I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.’ (Ezekiel 11:19)
‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.’ (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
RESPONSE
Are you pure in heart? Has your ‘heart of stone been replaced by a heart of flesh’ - a deep desire to know and serve Jesus? If you can say yes, this is a gift of God’s grace. These words from the hymn ‘And can it be’ express the miracle of our transformation,
“Long my imprisoned spirit lay, Fast bound in sin and nature's night; Thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed thee.”
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COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY - BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART
Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
In particular, if you are married, do sign up for our marriage evening on 13th February.
Suggested opener/Ice-breaker
Are there circumstances in which you feel that you have to put on a 'show' - you are tempted to be inauthentic?
Introduction - please share in your group
This week in our discipleship series, we are considering the sixth of the Beatitudes,
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
We can define a pure heart as unmixed or sincere in its devotion to God. It’s authenticity. It’s doing things to be seen by God rather than doing things to be seen by people.
Jesus regularly pointed to the religious leaders of his day as those who looked good on the outside, but who were doing their acts for a show; they were often not pure in heart! Jesus said of them,
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Matthew 23:27-28
We are often more concerned about the outward, but Jesus is most concerned for the hidden - the motives of the heart. Jesus urges us,
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. (Matthew 6:1)