What does it mean to be pure in heart?

It may be well to notice here, that we cannot make or keep the heart pure by trying to do so. Were we to look within and make the condition of the heart our study and our object, we should sink down, as many have done, into a state of mere mystical, self-occupation. To be merciful, the heart must have an object that is the perfect expression of the divine mercy; to be pure, it must have an object that is absolute in purity. As the heart is not inherently pure, it can only be accounted so by reflecting a pure object; and that object being Christ, we find in Him the true explanation of a pure heart and seeing God. The heart is purified by faith in Christ, who is the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of His Person. (See Acts 15:9; 1 Peter 1:22; Heb. 1:3.) What relief, what rest, the heart finds in finding Him! No theories, no analogies, no efforts, no experience can solve the question or give rest to the mind, but Himself — Himself known as the once lowly but now exalted Man in glory.

But see, I pray thee, that Christ is thy one object; a pure heart must be an undivided heart — a whole heart. Thus and thus only shall thy whole body be full of light. All other objects but dim thy spiritual vision. "They looked unto him," says the psalmist, "and were lightened." When darkness is loved rather than light, there can be no perception or appreciation of moral beauty. Such was Israel's blindness, and such it is now, but the day is coming when they shall look on Him whom they rejected, and see in Him the glories and perfection of the Godhead. Then, truly, shall they see God, and know the blessedness of being "pure in heart." "In Thee most perfectly expressed, The Father's self doth shine; Fulness of Godhead, too, the blest — Eternally divine. Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou That every knee to Thee should bow."

The moral condition of the heart or soul, is here the important question. God only being pure absolutely, there must be purity of heart to appreciate Him. There is no thought here, we need scarcely say, of bodily sight, for even Jesus is now hidden from our view. It is only with the eyes of the heart or the moral vision of the soul — which is simply faith — that we can see God or appreciate His excellency and glory; and this blessedness is made to depend on the condition of the heart. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The purer the heart is, the more clearly it will see God, and the more clearly it sees God, the purer it must become. Thus the one acts and re-acts upon the other.

Fourthly, the Apostle says, “Cleanse your hands.” If we are to draw nigh to God, we must judge every act unsuited to His holy presence, not putting our hands to anything that defiles.

Fifthly, the exhortation is, “Purify your hearts, ye double-minded.” It is not enough to cleanse the hands; we must also judge the evil of our hearts. The Pharisees could make much show of outward purification by washing the hands, but the Lord has to say, “Their heart is far from Me” (Mark 7:3, 6). The one who ascends the hill of the Lord and stands in His holy place must have “clean hands, and a pure heart” (Ps. 24:4). The heart is the seat of the Christian's affections. These need to be purged of every object not compatible with God's will.

This does not mean He expects every believer to be sinless now, but He wants every believer in the place of purity. It does not say that He wants purity within us, but He does want purity, that is, the judgment of that which is of man in the flesh, there is to be no admixture of evil and good principles together. We are to "follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Tim.2:22). A pure heart is not a sinless heart, rather it is a heart that is occupied with the holiness of the Christ of God. Is Christ the object of our own hearts? That is a real test for every gathering of the people of God, what is the reason we gather? Do we gather in practice to the Person of the Lord Jesus or is there something else as well? Do I gather because I like the particular company, is this the thought? The vital thing in any gathering is that Christ is the centre. Having a pure heart is having Christ as the only object of our hearts without any admixture. It is not 'Christ and something else', but 'Christ only, the centre'. That is true in the house of God. After all, the One who dwells there is the God of heaven and earth Himself, He is the One to whom our souls are brought.

The question is posed in verse 3, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?' This is not a question of entering into heaven, but of entering into the earthly blessing of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus. The answer is certainly most discriminative. "He who has clean hands and a pure heart" indicates that the hands must be free from works that are evil and the heart must be uncontaminated by evil thoughts. Of course, only God can discern the actual state of the heart, though it will always manifest itself in some way. Similarly, idol worship may be outwardly covered for a time, but cannot remain so. Swearing deceitfully may sound convincing to people, but God knows immediately the falsehood of it, and the deceit will eventually be manifested.

In Psalm 24 we read, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in His holy place?" The stipulation is that he must have "clean hands" — that infers righteousness; and "a pure heart" — which indicates holiness. The pure heart governs the movements of the clean hands.

Not without such significance is it here that Jehovah has founded the earth upon the seas, and established it over the floods. The reckless will of man has met its rebuke from God, and what is to be fruitful for Him is rescued from the destroyer. What more natural than this as the introduction to the question which follows? Rampant evil has been put down: "who" now "shall ascend into Jehovah's hill? and who shall stand in His holy place?" The answer is evident: it is he who has clean hands and a pure heart, — the practical life no Pharisaism, but the real index of the man himself, — "who has not lifted up his soul to vanity," (for it is pride that most of all connects and ends with this: as one has said, "the moment we step out of our nothingness, we step into it,") "nor sworn deceitfully."

But to do this, the hands must be cleansed, and the heart purified, that in nothing we may be double-minded. God is light, He will have purity and integrity in the inner man. Full of goodness and condescension, He is swift to help the weak, but He closes His ears to all who are double in heart. He looks for a pure walk and a sincere heart in those who seek to draw near Him. It cannot be otherwise; He holds Himself aloof from those whose hearts are not open in His presence; He sees everything, but for Him to hearken, the heart must be sincere.

By nature nobody possesses a pure heart, not even a child. God had already said in Genesis 8:21, “ … for the thought of Man’s heart is evil from his youth” (J.N.D. Translation). In order that man may see God the wicked human heart must be completely purified.

Now the Lord Jesus says “blessed” to those who have purified their hearts by faith in Him and who keep them pure practically: “Blessed are the pure in heart”. This is the first lesson of this verse. Just as a heart can only be purified before the Holy God by believing in the Lord Jesus and His work, there is practical pureness of heart only in His presence.