The Need of a Pure Heart

Why can't everyone see God if He is so great?!
This is the question of the mocker and the ignorant. Jesus said only the pure in heart can see Him. The Pharisees often demanded a sign from Jesus to prove His glory. Jesus never gave them a sign. They couldn't even see the ones that were all around Him. God's glory and love were all about them, but they were like the blind. They simply cannot see the sun. The blind has no sight to receive the light input. Those that are impure of heart just cannot see the presence of God.

--- Purchase The Godly Man and its ten studies in easy epub or pdf format!

We would be fooled to think that anyone even with impure hearts would want to see God. We have numerous scriptures that speak of those who have impure hearts that begin to approach God's presence. Each time judgment comes. Each time great fear grips their hearts. If God hides His glory, it is because of His great mercies. He 'hides' Himself through their darkened eyes (Romans 11:10), darkened heart (Romans 1:21), and darkened understanding (Ephesians 4.18). God of course is not the one who is really hiding. Man just cannot see God.

Why doesn't man see God?
God gives what people seek. Man does not seek God. They are content with their world of mud. They want nothing of God's glorious person.

Also we find that man purposely avoids God so that he can maintain his inferior lifestyle.

"And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. "For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. (John 3:18-20).

Is the light present? Yes. But man avoids the light, thus insuring their judgment.

What about the Christian?
Jesus was not carelessly tossing out words in the Beatitudes. We might think that these truths only applied to non-Christans, but they certainly have their application for the Christian.

Not all Christians are pure in heart. We should know this by fact if not by experience. Some Christians toy with sin as a cat plays with a mouse in its paws. They have become God's child, but yet in one or more areas of their lives make compromises. These impurities hold them back from purity. Those men who claim to know God and yet tolerate sin in their lives are fooling themselves, whether they be a Christian leader or not.
Christians hide their sin too. They get what they desire. Why give them what they do not want. Jesus spoke about the foolishness of giving what was holy to those who do not desire or understand such things. "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. (Mt 7:6) In a similar vein, Jesus often spoke parables rather than the direct truth.

Why do we need a pure heart to see God?

There are two parts to this answer.

God's glorious presence is around us.
Man's sins hides God's glorious presence

Let's now see why God show Himself to the good person or the one who tries hard to be good. =>