06.08.2025, Sunday Sermon by Pastor Jeungbok Lee
Scripture: Matthew 5:8, Jeremiah 17:9-10, 1 Corinthians 13:12
Title: Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

**Matthew 5:8**  
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

**Jeremiah 17:9-10**  
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

**1 Corinthians 13:12**  
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

Today is Pentecost Sunday, commemorating the day when, 50 days after Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the tomb, the promised Holy Spirit descended upon the early church. The Holy Spirit enables us to read the Bible and understand the truth. He convicts us of our sins and leads us to repentance. Most importantly, the Holy Spirit works to bring about regeneration in believers, indwelling them and guiding them to bear the fruit of the Spirit, making them more like Jesus. Even when we are unable to pray or feel discouraged, the Holy Spirit not only helps us in our prayers but intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. Specifically, He works to reveal and testify to Jesus. To build the church, He distributes spiritual gifts to believers. I pray that the members of our church will build the church with the help of the Holy Spirit and bear abundant spiritual fruit.

Now, I will preach on the Sermon on the Mount.

### 1. People Who Saw God in the Bible

In the Old Testament, there are accounts of people who encountered God. Adam walked with God in the Garden of Eden and had fellowship with Him. Abraham spoke directly with God, who appeared in human form, though this was not a meeting with God in His full glory. After God saved Israel, made them His people, and established a covenant with them, He appeared to them in His glory. From that time on, no one truly saw God in His full essence. When God called Moses, Moses heard His voice. After the golden calf incident, Moses pleaded, “Show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18), but God only showed him His back, because no sinner can see God and live (Exodus 33:20). Isaiah saw the hem of God’s robe filling the temple and, overwhelmed by God’s holiness, confessed his own uncleanness, declaring himself a man worthy of death (Isaiah 6).

In the New Testament, Philip, a disciple of Jesus, asked, “Lord, show us the Father” (John 14:8). Jesus replied, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?” (John 14:9-10). Jesus’ disciples met Him as God incarnate in human flesh, but they did not claim to have directly experienced God’s full glory. The Apostle John, while imprisoned on Patmos, encountered Jesus in His glorified form and “fell at His feet as though dead” (Revelation 1:17).

Even Christians today long to see God. Yet, no one confidently claims to have seen Him. However, today’s scripture declares, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” In my experience, when I desired to see God, I first became acutely aware of my own sinfulness. During a praise and prayer meeting in the church basement, I experienced a vision of the cross.

### 2. The Pure in Heart Will See God

#### 1) What Does “Heart” Mean in the Bible?

The biblical concept of the heart is not merely about emotions, as we often understand it today. In Scripture, the heart represents the core of a person—their thoughts, will, and emotions—encompassing their entire being. Thus, the heart signifies a person’s very existence. When we encounter the word “heart” in the Bible, we should understand it as referring to the whole person. For example, let us read Romans 10:9-10:  
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

This passage is often used in evangelistic settings to lead people to accept Jesus. While an emotional atmosphere may prompt someone to accept Jesus, believing in the heart is far more than an emotional response. It involves a deep realization that Jesus is the Savior, a confession that encompasses one’s entire life. It includes emotions but also clear intellectual understanding and a willful acceptance of the truth. That is what it means to believe in the heart.

#### 2) The Problem of the Sinful Heart

The problem is that, due to Adam’s fall, all people are born sinners with hearts tainted by sin. Those who hold to Enlightenment ideas or believe in the inherent goodness of humanity argue that people are born good but are corrupted by their environment. Thus, they strive to create better environments, which is indeed important. However, their efforts are like prescribing cold medicine to a child with a severe ear infection—it only temporarily alleviates symptoms. The root issue, the infection, must be addressed. We must first acknowledge that humans are born sinners with corrupt hearts. The problem of sin must be resolved, or all human efforts will consistently yield failure, an “F” grade. Thankfully, the Bible clearly identifies humanity’s fundamental problem.

**Jeremiah 17:9-10**  
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

**Matthew 15:11**  
“What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

Therefore, the root cause of humanity’s problem—sin—must be cleansed. Only then can one become pure in heart.

### 3. Who Are the Pure in Heart?

#### 1) The Meaning of “Pure”

In Greek, “pure” means “clean, unblemished, or unmixed.” In other words, it refers to something free from contamination or defilement. This term was often used in the context of sacrificial offerings to God. For sacrifices, the Israelites selected unblemished animals (cattle, sheep, or goats) that were free from disease or defect, in a perfect and whole condition. Priests also had to cleanse themselves before offering sacrifices, and the altar was purified with the blood of the sacrifice, which was offered to God to cleanse the people from the defilement of sin.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ became the sacrificial Lamb to atone for sin. Through His blood, God has cleansed the sins of all who believe, making them pure. The fundamental problem of sin has been resolved. Those whose sins are forgiven have renewed hearts. However, many still live according to their old sinful habits, which prevents them from being pure in heart.

#### 2) What Kind of Heart Does a Pure Person Have?

A pure heart is one without hypocrisy or divided allegiance. In English, this is described as being “single-eyed” or “single-minded.” Such a person’s eyes and heart are wholly focused on God. The opposite is a “double-minded” or “divided-heart” person.

**James 1:8**  
“Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

Double-minded people have faith in God but also harbor worldly desires. For example, when giving offerings, if one gives not out of faith and gratitude but out of a desire for personal gain, that is double-mindedness. Fasting and praying to gain praise from others as a “faithful person” is double-minded. Giving to the poor to receive admiration or respect is double-minded. When outward actions do not align with the heart’s motives, it is double-mindedness. Double-minded people still place themselves at the center of their lives, living for their own desires rather than enthroning God as Lord and living in obedience to Him. When difficulties arise, their hearts become like waves tossed by the wind. Such an attitude prevents one from being pure (single-minded) in heart, destabilizes faith, and robs them of the joy that comes from God. Even we can unintentionally live with a divided heart.

Therefore, we must constantly examine the motives of our hearts and pray to maintain a pure heart toward God. Even David, a faithful servant who obeyed God, prayed:

**Psalm 86:11**  
“Teach me Your way, Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.”

This is the prayer of one forgiven of sin, seeking to become pure in heart. David longed to fear God with an undivided heart.

#### 3) Striving to Live with a Pure Heart

After praying to look only to God, we must strive to live with a pure (single-minded) heart.

**James 4:8**  
“Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

God’s holy people must draw near to Him and cleanse their hands through practical actions. Above all, they must avoid double-mindedness and cultivate a single-minded heart toward God. Instead of a divided heart, they must live with sincere obedience to God. A practical way to live with a pure heart is found in Hebrews 12:14:

**Hebrews 12:14**  
“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

Those with a pure heart toward God will live in peace with others and pursue holiness, enabling them to see God. A pure heart is reflected in their relationships with others, demonstrating their single-minded devotion to God. This is the practice of living as one pure in heart.

### 4. When Will the Pure in Heart See God?

We have been forgiven of our sins and strive to live with a pure heart, single-mindedly devoted to God. As a result, we live in peace with our neighbors. We continually bring our jealousy, anger, and greed to the cross of Jesus, repenting of our sins. Like polishing a mirror daily, we confess our sins. We read the Word and pray to know and draw closer to God.

For those living with a pure heart, the Holy Spirit opens their spiritual eyes. They see, through the eyes of faith, that God rules and governs all things in the world. They recognize God in the events of nature and understand that He is alive, guiding human history. Specifically, they experience God’s work more clearly as they read and obey the Scriptures. We meet God daily through prayer in Jesus. However, we cannot yet see Him fully. As 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror.” Those who live impure lives or fail to confess their sins, relying on the blood of Jesus, may not even see God dimly. Their faith wavers whenever they face difficulties, and at times, they may even feel that God is absent. Nevertheless, when the Lord returns, we will see Him face to face and know Him fully, just as He knows us.

**1 Corinthians 13:12**  
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”