Introduction
“ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God ” ( Matthew 5:8 ). This is the goal of the Christian life! That’s what we are living for – that we may live our life in such a way that we see God. If we see God, that will open up the treasure trove of all the blessings, not only for eternity, but also for life here and now. And the key to open that treasure trove is a pure heart! This is the most central and the most significant of all the beatitudes mentioned in this fifth chapter of Matthew. You cannot be poor in spirit without having a pure heart. You cannot mourn for the things that displease God without having a pure heart. You cannot be meek, you cannot hunger and thirst for righteousness, you cannot be merciful; you cannot be a peacemaker or be prepared to stand persecution for the name of Christ without having a pure heart. Actually, this is one of the most central principles of the Christian life that we see in the whole Bible. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.

What does it means to have a Pure Heart?
To have pure heart means: 
Living by the rule of God, living a life that is pleasing to God.
Living for the purpose of God, having a single- minded devotion to God.

The Greek word for “pure” in Matthew 5:8 is katharos. It means to be “clean, blameless, and unstained from guilt.” Interestingly, the word can refer specifically to that which is purified by fire or by pruning. John the Baptist told people that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11). Malachi speaks of the Messiah as being like a “refiner’s fire” (Malachi 3:2). Jesus refers to believers as being the branches and to Himself as being the vine (John 15:1-17). For a vine to produce fruit, it must be pruned. Those who are truly “pure,” then, are those who have been declared innocent because of the work of Jesus and who are being sanctified by His refining fire and His pruning.
The Greek word for “heart” in Matthew 5:8 is “kardeeah or cardia”. This can be applied to the physical heart. But it also refers to the spiritual center of life. It is where thoughts, desires, sense of purpose, will, understanding, and character reside. So, to be pure in heart means to be blameless in who we actually are. Being pure in heart involves having a singleness of heart toward God. A pure heart has no hypocrisy, no guile, and no hidden motives. The pure heart is marked by transparency and an uncompromising desire to please God in all things. It is more than an external purity of behavior; it is an internal purity of soul. Having a pure heart means living by the rules of God that bring moral purity.

How Can We Have a Pure Heart?
Now the question is how can we have a pure heart, a heart that is morally clean? A heart that is fully devoted to God? First of all, we have to realize that we, in and of ourselves, cannot attain a heart that is morally pure and fully devoted to God. As the Bible repeatedly tells us, “The Lord saw … that every inclination of the thoughts of his [man’s] heart was evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5). As the prophet Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9).  In order to have a pure heart we need to totally rely on the Holy Spirit, live with consciousness of the Holy Spirit and daily feed our hearts with the word of God. The only way we can be truly pure in heart is to give our lives to Jesus and ask Him to do the cleansing work. Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” God is the one who makes our hearts pure – by the sacrifice of His Son and through His sanctifying work in our lives (see 1 John 3:1-3).

We Can Have a Pure Heart
Although it is impossible for us to have a pure heart in and of ourselves, we can have a pure heart by the spirit and grace of God. What is impossible for man is possible for God. A pure heart is a gift from God, and it comes by a new birth, by a new creation, and by the Spirit living in us. God had promised in the Old Testament through the prophet Jeremiah, “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts” ( Jeremiah 31:33 ), and “I will give them singleness of heart and action” ( Jeremiah 32:39 ). This was finally fulfilled in and through Jesus Christ, Who makes us a new creation with a new heart (2 Corinthians 5:17). There are ways we can maintain the purity of our heart, and one of the most primary is our time in the Word of God. As the psalmist said, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9), and, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).

A second way to maintain the purity of our heart is through fellowship with the people of God. It helps to be accountable to one another. Solomon said: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). That is why the anonymous writer of the Book of Hebrews admonish us, “Let us consider how we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24).

What are the benefits of having a pure heart?
 There are numerous benefits for having pure heart; here are few:
A good conscience: You will no longer feel guilt and worry about what choices you make and what path your life is taking. A sense of clear direction! You will experience a clear direction and purpose in your life, and no day is a waste regardless of what is going on around you in your day-to-day life. Sin clouds your vision, but when you are pure God is able to direct your paths as He intends.
You will be untouchable: The direction the world is taking has no Impact on your thoughts, feelings and actions. Bad morals can’t touch you because you are keeping yourself pure! You can “fly like an eagle” above all of these things, because your kingdom is not of this world. ( Isaiah 40:31; John 18:36)
Satisfaction! Fulfillment and happiness: You no longer have to have that perfect dream life! You are able to find satisfaction, fulfillment and happiness in the life you have right now because you are pure from demands, ingratitude, and unrest!
Eternal life: the ultimate benefit of having pure heart is eternal life with God; only the pure in heart shall see God. Keep your thoughts and motives pure in all you do and you will have the best spiritual insurance policy for your eternal life! There is nothing like knowing that if Jesus is to return right now, He would find you pure! There would be nothing in the way between you and your Maker! “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”  It is a glorious promise. Keeping yourself pure is worthwhile for a good life on earth, and will benefit you for all eternity.

You are the product of your heart
The heart is what you are, in the secrecy of your thought and feeling, when nobody knows but God. And what you are at the invisible root matters as much to God as what you are at the visible branch. “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 ). From the heart are all the issues of life. What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart “. . . For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man” (Matthew 15:18–19). “...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” Matthew 12:33–34. So the heart is utterly crucial to Jesus. What we are in the deep, private recesses of our lives is what he cares about most. Jesus did not come into the world simply because we have some bad habits that need to be broken. He came into the world because we have such dirty hearts that need to be purified.

Conclusion

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!”  To be pure is to overcome all conscious sin that you are tempted to so that you can stand before God’s face with a clear conscience. We live in a time when purity is not something people think of or talk about. It is more common to hear more on the subject of “living your dream life,” “getting the most out of life with the least amount of work,” and “doing what feels good.” Whether it’s sin or not doesn’t enter the equation, as long as it feels right to my soul. Not much is said about how to serve God, become free from sin, and live in purity.

Impurity is an attack on our relationship with God. Keeping ourselves pure is showing God that we love Him and we are thankful for how He has made it for us in this moment. Keeping ourselves pure is not allowing ourselves to be sucked into the lack of good morals prevalent today. But its focusing on the sufficiency of God's grace and mercy. The pure in heart enjoy a remarkable degree of fellowship with God and man. They can stand in His tabernacle and dwell in His holy hill. They can see Him. He is their friend. He makes earthly kings to be their friend as well. He is good to the pure in heart and gives them the capacity to enjoy all things as pure and good. It is as we purify ourselves from sin that we become close to God, useful in His service and able to truly enjoy all that He has created.

Finally beloved only the pure in heart will see God. You might be a great preacher, teacher, missionary and whatever but if your heart is not pure forget about seeing God. This is a clarion call to all who want to see God; the prerequisite is to have a pure heart. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God says Jesus the way to God. Let's pray.