Sermon XXVI - The uncleaness of heart cause of error - Matthew 5:8
SERMON XXVI
OR The uncleaness of heart cause of error "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." - Matthew
5:8
The reason why there are such errors among us about God and His ways is due to the impurity of people's hearts. Let's observe two types of individuals: first, those who were once religious professors but have strayed, becoming worldly, indulgent, and driven by their carnal desires, resulting in the adoption of peculiar opinions; second, young ones with profane and impure hearts. As soon as their consciences begin to stir within them, they make a superficial profession of religion, yet their hearts remain full of lust, never emptied or humbled for their sins. Moreover, the Devil has found a way to dissuade people, claiming that true repentance is merely legalistic, hindering their relationship with Jesus Christ rather than enhancing it. Consequently, they adopt a religious facade without undergoing genuine works of humility. Consequently, their hearts remain as impure as ever, leading to distorted thoughts about God,
Christ, the Covenant of Grace, and eternal matters. Their hearts have never been cleansed. I want to highlight that those who fall into numerous vile and damnable errors can be categorized into two groups: firstly, individuals who were once zealous professors but have begun to indulge in worldly, sensual, and vain behavior; secondly, young ones who assume the religious profession without truly understanding the gravity of sin. Such individuals fail to truly see God. Their hearts are so corrupted and vile that they cannot
perceive God as He truly is, nor can they appreciate the true beauty and excellence of godly things. Let me provide you with a couple of Scriptures to demonstrate how errors arise from the lusts of people's hearts rather than mere intellectual mistakes. In 2 Timothy 3:5, 8, it is stated that those who have a form of godliness but deny its power resist the truth. They have corrupt minds and are disqualified concerning the faith, similar to Jannes and Jambres who opposed
Moses. The passage advises turning away from individuals who have a superficial form of godliness but deny its transformative power.
The apostle emphasizes that there is no point in engaging with such men. He describes their dispositions as those who resist the truth, possess corrupt minds, and are disqualified concerning the faith.
Another Scripture, 2 Peter 2:18, speaks of false teachers who allure people through their fleshly desires and wantonness by using grandiose words of vanity. They target those who had previously escaped from error but are still entangled in it. The passage is highly relevant to our times. In verse 19, it states that while these false teachers promise liberty, they themselves are servants of corruption.
They are known for their inflated and impressive language that amuses people. These words may seem profound, but they are empty and devoid of substance. They are like a balloon filled with air that bursts upon examination, revealing their vanity and emptiness.
When you hear them preach, you may have cause for suspicion when they use elaborate language that appears to contain great ideas.
However, upon closer examination, you will find that their words are mere vanity and emptiness. They entice people through their words that align with their fleshly desires. The power of their speech lies in its appeal to people's lusts rather than the evidence of truth. All their methods are driven by lusts and much wantonness. They target those who had genuinely escaped from error, emphasizing their true escape. Thus, it is evident that these errors arise when individuals are led astray, being promised freedom and liberation from various
forms of bondage, while the false teachers themselves are slaves to corruption. Therefore, the prevalence of errors in our times stems from the impurity of people's hearts, leading to a departure from the truth. The best way to protect ourselves from the errors of the times is to maintain clean hearts. Purify your hearts, walk uprightly before God, and the Spirit of God will guide you into all truth. When you need to understand God or His mind in any matter, it is crucial to prioritize the cleansing of your hearts. Otherwise, you will make mistakes when seeking counsel regarding the mind of God. If you truly desire to know the mind of God, it is not enough to claim willingness; you must actively seek it. Furthermore, when you inquire, you must be willing to accept truths that may contradict your own desires. If you are reluctant for God's mind to deviate from your preconceived notions, it indicates impurity in your heart.
Additionally, when you seek God's mind, a principle within your spirit may strongly influence your heart in a different direction, making it challenging to convince you of God's mind if it opposes your personal biases. Moreover, you may be unwilling to thoroughly examine anything that is presented to you if you fear it may contradict your beliefs. You are reluctant to scrutinize it and instead desire to find objections against it. All these tendencies arise from the impurity of the heart. Therefore, it is just for God to withhold His blessings from those individuals, preventing them from seeing God and understanding His ways. Beware of these tendencies. Approach
God with plain and open hearts, regardless of your previous thoughts, justifications, or personal ends. Allow God to reveal His truth, and be ready to yield to it with a pure and straightforward heart. However, if God sees that you have cunning hearts and ulterior motives, seeking to intertwine your ends with His, it is just for Him to blind you, preventing you from seeing Him in any aspect of His ways. The way to know the mind of God is to cleanse your hearts. Many claim to desire knowledge of God's mind, saying they
would do anything that aligns with His will. However, examine your heart. Can you willingly surrender your own ends, counsels, and ways, regardless of what they were? Are you willing to embrace any evidence of truth, no matter how contrary it may be to your own thoughts and desires? If so, then it is likely that you will come to know God's mind. But if you claim to desire knowledge of God's mind while your heart is corrupt and opposed to Him and His mind, never expect to attain it. Only a pure heart can yield to His mind, even if it contradicts your previous beliefs. Yes, blessed are those with pure hearts, for they will see God.
Firstly, it's not a matter of willingness; they simply don't know how to handle it, so they must inquire. And secondly, when they do inquire, they are reluctant to accept the truth. They are unwilling for God's mind to align with a path that contradicts their own desires.
They would rather have God's mind conform to their own than allow their hearts to align with the mind of God. This reveals impurity in their hearts. Thirdly, when they seek to understand God's mind, there is a principle within their spirits that turns their hearts and firmly directs them in another direction. Consequently, it becomes challenging to convince such individuals of God's mind if it opposes the bias of their hearts. And fourthly, they are unwilling to thoroughly examine anything presented to them. When faced with something that might challenge their beliefs, they avert their thoughts, reluctant to examine it. They eagerly look for objections and are determined to find anything to discredit it. All of this stems from the impurity of their hearts. It is only just that God withholds
His blessings from them, preventing them from seeing Him and understanding His ways. Take heed of this. Approach with humble and open hearts, regardless of one's previous thoughts, justifications, or personal agendas. Let God reveal His truth, and I am ready to yield to it with a pure and sincere heart. However, when God sees
people with cunning hearts, ulterior motives, and their own ends in mind, when they try to intertwine their desires with His, it is only just for Him to prevent them from seeing Him in any aspect of His ways. They shall remain blinded. The key to understanding the mind of God is to purify your hearts. Many claim to desire knowledge of God's mind, saying they would do anything in accordance with His will. Now, examine your hearts. Can you willingly surrender your own ends, plans, and ways, regardless of your previous inclinations?
Will you embrace any evidence of truth, even if it contradicts your own thoughts and desires? If so, then it is likely that you will come to know God's mind. However, if you claim to desire knowledge of God's mind while your heart is corrupt and opposed to God and His mind, never expect to attain it. Only a pure heart can yield to His mind, even if it contradicts what it previously held. Yes, blessed are those with clean hearts, for they will see God. That concludes this point.
Take note that the sight of God does not depend on the natural understanding of individuals, but rather on the cleanliness of their hearts.
Many humble Christians wonder how they can truly know God and comprehend the mysteries revealed in His Word. They feel incapable of reaching such heights. But take comfort, for if your heart is clean, free from wicked desires and lusts, there is a promise for you: you shall see God. The sight of God does not rely on human intellect, but on the purity of the heart. Even when the great scholars of the world remain blind to Him, unable to see God in a saving manner, He will reveal Himself to your soul if you possess a clean and pure heart. The sight of God is made possible through the revelation brought by Jesus Christ, the great Prophet of His Church. He can instruct those of weak understanding as easily as those of great intellect. God
delights in making Himself known to those who have a pure heart and a genuine desire to know Him and embrace His truth. The Lord takes pleasure in revealing Himself to such individuals.
Now, let us come to the main point: blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. This means that the sight of God is the ultimate blessing for humanity. The sight of God encompasses understanding
His nature, His plans, His ways, and His will, all of which are relevant to our eternal enjoyment of Him. To illustrate this, consider the story of Eudoxine, a philosopher who desired to behold the sun with full clarity. He was willing to endure being burned if only he could approach and observe its nature and movements. He believed that such knowledge held immense value. If knowledge of a mere creature holds such excellence, imagine the magnificence of knowing
God Himself, of beholding His divine nature. This desire is evident in Philip's plea to Jesus in the 14th chapter of the Gospel of John. Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us." If only we could see God, our hearts would be content, regardless of our own fate. Likewise, Moses expressed a fervent desire to see God's glory in Exodus 33:18. He pleaded, "Please show me your glory." Oh, the sight of God is truly a blessed thing! It is the sight of the infinite and glorious source of all things, the very fount of all goodness. How immensely blessed it is to behold such magnificence! People flock to see those who have been great instruments of good in the world. The presence of Alexander the Great or contemporary figures such as the King of Sweden or Sir Thomas Fairfax garners much attention. Yet, the sight of the first being, the cause of all good, surpasses any earthly spectacle. It is a sight that only the rational creature, with its capacity for understanding, can experience. The rational creature is not satisfied merely by observing what pleases the senses in the present moment. Instead, it constantly seeks the cause of its existence. The understanding of a rational creature ascends from
effect to cause, continuously probing deeper until it reaches the supreme cause, the highest source of all things. Thus, individuals shall see God. This is humanity's blessedness.
To see God means to comprehend His essence, His plans, and His will concerning our eternal state. Furthermore, those who see God shall perceive Him as their God, possessing a personal connection to all the goodness, excellence, and glory they witness in Him. They will perceive it as their own, as having a share in it. Consider the difference between a stranger looking upon a king sitting on his throne and a queen or the king's eldest son doing the same. The stranger observes the king's glorious display with awe, but the queen or the king's heir views that glory as their own. It reflects upon them.
They possess a sense of ownership. This is how the promise should be understood. Those who see God behold His excellency, glory, majesty, and greatness as their own. It becomes their happiness.
They shall see God.
God reveals Himself and fulfills this promise in various ways, including immediate revelations to the soul. The soul of a human being can have an immediate connection with the infinite being of God, despite its finite nature. Just as the soul of Jesus Christ, being both God and man, had a union with the divine nature despite its finiteness, so can the finite soul of a human being have a close connection with God's essence. The soul is capable of a more immediate revelation of God than we can express or conceive.
Although the fullness of this revelation shall be experienced in the future, even now in the world, we can taste a portion of the glory that awaits us in heaven. We can experience a union and communion with God that is a glimpse of what is to come. We can even have a foretaste of the beatific vision, where our souls intimately encounter the essence of God. However, we lack the ability to fully describe
such experiences. Just as a person's eye can see everything except itself, the soul can act upon God without fully comprehending the manner in which it does so. Those who have undergone the purification of their hearts will testify that they see God in a manner different from before. Their testimonies may not adequately capture the extent of their perception, but they can affirm, "We were blind, but now we see. We see God in a way we never have before."
Moreover, in addition to this more immediate revelation of God to the soul, those who are pure in heart also perceive God in His works.
They behold the greatness of God in the reflection of His glory in the creation. When they look at the heavens, the earth, and the seas, they see God in a new and profound way. Oh, the magnificent glory of God that is evident in the rising of the sun, the moon, and the stars, as well as in the vastness of the seas and the body of the earth!
Perhaps, after the sermon on such days, many of you will take a stroll in the fields. But what do you see? You see the green grass, other people walking about, and trees. Yet, what do you see of God here? If your purpose is solely to contemplate God as He reveals Himself through His works, then it becomes a different matter. A spiritual heart, when it gazes upon God's works, transcends the mere physical creation and immediately directs its gaze towards God Himself. It looks up to heaven and sees the God of heaven, the God of the earth, and the God who forms and sustains all things. It sees the glory of its
God in all the creatures. Indeed, when a person with a purified heart contemplates the works of God, they do not merely see land beyond their own; rather, they perceive that they cannot see more land than what belongs to their Father.
Although God's brilliance shines through His works, it is even more clearly revealed in His Word. It is a sign of a spiritual person when they see more of God's glory in the Scriptures than in all the great
works that have ever been done in the world. Suppose the Lord were to take a man or a woman and show them all the countries in the world, even taking them to heaven and revealing the sun, moon, and stars, enabling them to understand their motions, showing them the seas and the ebb and flow of the tides, and granting them knowledge of the nature of plants and the mysteries of arts and sciences. Yet, after all that, when they come to read the Word, they would say, "I have seen the limits of all earthly perfections, but Your Word is exceedingly broad. In Your Word, I see more than I do in the entire book of nature. A few lines of Your Word reveal more to me than all the wonders of nature combined." This indeed is a testament to the purity of heart. A pure heart approaches the Word not as they would any other book but sees the wisdom, purity, and authority of God within it. The Word is not a sealed book to such a soul but an open one. They also see God in all His ordinances; they are the means by which God is perceived. This includes the ministry of the Word, the sacraments, and all other ordinances. God enters the soul through these means, and the soul views them as instruments through which God is revealed. Additionally, they see God in the saints. In the saints, they behold the image of God, the reflection of God in His creation. However, in the saints, they witness the vivid image of God, just as the image of the father is seen in the child. Although those of the world may see little of God in the saints, once their eyes are opened and their hearts are purified, they cannot look upon any godly men or women without perceiving the abundant glory of God in them. This is what makes them cherish fellowship with the saints, for they see so much of God in them. Furthermore, they see God in their own spirits more than ever before. Their spirits were once shrouded in darkness, but now, having been sanctified, the presence of God dwells within them. They perceive God within their own hearts.
Above all, those who are pure in heart see God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is in Him that they behold the glory of God. The Scriptures speak of Christ in the Book of Hebrews as the exact imprint of God's nature, the radiance of His glory. There is no such description of all the angels in heaven or all the men in the world. True, humanity was created in the image of God, but Christ is described as the radiance of God's glory and the exact imprint of His nature. Therefore, Christ
Himself declares that no one can know the Father except through Him. He says, "No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him." Knowledge of the Father is only possible through Jesus Christ, through understanding who He is. No one knows the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son reveals Him. In Christ, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden, and in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This is an extraordinary declaration, one that no human being could utter, nor even an angel. The words "In Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily" would not have been fitting on the lips of any man or angel. But in Christ, the glory of God is revealed. To make a comparison with lesser things, consider that you cannot directly gaze at the sun in all its brilliance as it exists in the firmament. Yet, when the sun shines upon the water, you can observe its radiance. In the same way, while our eyes in this world are unable to directly behold the essence of God or adequately express it, we can come closest to beholding God in Jesus Christ. It is in Jesus Christ, as God-man, that we can perceive a great portion of God's glory and even catch a glimpse of His face. This is why it is stated in the Gospel that we behold God with an unveiled face. The apostle Paul, in distinguishing the new covenant from the old, notes that our understanding of God was limited during the time of the Law. In the old testament, there is an expression that says, "No man can see God and live." However, in the new testament, we find the
expression that says, "We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord." This distinction emphasizes that we can now behold the glory of God with an unveiled face, no longer requiring a veil like Moses did. We see the glory of God through the Word, the ordinances, the saints, and our own spirits. Yet, the brightest mirror of all is Jesus Christ. Thus, it is declared in 2
Corinthians 4:6 that God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. God, who once commanded light to shine out of darkness, has now shone in our hearts, enlightening not only our minds but also our hearts. This light shines to give us the knowledge of God and the light that reveals the glory of God. Consider these gradations: God has shone in our hearts to give knowledge, to give the light of knowledge, to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God. All of this is achieved through the face of Jesus Christ. Oh, how blessed are those with a pure heart who come to see God in the face of Jesus Christ! It is a mystery that can only be understood by those who experience it. Those who see
God in Christ understand the profound significance of such a sight and would not trade it for anything in the world. However, it is impossible for them to fully express it to others. Blessed are they who truly see God in this way. Seeing the light is a glorious thing, as Solomon says. Imagine if God had created us with only four senses— hearing, smelling, feeling, and tasting—and then, in our time, decided to add a fifth sense, sight. How glorious would that be for us? Similarly, consider a man who has spent his entire life in a dark dungeon, never having seen light. If, one day, he were released from that dungeon and beheld the radiant sun, it would be an indescribably glorious experience for him. Likewise, if animals, which possess only the sense of sight, were granted understanding to comprehend things, what a wondrous transformation it would be for them! Yet, when God grants us a spiritual sight of Himself, the
change is even greater and surpasses all other glories. It is far more blessed than giving sight to a person who has never experienced it or endowing reason to animals. To see God is a blessed thing, and Scripture describes it to us in various ways.
First of all, it is the result of the Covenant of Grace, although some may disregard its significance due to their lack of understanding.
Just as animals are unaffected by the absence of reason because they are unaware of its meaning, or as a person with all four senses would not comprehend the concept of a fifth sense, the world remains unaffected by the absence of the sight of God because they have no knowledge of it. However, the Scriptures establish it as a fruit of the Covenant of Grace. In Jeremiah, the Lord states, "They shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying,
Know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sin no more." It is both a fruit of the Covenant of Grace and a result of the forgiveness of sins, which is the special mercy of the Covenant. The reason why many of you do not know God is that your iniquities have not been forgiven, and God still remembers your sins. You are not in a covenant relationship with God. When God brings you into covenant with Himself and forgives your sins, He enables you to know Him.
Secondly, God revealing Himself is a great expression of love—God's love for the soul, manifested through His self-revelation. In John
14:21, Jesus says, "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
Christ revealing Himself to the soul is an act of His love and the love of the Father.
Thirdly, it is the blessedness of the glorious Church to see God. When the Lord raises His Church to the highest state of glory, one of the special blessings will be the sight of God. Revelation 22:4 states,
"And they shall see his face." Many aspects are mentioned to convey the excellence and glory of the Church, but this is the most significant—seeing God's face. In comparison to what will be in the future, we currently see very little or nothing at all. We only see the back parts of God. However, there will come a time when the Church will enjoy a great measure of God's presence, even in this world. The previous chapter indicates that this will happen when the kings of the earth bring their glory to the Church. They will not bring their glory to heaven, but the Church will see the face of God.
Fourthly, seeing God is the beginning of life, and even the beginning of eternal life. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent into the world."
One does not truly live until they come to know God. Those in the world are like lifeless bodies, but when they come to know God, they begin to truly live—the life of eternity. Oh, blessed are they!
Fifthly, it is the glory of heaven for the saints to see God. 1 John 3:2 says, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Although I do not speak of the present moment, I mention this verse to emphasize the blessedness of seeing God. It is the expression used by the Holy
Spirit to describe the blessedness of the saints in heaven. "We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." This will be our happiness when we reach heaven—seeing God.
Sixthly, the angels also find great happiness in seeing the face of God, not just the saints. In Matthew 18:10, when describing the happiness
of angels, it is written, "In heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." Here, Christ warns against offending the little ones because their angels always behold the face of His Father.
Seventhly, and I shall add further, it is the happiness—even for Christ Himself—to see the Father. We find this in John 10:15: "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father." Christ emphasizes
His excellence by declaring that the Father knows Him and He knows the Father. Jesus Christ takes pride in knowing the Father. He promises this happiness to the pure in heart—that they too will see
God.
But why is it considered such a blessed thing? There are various reasons, and I will mention a couple now. First, it is a blessed thing to see God because it perfects human understanding. God has given humanity an intellect capable of comprehending all that is true, all truth in general. Therefore, the understanding cannot be perfected until it apprehends the fundamental truth.
Secondly, it brings infinite satisfaction to the understanding. The two are inseparable; perfection necessitates satisfaction and rest.
Imagine if all the beautiful things in the world were combined into one object—that would be a remarkable sight. Now, consider that all beauty, excellence, and glory in all creatures are found in God. When the soul beholds God, it sees all things that are excellent, resulting in a kind of infinite satisfaction. As David says in Psalm 17:15, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." This psalm was likely composed by David when he was driven from Saul's court. He implies that though he cannot behold the face of the king due to his negative reputation, he will behold God's face in righteousness, and upon awakening, he will
be satisfied with God's likeness. It provides infinite satisfaction to the human mind. Many of you seek satisfaction in base and carnal desires. You find satisfaction in being well-dressed, indulging in food and drink, and engaging in impure and debased activities. But what is the comparison between the satisfaction of the soul in the sight of an infinite God and the satisfaction of a soul in base, carnal desires?
Blessed are those who see God; they will be satisfied. In Psalm 36, the psalmist speaks of the sight of God, even in His house. He exclaims, "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." This is the source of satisfaction, the river of pleasure, and the fountain of all that is good. "In thy light shall we see light." The light of God will shine upon the souls of the pure in heart, enabling them to see God, who is the source of all life. Oh, the soul's yearning for God!
Thirdly, Scripture declares that the sight of God is the very source of all grace in the soul, as it allows the soul to partake in the divine nature and be transformed into the image of God. In 2 Peter 1:2, it is written, "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord." All grace and peace come through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. According to His divine power, He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us. The knowledge of God is a wellspring of good for the soul. Through this knowledge, we receive exceedingly great and precious promises, enabling us to partake in the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. All of this is achieved through the knowledge of God. In 2 Corinthians 3:18, it says, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed