The Pure in Heart

As Seventh-day Adventists, we look forward to the day we  will see our Lord face to face. Jesus Himself promised, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). These words provide wonderful assurance to all who are preparing their hearts for the coming of Jesus. Hebrews 12:14 also urges us, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Finally, knowing that every evidence of sin will one day be destroyed, the apostle Peter asks, “What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God?” (2 Peter 3:11, 12).

We are called to purity of heart and life as we prepare for our soon-coming Savior. Still, we live in a broken and sinful world, surrounded by immorality and corruption. Even that which appears pure is often tainted by hypocrisy, selfish motives, pride, and a desire for human praise. The Bible exposes the underlying cause of this sinfulness and corruption when it says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9).