Vision by Personal Purity

"Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God," Matthew 5:8.

A quick perusal of an online concordance suggests that the word "pure" is most often used in the Bible to describe gold with a smattering of references to nard, incense and the heart. In each case, "pure" modifies an object of great value.

"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false," Psalm 24:3,4.

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me," Psalm 51:10.

Oswald writes that purity comes from "sustained spiritual sympathy with God." Sustained means to keep up over an extended period of time, over the long haul. Spiritual implies something beyond the physical and mental, that which involves the spirit or affects the soul. Sympathy means mutual understanding or affection.

Blessed are those who commit themselves over the long haul to a pursuit of the intangible, who search with their spirits, their entire personality, the essence of their beings, for a connection, an affectionate understanding or relationship with God . . . for they shall be rewarded. They shall see Him face to face.