The search for personal purity can be long and at times agonizing. We live in a world which is spiritually and morally unclean. A great number of people have become familiar with Ouija boards and various other occult practices. Giant, wall-mounted TV sets flash evil images into our homes, and pornography to handheld devices in quick clicks. Glossy magazines portray decadent lifestyles as not just glamorous but desirable, and ever-lowering standards are presented as reasonable alternatives to “narrow-minded” thinking.
The Lord’s statement: “The pure in heart shall see God” infers that those who are impure shall not. The question is: How in the world can you and I become that pure?
The Greek word “katharos” means “pure, as being cleansed” and refers to a purity that comes from an inner cleansing. The English word “catharsis” comes from this word and describes a purging. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle believed that artistic performances that caused “highs” and “lows” in audiences were useful in relieving people of their unhealthy, bottled-up emotions.
We now refer to such performances as “tear-jerkers” and Soap Operas. Confession of hidden sins is known as “cathartic revelation” — a cleansing of the soul. Luke 11:41 and Titus 1:15 deal with the believer’s freedom from external ceremonial washings.
From all this it’s clear that what matters most is that we are to be clean not just outwardly with soap, but also inwardly through God’s forgiveness.
The first miracle that Jesus did was change ordinary washing water into fine wine. Through this miracle Jesus introduced himself to witnesses as one who would bring a change from religious ritualism to spiritual enjoyment. Jesus contrasted the Jewish leaders careful, ceremonial washing of their hands before eating, with unclean thoughts in the heart that overflowed through the words of their mouths, he was not dismissing the need for basic hygiene but was pointing out the need for a cleansing that was more than one that was superficial (Matthew 15:1-20).
So the “pure in heart” are those who have been cleansed, and since their sincere hope is to see God in the Resurrection and to be changed into His image, they keep themselves clean (1 John 3:3).
The apostle Peter wrote his first epistle to Christians who were experiencing severe persecution. Peter encouraged them to view their trials as a cleansing preparation for entry into the kingdom. He warned that fiery judgement of a far worse kind awaited those who heard the Gospel and refused to repent. “For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of the Lord, and if it begins with us, what will be the fate of those who disobey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17)
Ezekiel 9:6 and Amos 3:2 also convey the thought that judgement begins with the people of God.
The Apostle Paul informs us that if we would judge ourselves God would not judge us. It is up to us to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”.