And in Heaven, John says we shall see him as he is. ‘They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.’ (Revelation 22:4) There is great mystery here. ‘Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.’ (1 John 3:2-3) I love these verses. They’re saying one day we will be totally pure, so get on with being as pure as we can be right now! Our present efforts for purity are consistent with our future hope.
Think of the money people will spend to go on holiday and see beautiful things, from the Great Barrier Reef to Machu Picchu to hiking in the Alps. But the pure in heart will see God. It is mind-blowing to think what that will be like. To see God is to experience the greatest, loveliest, most awesome One in the universe. ‘You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.’ (Psalm 16:11) Seeing God, and full of joy.
M L Jones: ‘The only way to have a pure heart is to realise you have an impure heart, and to do that which alone can lead to cleansing and purity.’
We cannot change ourselves and so we need to pray for a pure heart. God will give this to us if we ask! And the other thing we need to do is soak ourselves in scripture.
‘You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.’ (John 15:3)
‘Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.’ (John 17:17)