Is There A Way To See God?

This is our Understanding the Scripture segment, we are in the gospel of Matthew chapter 5, and we’re going to pick up with verse 8:“Blessed are the pure in heart:for they shall see God.” Dave, who would qualify for that?

Dave:

Well, we don’t have pure hearts, we’re sinners. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts adulteries, fornication, and so forth.Jesus says this defiles us.But the Bible talks about a perfect heart also, and what do I really want?We’ve given many illustrations.You can go to Hebrews:11:6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
See All..., “Without faith it is impossible to please Him:for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”We’renot seeking things, we’re seeking God.We’re not seeking His gifts, we’re seeking God, and God said to Abraham, must have been a shocking statement: I am your shield, and your exceeding great reward.So, I think when it talks about David, “walked before me with a perfect heart’ but he wasn’t perfect, he sinned.But at least he repented, and in hisheart he really wanted to know God and to please God.So, I would say the pure in heart, they have a pure motive.

Tom:

So, it’s more an attitude of the heart than it is the condition.

Dave:

I think so.They shall see God.

Tom:

Dave, do you remember, and help me with this, Wasn’t there a story about the Soviet cosmonauts? Do you know that story?

Dave:

Yes.Well, this is a true story, and this little girl must have had a lot of courage because the teacher—I think she was 8 years old, something like that, the teacher was ridiculing the idea of God and saying, O God, we sent—I think then they called the cosmonauts, Yuri Gagarin,I think was the first one, who got very out of the earth’s atmosphere— well, we sent Yuri up there andhe looked around and didn’t see God.And a little girl raised her hand and said, But was he pure in heart?That was probably lost on the teacher and the class, they didn’t even know the verse probably.But anyway, this is a little girl who was obviously getting some Bible study and understanding of the Scriptures, who obviously had become a Christian.

Tom:

Verse 9:“Blessed are the peacemakers:for they shall be called the children of God.”Dave, one of the things that we see with regard to the interpretation application of the Beatitudes is all of a sudden for some people, works.Well, as long as you are out there keeping the peace and doing certain things, these can be channeled into works salvation, can’t they?

Dave:

Well, if you misunderstood it, Blessed are the peace makers:for they shall be called the children of God, and yet the Scripture says, we are the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Tom:

And you can’t really bring peace unless you bring the gospel of peace.

Dave:

Right.Peace with God, there will never be peace among men unless we have peace in our hearts with God.And we should then be peace makers.We should not bring strife, but we should bring peace among—well, in our family, among our friends, and so forth, the best way we can.And that is pleasing to God, it doesn’t get us to heaven, but it is pleasing to Him.

Tom:

Verse 10:“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake:for theirs is the kingdom ofheaven.”

Dave:

Yeah, so it doesn’t say, Blessed are they that are persecuted.Aw, they’re persecuting me, I just can’t get along with anybody, they are just all against me.Well, that’s not what it’s talking about.Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, and Peter deals with that in 1 Peter 4.He says, What thank have you, what’s the good of it, what would earn you ifyou are persecuted for what you have done wrong, and you are disciplined for what you have done wrong.But ifyou are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for the sake of Christ, Christ says there’s a blessing that will come to you.

Tom:

Verse 11:“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”I guess the “for my sake” Dave, is just asyou mentioned in the last verse, that’s the qualifier.

Dave:

Well, if it’snot for Christ’s sake, if they are saying all manner of evil against you for your sake because you have done it, it says “falsely” for my sake.I like the next verse:“Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:for great is your reward in heaven:for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”I remember the story of the preacher and someone came to him and said, Do you know the things that people are saying about you, the lies they are telling?And he said, Well, why are you telling me this?You want to see howhigh I can leap?Be exceeding glad, great is your reward in heaven.And another gospel that says:Leap for joy!So, Great is your reward in heaven—it’s easy for us to forget that.God is going to reward us and it will be a reward, but we are not working for a reward, in fact, I tell the Lord, I don’t deserve any reward at all, it would only be by your mercy and your grace.

Tom:

Dave, you know what we see today that, you know, leaders in the church, they want to be popular.This is so contrary to what we see going on that they want to be on the cover of Time Magazine, or they want to be so impressed the world.As one individual said, To restore the credibility to Christianity.What does that mean?

Dave:

Well, we’re not seeking credibility, and the gospel is foolishness to the natural man.So we are going to restore credibility to the world, thanks for doing well?Then we are not doing well.

Tom:

Well it’s certainly contrary to these verses we’ve been reading, Dave.

Dave:

It certainly is.

Tom:

Verse 13:Ye are the salt of the earth:but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Dave:

This is very simple, these are simple statements, the salt has lost its savor.I don’t know how that happens, but I guess it can, then it’snot good for anything.What can you do with it?Now, we are the salt of the earth.I guess that means we should be like seasoning, we should be something that is needed to give a proper taste, a proper flavor.

Tom:

It also has preserving qualities, doesn’t it, Dave?

Dave:

Right, right, yeah.So, are we going to preserve the world?Well, if they are willing to be preserved. We have the message of salvation, the only way that anyone can be preserved.