February 3: Enter with a Pure Heart

To seek God, we need to enter His presence with holiness, for “without holiness no one will see God” (Heb. 12: 14). As Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). I don’t believe these verses refer to seeing God in heaven after we die, but rather to see God now, in the sense of entering into His presence in a relationship of intimacy so we can know His heart and mind. What does it mean to be pure in heart? Pure means holy. Therefore, Jesus was saying, in effect, “Blessed are the holy in heart, for they shall see God.”

The word holy means to sanctify, or set apart, or to be set. Blessed is the [set] in heart, for they shall see God. When you are pure in heart, your mind is set on God and His ways. “I am the Lord, your God, consecrate yourselves [set yourselves apart] and be holy because I am holy” (Lev. 11:44). I am the Lord who makes you holy (Lev. 20:8). Perhaps no word describes God better than holiness. God is saying, “Set yourself in the same way that I set myself; be holy, just as I am holy.”

To consecrate yourself means to position yourself in such a way that you say, “I am not going to stop until I get what I am going after.” Leviticus 20: 26 says, “you are to be holy to me because I the Lord am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.” Holiness involves separation. It has to do with fixing yourself on God and not being influenced by people whose minds are not centered on Him and who do not believe His word. Note: Holiness is critical to prayer because without holiness no one will see the Lord. Please read Galatians 5: 22-26. You can substitute like this, “The fruit of holiness,for the fruit of the Spirit is love…”

Let’s pray: Father, I desire to be holy as you are holy. Let Your Word teach me how to consecrate myself unto You and Your precepts, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today’s reading: Exodus 31-33; Matthew 22:1-22

Its Hard to See God without Holiness.