Matthew 5:8 - Pure in Heart

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount started with several benedictions--blessings--and one of those is: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8)

Pure does not mean sinless. "Pure in heart" means to have no hidden agenda. There are no ulterior motives. What you see is what you get. 

Now someone could be thoroughly corrupt and not bother to hide it. While they can't be accused of hypocrisy, they are not pure in heart, either.

The pure in heart are totally transparent before God and willing for Him to change them. That's how Jesus described Nathanael: "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" (John 1:47, NASB95)

There are several scriptures that say no one can see God.* At the same time, the Bible says, "With the pure You show Yourself pure, and with the crooked You show Yourself astute." (Psalm 18:26 & 2 Samuel 22:27, NASB95) 

How does one "see God," then? How does God "show Himself pure" to anyone?

We read that, “...God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6, NASB95) 

Though we cannot yet see God's face, we see His glory when we encounter the Christ of the New Testament. When we approach Jesus Christ with a "pure heart" -- that is, without trying to hide anything, He changes us. We start to share His glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 John 3:2)

Psalm 139 describes how God knows all about us: wherever we go, whatever we do. He knew us before we were born; He knows our thoughts before we utter a word. But that doesn't change us until we pull back the window blinds and let God see what He already knows about us. David's conclusion to Psalm 139 is a prayer for the pure in heart:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way [Literally, 'way of pain,' NASB] in me, And lead me in the everlasting way."  Amen. (Psalm 139:23–24, NASB95)

*Exodus 33:20; John 1:18, 6:46; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 6:16; 1 John 4:12. Cross references from NASB95. These references combined with the ones above would make a good Bible Study!