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The desire of the ages has been to see God. Moses desired this. Even in his intimate encounter with the Lord on Mt. Sinai, he was not satisfied. “That I might see your face,” was his one desire. Even Thomas, after spending three years with Jesus, said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us.” In the beatitudes, Jesus points us to the fulfillment of that desire: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

It is significant that this privilege is reserved only for one group of people: the pure in heart. Notice that He did not say that “the intellectual” will see God. The focus of God is always on the heart, not the head. There are many who have great intellectual abilities, but the privilege of “seeing God” is not reserved for them but for the pure in heart.

Notice again that it is not the sinless who will see God. All of those who are counted closest to God struggled with the problem of sin. Moses, David, Abraham–all sinned, yet they were counted as friends of God.

Further, it is not the reformed that will see God. Man places his focus on external piety; God focuses on internal reality. Many amend their ways so that they might have a relationship with God, but God declares that all their “righteousness I like filthy rags.” He is concerned with the heart. If the heart is not right, nothing else matters to Him. Indeed, the Pharisees could be considered “pure” from the standpoint of external matters. Their whole goal was to be pure in every area of life. The problem was that they neglected the heart. The pure in heart shall see God.

Signs of a Pure Heart

In Acts 15:9, Peter reminds the other apostles that God has made no distinction between Jew and Gentile, “purifying their hearts by faith.” No one can have a pure heart apart from the saving grace of Jesus. No matter what a person may do to appear pure outwardly, in God’s sight, he remains “impure” in all his thoughts and deeds until his heart has been purified by the blood of Jesus. The starting point for having a pure heart is being saved by faith in Jesus.

2. A pure heart is directed by pure principles.

While the heart is the source of our spiritual problems, the mind directs the heart. If the mind is controlled by impure principles, the heart will likewise be impure. In 2 Timothy 3:8, Paul suggests that the root of the rebellion of Jannes and Jambres against Moses was their corrupt minds. To be pure in heart, we must stir to be pure in our minds. What we place in our minds ultimately affects our hearts.

3. A pure heart is willing to be tested and tried.

Those who have a pure heart are so desirous of purity in their hearts that their constant cry is for God to thoroughly examine them. The Psalmist cried out: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me.” Those who are pure in heart want their impurity to be revealed so that they might deal with even hidden sin.

4. A pure heart abhors sin, not merely forsakes it.

“Through your precepts, I get understanding; I hate every false way,” declared the Psalmist (Psalm 119:104). Many forsake sin for wrong reasons. Some forsake it because of morality–they do not want their sin to become public. Other forsake it because of policy–some things are a matter of principle to them: they do not drink or smoke, not because of a pure heart, but they have decided that certain things will not be part of their lives. Still others forsake sins because of necessity–the opportunity no longer exists for that sin. But the pure in heart forsake sin because they hate what it does to them and their relationship with God.

The pure in heart not only forsake sin, Paul notes that they even “avoid the appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22).” Why? Because they know that the “appearance” often leads to the “occasion.” What begins as a little compromise often leads to greater compromise. The pure in heart are so concerned about their hearts that they avoid even what might lead to sin in the future.

5. A pure heart is focused on knowing and pleasing God.

In Psalm 27, David expresses this heart attitude: “When You said, ‘seek my face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face will I seek.’” The pure in heart strives to have an undivided heart. Gold in the ancient world was considered pure if it was not mixed with impurities. The undivided heart is a pure heart; not a perfect one, but one that is focused on knowing and loving the Lord. Paul spoke of this as his desire: “that I might know Him, the power of His resurrection.” In 2 Timothy 2:4, he reminded Timothy of the need for an undivided heart: “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself in the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” The pure in heart is not perfect, but he strives to keep the focus of his heart on the Lord.

6. A pure heart is one that desires to be made ever more pure.

As David cried out: “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” so the pure in heart is constantly aware of his need to be made more pure. From a distance, the blemishes on a face are often hidden. But as one draws nearer, those imperfections appear more clearly. The same is true regarding the pure in heart. As they draw nearer to God, they see more clearly their imperfections, especially those of the heart. Those distant from the Lord may be content that no outward sin is evident, but those who are pure in heart see their inward sin and cry out to be made pure. The pure in heart are never satisfied with their holiness, for they know they true need of their heart is to be made ever more pure.

Steps to a Pure Heart

First, recognize the impurity of your heart. Only those who see their need will seek to be made more pure. Second, mourn regularly over your sinfulness. A heart that is not broken over personal sin is not a pure heart. James calls upon believers to: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep!” The pure in heart mourn over their sinful condition. Finally, having a pure heart requires having a single-mind. Notice what James calls those without pure hearts: double-minded. To be double-minded is to think one way and to act another. It is to agree with doctrine but to live contrary to it. The pure in heart are not perfect or sinless; but they strive to have a single-mind that lives according to its beliefs.

“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”

Copyright Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

John 3 is perhaps the most popular chapter in the New Testament. It contains the most quoted verse: John 3:16. It advances Christianity’s most important teaching about salvation: “Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven.” It includes some of the most important teachings about the nature of salvation and what one must do to be saved. J.C. Ryle, in his Expository Thoughts on John’s Gospel, notes: “To be ignorant of the matters handled in this chapter, is to be on the broad way that leads to destruction.”

With these thoughts in mind, we undertake to examine some of the thoughts and ideas of this great chapter with the hope that some who are religious may understand the true nature of salvation and come to Christ. First, I ask that, as we examine this passage, you do so with an open Bible. Read John 3 over and over. While these thoughts may help you to understand the nature of salvation, it is God’s Word alone that one must trust, never the words of man. Second, I ask that you are honest with yourself about what you are reading. Does your experience indicate that you have truly been born again or that you are merely following the outward rituals of empty religious practices?

The first thing we notice in the chapter is that Jesus confronts a man with “empty religion.” If you were to survey the world today, one thing you would have to agree on is that the world is full of religions all requiring much and offering little. In every case, these religions are saying “Do, do, do and you might be accepted by God.”

In Nicodemus, Jesus confronts just such a man. He is identified as a Pharisee, but not just any ordinary Pharisee. He was a “ruler of the Sanhedrin.” We learn later that this man is not just a member of the ruling religious body; he is also a teacher.

The Pharisees were a very religious group in Israel that bitterly opposed Jesus during His time on earth. Religiously, they were very active. They attended synagogue more than required by law; they gave alms and offerings to the poor; they prayed and fasted regularly; they kept the law meticulously. They believed that God would accept them because they kept His commands and treated people right. If anyone deserved heaven, they did.

To the Pharisee, salvation was granted to those who kept all God’s commands. They were a group that believed that their own works could earn them salvation. So concerned were they about keeping all God’s laws that they set up additional laws more restrictive than God’s laws. These laws ranged from the ridiculous to the absurd. William Hendriksen noted that a woman was not allowed to look in the mirror on the Sabbath day lest she see a gray hair and be tempted to pull it out and thus “work” on the Sabbath. They also taught that you could not eat an egg laid on the Sabbath unless you killed the chicken who did the work!

Nicodemus belonged to that group–but why was he coming to Jesus. Had he begun to see the emptiness of His own religious practices? Had he begun to question the silliness of some of the very things he had taught? Was he beginning to see that his formal religion did not measure up to the teachings of this man called Jesus? In short, Nicodemus has begun to examine his own religion and realizes it is empty.

Throughout the world, man is very religious. Whether he is worshipping a volcano or spinning a prayer wheel or saying a prayer or talking to a “guide,” man has been ingenious in his religious attempts to reach God. Yet those very religions are often the greatest barrier to one coming to Jesus. Like Nicodemus before us, we fear that someone in our group might know that we are considering something else even though our own religion is very empty. With these in mind, Nicodemus comes to Jesus secretly, under the cover of night.

Peter Jefferies warns of the great danger of “empty, man-made religions:”

Of all man’s creations nothing is so vile and evil as man-made religion. Whether it be Phariseeism, Hinduism, Islam or the many distortions of Christianity, the result of man-made religion is always to reduce God to our size, to make God manageable. And it is always a salvation by works religion. Consequently it takes men away from God. It leaves men and women with no Savior and no answer to their sin and guilt.

The nonsense of Phariseeism is clear to see, but do we see how equally ridiculous is much of man-distorted Christianity? For instance, does the sprinkling of a few drops of water on a baby’s head really make it a Christian? Does going to church now and again, or even every week make a sinner right with God? Isn’t that as ridiculous as the Pharisees’ gray hair and egg?

Man-made religions always leave us with no hope or certainty. As long as your salvation depends on you to any degree, how can you ever be sure? Biblical Christianity provides the only answer–it looks to Jesus alone for the solution.

Nicodemus had his fill of formal religion and it left him empty. He hears of Jesus and he sees a difference. He cannot understand the difference but he knows that this Jesus is different.

The starting place for salvation is to come to Jesus. It is to examine Him, His life, His teachings, His death and resurrection, His claims about Himself. Most who desire to “cross Jesus off their list of options” have never really considered Jesus. Have you? Nicodemus knew he was empty and he decided to go directly to the source–he went to check out Jesus. Will you? Will you read what the Bible says of this man and evaluate Him honestly?

Copyright Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

Of all the books that have ever been printed, John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress stands second only to the Bible itself. And with good reason: Bunyan’s writings were filled with Scripture. Princeton scholar, Emile Caillet states:

In my own estimation, next to the Bible which in is a class by itself, Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress rates highest among all the classics … the reason I have put The Pilgrim’s Progress next only to the Bible is that as I proceed along the appointed course, I need not only an authoritative book of inspiration and instruction; I need a map. We all do. My considered judgment … is that Bunyan’s masterpiece has provided us with the most excellent map to be found anywhere.

His Life

John Bunyan was born in 1628 in Elstow, England. He came to faith around the age of twenty-five (An account of his life and conversion can be found in his autobiography, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners). His eventually joined John Gifford’s church in Bedford where he was encouraged to preach. The beginning of his preaching ministry coincided with the Stuart Restoration of 1660 which punished all preaching not sanctioned by the Church of England. Bunyan was arrested in 1660 for preaching illegally and sentenced to three months in prison. His continual refusal to assure the authorities that he would refrain from preaching upon release prolonged his imprisonment for twelve years until 1672.

During that time, he made shoe laces (to support his wife and children), preached to prisoners and crowds outside his prison, and wrote many books and pamphlets. He was so trusted by his jailers that they often permitted him to leave his cell to go and preach to illegal gatherings in the woods! Afterwards, he always returned voluntarily to his jail cell.

After his release from prison, Bunyan became the pastor of a church in Bedford. Crowds thronged to hear this man take the truths of heaven and bring them down to earth. Once, after the great Puritan scholar John Owen returned from hearing Bunyan, the king, Charles II, ridiculed him for hearing such an “illiterate tinker”. Owen replied: “May it please your majesty, could I possess that tinker’s abilities for preaching, I would most gladly relinquish all my learning.”

After riding on horseback in a heavy rainstorm, Bunyan contracted a fever and died in the home of a friend on August 31, 1688. Though Bunyan died at the age of sixty, his writings continue to preach his message. When China’s Communist government printed Pilgrim’s Progress as an example of Western cultural heritage, the initial printing of 200,000 was sold out in just three days!

While Pilgrim’s Progress continues to have impact on readers, in America, little attention is presently given to it inspite of the fact that it has the ability to impart doctrine and practice to both children and adults alike. In Pilgrim’s Progress, the same great theological truths taught by Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and Edwards come to life right before our eyes. As one author puts it: “Bunyan turns theology and doctrine into an exciting adventure, and imaginations are captured as these truths are personified. A person who thoroughly understands The Pilgrim’s Progress is an accomplished theologian.” (Maureen Bradley, The Pilgrim’s Progress Study Guide).

Pilgrim’s Progress can also be a great help in preaching. Charles Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers,” said, of all the authors he read, Bunyan “is my great favorite.” During his life time, Spurgeon records that he had read Pilgrim’s Progress as least one hundred times. Speaking of Bunyan, Spurgeon said,

Read anything of his, and you will see that it almost like reading the Bible itself. He had read it till his very soul was saturated with Scripture; and though his writings were charmingly full of poetry, yet he cannot give us his Pilgrim’s Progress — that sweetest of all prose poems — without continually making us feel and say, “Why, this man is a living Bible!” Prick him anywhere; his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his very soul is full of the Word of God. I commend his example to you, beloved.

My family has greatly benefited from the study of Bunyan. Below I have listed some resources that may help you in this endeavor. My hope is to provide a series of articles in future issues related to this great book that will stir greater interest in it. But, regardless of the outcome of these articles, read Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress; you’re in for a great adventure in theology and life.

Copyright Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International