The Question Today Is, "WHO WILL SEE GOD?"

A Look At Prophecy In The Gospel of Matthew

WHO WILL SEE GOD?

Matthew 5:8 NLT

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God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
    for they will see God.
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Open The Eyes Of My Heart:

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
Michael W. Smith
(click to listen)

Micheal W. Smith tied together the same two parts of the body that Jesus did in this beatitude - the heart and the eyes. What an appropriate response to Jesus' prophecy. Open the eyes of my heart; I want to see you.

Isaiah the prophet saw the Lord. Listen to what he says:

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord seated upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Isaiah 6:1-7 NIV

It should be the cry of our heart to see God. To ascend into Glory and see our Lord face to face. That is our great hope, says Paul which means it should be our great, if not greatest, desire.

Now The Question Is, "Who Will See God?"

The answer does not match much of our theology or teaching.

Jesus' criteria for seeing God is something we excuse people from needing - a pure heart.

Some people preach this does not happen until heaven. But this Beatitude and Pauls epistles don't place receiving a pure heart the other side of our earthly life.

The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 1 Timothy 1:5 NLT

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. 2 Timothy 2:22 NLT

Paul and Jesus taught a purity of heart in this life as a pre-requisite to heaven and seeing God.

This problem of our theologies and teaching not matching Christ's ties in again to our false (incomplete) teachings, beliefs, and definitions of repentance for we excuse people from turning to God and from bearing the fruit of repentance. Without these two, there is no right standing before God. No purity of heart. No seeing God.

Who will see God?

Those whose hearts are pure will see God.

Photo Credits:

Pure Milk by Lucio Virzl, some rights reserved @flickr.com