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Friday 9 August 2002 - "The five diamonds of a pure life" - Wedding of Waldemar and Susan

(Summary of sermon by Erlo Stegen)

Mt 5:8

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Mt 9:36

36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

In these verses there are five precious diamonds that those with a pure heart have and keep with them always.

We read here of the blessedness of those with a pure heart. Some other languages translate it very well, like Afrikaans, "Welgeluksalig", meaning three times blessed. It is the highest form of joy and blessedness that those with a pure heart have. Who are they?

In Jer 17:9 & 10 we read that the heart is deceitful above all things. There are many things that are deceitful in this world, but the heart of man is deceitful above all of them. God searches and tries the hearts to give each one according to his way and fruit. The heart is so deceitful that a person will be convinced that he is right when he is wrong - convinced that he's on the way to heaven, whereas he is heading straight for hell.

1) Those with a pure heart have only one aim, ambition and goal in life, and that is to obey God and serve Him alone. They are not double-minded. In a pure heart there is no

• bitterness
• jealousy
• touchiness
• over sensitivity
• grudge - A pure heart never holds a grudge.
• anger

God has cleansed that heart, and therefore these things are no longer found in that heart. Have you come to God in all earnestness and prayed Him to search and try your heart and change your heart and life?

It is a great evil and wickedness when people call themselves Christians, and yet these things are in their hearts. You need to come to Jesus to search and try your heart and deal with these hellish things. Do not deceive yourself, you cannot serve two masters.

We read here that the person with a pure heart will see God. That person will stand in God's presence, because his heart was purified by faith, as we read in Acts 15:9. In other words, his faith was not on his lips only, but went deep to the depths of his heart, and purified his deceitful heart. When such a heart is made pure, that person is

• always kind
• always loving
• courteous
• satisfied
• humble
• willing to forgive

This diamond of the pure heart is a great one, without spot or blemish.

2) A pure heart has love and compassion.

When people live together and they do not love each other, it is a foretaste of hell. Even something good will be evil in the eyes of the other person. The Bible says in Prov 10:12 that "love covers a multitude of sins". When Spurgeon was criticised about three points by a certain person, he replied that it is wonderful that someone who does not love him could only find three things to criticise him about.

The Greek for compassion is, splagcnizomai (splagchnizomai)

It conveys the meaning of your bowels moving or turning upside down out of compassion. Do you know this, or are you just a superficial Christian. The Christian life doesn't leave one stone unturned. Everything is made new.

3) We should realize that we are in a fight with a very strong foe. This is a good fight, for it's for God's glory. It is good to know God's will in marriage, and in your life, but that is not good enough.

4) You must watch and pray, which is the fourth diamond of a pure heart. We must see to it that our hearts stay pure. Luther said that we must know that with our own strength, knowledge or experience we can do nothing. Only God can lead us on His true and holy way through His grace.

5) The right Man fights for us, chosen by God Himself.

It is truly wonderful when we have that assurance that God fights for us. Put all your confidence and trust in Him alone. Cursed is the man who trusts in man or the arm of flesh, as we read in Jer 17:5.

Problems will arise in life, but with these diamonds you have nothing to fear. In all things you will be more than a conqueror.