Blessed are the pure in heart.
Matthew 5:8
Jesus always spoke to matters of the heart. And there are many verses in the Bible that address this topic. So, what exactly is meant by the “heart”?
The Bible describes every created human being as a trichotomy: body, soul, and spirit. Each part represents how God has divinely purposed our existence. The second component of our lives listed, the soul, is primarily represented in the Scriptures as the heart. This represents the very center of our existence and involves our mind, emotion, and will.
In Matthew 9:4, Jesus confronted the Scribes, for He knew their thoughts. He said to them, “why are you thinking evil things in your heart.” The function of thought, or the mind, was designated as an expression of the spiritual heart.
In Acts 11:23, we read, “When Barnabas arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain with the Lord with purpose of heart.” This reference to “purpose” reveals one’s personal will and represents an expression of the spiritual heart.
In John 16:22, Jesus spoke, “you also now have sorrow, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one takes your joy away from you.” Emotional expressions, as most would expect, is indeed identified as coming from our spiritual heart.
So, when Jesus addressed the heart, the emphasis fell upon one’s soul: the mind, the will, and the emotions. Our spiritual heart, the intangible non-physical heart, represents the internal you – the real you. Everything you think, feel, and purpose comes from the heart.
And, Jesus instructed a pure heart. This teaches that our thoughts, emotions, and will must align with Him. The Greek term for “heart” (kardia) can refer in the Scriptures to the physical heart, but can also refer to the center of life where thoughts, desires, and a sense of purpose are formed. So, to be pure in heart represents being blameless before God in mind, will, and emotions.
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “What lies behind us and lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what is inside of us.” I am not sure if Emerson was inspired to speak about the soul, but His facts are spot-on. We at times strive against depressive thoughts concerning the past – that which lies behind us, as sometimes failures and disappointments assault our memories. We also strive against anxious thoughts of the future concerning the uncertainties and unknowns that lie ahead of us. But the greater concern is what lies within us. What abides in our thoughts, emotions, and will?
Paul wrote to the Christians of Colossae, “set your mind on things above” (Colossians 3:1). Paul used a word for mind that represents both the cognizant and the visceral aspects of thought. The former comes from the mind, and the latter from the heart (the gut, as one might say). So again, the heart represents our core – our true center of thoughts, emotions, and will. These represent the sum total of how we react and respond to life. And now we know more in-depth why the Psalmist said, “why so downcast O my soul, put your hope in God” (Psalm 42:5). In the language of this expression, the Psalmist referenced the soul as one’s “real being” responding to God.
So today, how does your soul respond? And, how has your soul (the real you) responded to the work of the Holy Spirit in your spirit? How has the real you responded to God’s regenerating work that has made you truly alive?
We often ask if our actions (our body) agree with our new creation in Christ. But we must also ask how our soul (our real inner being) agrees with our spiritual identity in Christ? Do we think, feel, and purpose in a way that truly magnifies Jesus? If not, let’s resolve now to truly love and serve Christ our Lord with “all our heart”. May we truly be pure in heart!
Blessings.
