PURE IN HEART
Verse 8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." If our heart is pure we will see God. Our motives, intentions, desires, and purposes must come out of a pure heart. To have a pure heart means that our heart is single, seeking nothing but the Lord Himself.
These six inward conditions begin with our spirit and end with our heart. This means we all must learn to attune our spirit and our heart. We all need to pray, "Lord, adjust me. Grant me a proper spirit and a proper heart. Otherwise, I can never have the proper kingdom life."
MAKING PEACE
When we have the proper inward condition toward the Lord, something will spontaneously come out as the outward state. The first item which will come out is that of making peace. We will be peacemakers, and we will be called sons of God. This is because the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is the One who makes peace. He is the real peacemaker, and we are the sons of God. If we are those who are poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful toward others, and pure in heart, surely we will be peacemakers. Do you think such a person could fight with others? Surely such a one will be peaceful and also a peacemaker.
PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
If you exercise to keep yourself right with God and right with others according to God, you will be persecuted. Others will not appreciate you and they will persecute you. You will suffer for seeking after righteousness. This is the second outward state of the character of the children of the kingdom.
PERSECUTED FOR CHRIST
The third outward state is that you will be persecuted for Christ. People will revile you and say evil things about you because of Christ. Paul the Apostle suffered from evil reports (2 Cor. 6:8). We also have received some evil reports. Many times people have reviled us, spreading rumors and lies. This is to suffer for Jesus Christ. It may be that because you have turned to the Lord’s recovery, some of your relatives and friends have spoken evil concerning you. Even if they know nothing evil about you, they may create some rumors according to their imagination. Then you will have an evil report. The Lord Jesus said when this happens, we need to rejoice because our reward in the heavens is great.
These are the items of the character of the children of the kingdom. They are poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungry and thirsty after the Lord’s righteousness, merciful toward others, pure in heart, always making peace, suffering persecution for the sake of righteousness, and suffering persecution for Christ’s sake. This must be our character. We must be this kind of people.
(The Kingdom, Chapter 32, by Witness Lee)
