Christ places emphasis upon the kingdom of divine grace in the hearts of men in this present age, though not to the exclusion of the kingdom of eternal glory in the age to come (see on v. 3). It is clear, therefore, that the words “see God” refer to spiritual as well as to physical sight. Those who feel their spiritual need enter the “kingdom of heaven” (v. 3) now; those who mourn for sin (v. 4) are comforted now; those who are humblehearted (v. 5) receive their title to the new earth now; those who hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Jesus Christ (v. 6) are filled now; the merciful (v. 7) obtain mercy now. In like manner, the pure in heart have the privilege of seeing God now, through eyes of faith; and eventually, in the glorious kingdom, it will be their privilege to see Him face to face (1 John 3:2; Rev. 22:4). Furthermore, only those who develop the heavenly vision in this present world will have the privilege of seeing God in the world to come.

 As with physical narcotics and intoxicants, the first effect of sin is to becloud the higher faculties of mind and soul. It was only after the serpent had charmed Eve into seeing with the eyes of her soul that “the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise” that “she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat” (Gen. 3:6). When the serpent said, “Then your eyes shall be opened,” he referred to figurative sight, for the result of their “eyes” being “opened” was a knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:5). The devil first blinds men by persuading them to believe that experience with sin will give them clearer sight. However, sin leads to further blindness.

 Sinners “have eyes,” but they “see not” (Jer. 5:21; cf. Isa. 6:10; Eze. 12:2).

 Only those with singleness of heart will ever “see God.” When the “eye” of the soul is “single” the life will be full of “light” (Matt. 6:22, 23). Too many Christians become spiritually cross-eyed in the attempt to keep one eye fixed on the heavenly Canaan and the other on the “pleasures of sin” (Heb. 11:25) and the “flesh pots” of Egypt (Ex. 16:3). Our only safety is to live by principle, to make God first in the life. Those today who see that the things of the world are to be “desired,” whose attention is fixed on the glittering baubles of earth that Satan displays, will never see the greater value of obeying God. The window of the soul must be kept clean if we would “see God.”

 The word translated “heart” designates the intellect (ch. 13:15), the conscience (1 John 3:20, 21), the inner man (1 Peter 3:4). Purity of heart, in the sense Christ used it, includes far more than sexual purity (MB 25); it includes all desirable character traits to the exclusion of all that are undesirable. To be “pure in heart” is equivalent to being clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness (see on Matt 22:11, 12), the “fine linen” with which the saints are arrayed (Rev. 19:8; cf. ch. 3:18, 19)— perfection of character.

 It was not ceremonial purity that Jesus had in mind (Matt. 15:18-20; 23:25), but inward cleanness of heart. If the motives are pure, the life will be pure.

 Those with pure hearts have forsaken sin as a ruling principle in the life, and their lives are without reserve consecrated to God (see Rom. 6:14-16; 8:14-17). To be “pure in heart” does not mean that one is absolutely sinless, but it does mean that his motives are right, that by the grace of Christ he has turned his back on past mistakes, and that he is pressing toward the mark of perfection in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13-15).