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We are continuing our series in the book of Matthew and chapter 5, we've entitled this segment The King's speech, the speech given by Jesus Christ, the King of kings the Lord of lords. Now, let me begin with a little story. It's a story of an arrogant man who came to his pastor one day and said, "Pastor, I have not been in church for the past year, I'm sure you have you've realized that, right?" The pastor says, "Yah, I realized you've not been here for quite some time." "Do you want to know why, pastor?" "Sure." "Well, pastor I realized that in your church, I can't come because it is full of hypocrites." The pastor then, have a, had a smile on his face and says, "But that is quite all right, there is always room for one more like you."

This morning we're going to look at hypocrisy or hypocrites. Jesus Christ really hates hypocrisy. He really hates it. In Matthew chapter 23, if you have time go and take a look, but in Matthew 23 Jesus pronounces woe after woe, after woe. Means jiat lat, after jiat lat, after jiat lat. It means you are in deep trouble, woe unto you, woe unto you, woe unto you, eight times.

Who are the people who have, who have these curses, these words of damnation pronounced upon them? Jesus says, "Woe unto you, O hypocrites, woe unto you, O hypocrites, woe unto you, O hypocrites." You say, who are the hypocrites? Hypocrites are people who pretend to love God, pretend to serve God when their hearts actually far from God.

They clean up their language, they clean up their outward actions, they clean up their rituals, but their hearts are far from God. Jesus describes hypocrites like cups. You say why cups. Well, there are people today who clean the outside of the cup but the inside of the cup is full of filth. Would you want a cup like that? Looks good on the outside but you won't dare to take a sip from that cup because it's, it's strange, it's weird, why would you clean the outside when your inside is still so filthy.

He says hypocrites are exactly like this; they like to look good on the outside but they are filthy on the inside. They are like white washed tombs; you have tombstones that are clean but within the tomb is a stinking corpse. Hypocrites are exactly that; they don't love God, they look like they love God, but actually they love themselves; they look like they love God, so that people would believe they love God, so that people would now praise them and maybe even give money to them.

Jesus says, "You hypocrites, you devour widows houses, you pretend to make long prayers, you wash your hands before your meals, you stay away from bad people, you want the whole world to think you are godly, religious, you love God, but you're actually putting up a show to deceive people that they may praise you and give you money, your heart is far from Me."

Jesus says in Mark 7:6, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."

And Jesus absolutely hates hypocrisy. These people do not know God, they're not born again, they're not part of the kingdom. And it is in this context, in this understanding of the filthiness and the horrible nature of hypocrisy that we can then fully appreciate the sixth beatitude today.

Jesus said, some 2000 years ago, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Mat 5:8) Because they are not hypocrites; their hearts are clean, they're sincere and they love God. Blessed are such people, pure in heart, for they shall see God.

So this morning I just want to do a few things. Number one, I will explain to you what it means to be pure in heart. Number two, I'm going to explain what it means to see God. And number three, I'm going to ask you simple question and an application that follows after that, alright? So, very simple, part one pure in heart; part two, they shall see God; part three, a question and an answer.

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So number one, what does it mean, when Jesus says blessed are the pure in heart? The word "pure" is in the Greek the word "katharós" from which you get the understanding of clean or unmixed or unadulterated. It's pure, it's not mixed with impurities. It's a word that can be used to apply to metals. Let's say you say I have pure gold. People ask you, how pure is your, your pure? Is it 999 pure? So this word "katharós" refers to purity in the sense that it is not mixed with something else. It is clean, it is whole. When it's applied to the heart, it refers to someone who is not double minded, someone who is not insincere, but someone who is genuine, his whole heart loves God. He's not just someone who cleans up his language, not just someone who cleans up his rituals, not just someone who performs actions before others, but his heart is sincere and devoted towards God; freed from hypocrisy.

The Bible actually speaks about such a heart throughout. For example, in 1 Chronicles, David prayed this prayer for his son. If you have a daughter or son today, maybe this is a good prayer for you alright? Oh, may my son be the top scholars in PSLE. Well, that's not what David prayed. David prayed, "Lord give Solomon my son a whole heart." A sincere heart, a heart that is without false mixed motives; he's genuine; he really longs for you. Give my son such a heart, so that when he really loves you, he will "keep Your commandments, Your testimonies, Your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision" (1 Chr 29:19) Oh, give my son a whole heart.

In Psalm 24, "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false," (Psa 24:4a) Psalm refers to an idol; that his soul is not lifted up to another idol; he's pure, he's whole, he's sincere, he's dedicated to God. That's what it means to have a pure heart.

In Psalm 86, "Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart," (Psa 86:11a) Don't let it be distracted, but gather my heart with one heart, let me fear Your name.

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (Jas 4:8)

So this is what it means, that God desires people who love Him with their whole heart. Let me ask you today, is this easy? How many of you say, it's very difficult to have such a heart, a pure heart that loves God. Can I see by a show of hands, how many of you say it's difficult, it's really difficult to be able to love God with my whole heart? Can I see by a show of hands? Actually some of you don't raise your hands huh? How many of you say it's not difficult, can I see by a show of hands? The rest of you double-minded you know.

Now let me, let me give you my response. I think it is not difficult to love God with our whole heart, it's not difficult to be pure in heart because it is impossible to have such a heart, alright? I want you to realize how impossible it is, because some of us, we think, "Yah it's a hard thing, but I'm going to try." Some of you may be here for the first time, you say, "Wah the Christian teaching is that I must be pure in heart, so I'm going to try to love God with all my heart." Let me tell you something, don't try, because it is impossible for you. Don't try, because it is impossible for you, get that.

You say, are you sure it's impossible ? Yes, I think so, the Bible tells me very clearly, this is how our heart, how our human heart is now, after Adam and Eve have fallen into sin. The whole of humanity has such a corruption that has caused our heart to be absolutely incapable of loving God. The theologians give this word "Absolutely Depraved." So jiat lat, so bad, you would never seek after God. Well that's what Isaiah said, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one," (Isa 53:6a) None comes to God, everyone turns his to his own way.

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'As it is written: "None is righteous,"' There must be at least one, right? "No, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God." (Rom 3:10-11) All have turned aside, they have all together become worthless, no one does good, not even one. Wow, is this a bit too harsh? No, this is what the Bible says, it's a fact. "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick;" (Jer 17:9a) Desperately evil. No matter how much moral education a man gets, no matter how many good friends he has, no matter how great his environment is, no matter how much you try to change the heart, the heart is incorrigible, it cannot be changed, it cannot love God at all, it is impossible.

When I was young, I went to my neighbor's house and we play games and they will cook and so we had fun cooking and my neighbor decided to make scrambled eggs. You know, scramble eggs? Looks like this alright, beautiful fluffy, light scrambled eggs. By the way, that was the first time in my life I had scrambled eggs, it tasted delicious, wonderful.

So I went home and I told my mom, "Mom I, I, I tried something beautiful called scrambled eggs." She asked, "What is that?" "Where, you basically take milk and eggs and you cook them together." Now my mom is a typical Chinese and she said, "What? Mix milk and eggs, it doesn't work." You see, all she knows is, hor pau tan, chai po neng and stuff like that right, so it's a typical Chinese thing, you don't really cook with milk, Chinese don't really cook with milk. So she tells me, no, that, that wouldn't work. I said, "Mom believe me, it's really, really nice." She says, "No, I'm not going to do that." "Mom, I'm going to show you, alright?" So, I said to her I'm going to cook for her, I'm going to cook scrambled eggs, and so that's what I did.

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I remembered as far as I can, my neighbor's preparation, I, I got the milk, I got the eggs, I got the salt and pepper and viola, it looks like this. No lah, no lah, a bit like it probably and I said, "Mom you got to try, this is really nice." She said, "No, this is weird, eggs and milk, it just doesn't gel."  "Well, it's your loss, then." So I took a spoonful of it, I put it in my mouth and I, that's how my face was I think. I put up a smile so that she would see how beautiful it is but actually it tasted really awful. It's just strange, it's just terrible. I don't know why, but it is really bad. She asked me how is it, I said, "Hmm, hmm, hmm, it's good." But I have a difficulty trying to finish it. So what I said is, "Can I have some bread please?" I took bread, I stuffed the egg between the two slices of bread, I ate it. Still can't, I said, "I think I need a little bit of ketchup." And I began to drown the eggs with ketchup.

Well, it was a pain,  it was a pain to eat my own scrambled eggs. I do not know what happened. Well a day later, I was wanting to have some milk to drink, I went to the fridge, I took out that carton of milk that I had and as I put it near my nose, I *sniffed* yeee...I took a look at it, it was lumpy. I realized something, the milk has turned bad. I didn't realize it the day before, probably it was still early, but the milk has now turned bad and sort of, I got happy for a while because it meant that is not that my culinary skills were bad but that the milk was bad.

You know our hearts are like this scrambled eggs. When sin came in, it's like the milk that went throughout the heart. One thing I can tell you about that scrambled egg, there is no way, there is no way you can extricate that milk from this egg anymore, it's thoroughly mixed in. It has totally corrupted this beautiful scrambled egg dish and no matter how much ketchup you put on it, it is still yucks and that's your heart, that's my heart.

No matter how much moral education I put in my life and in my kid's life, our hearts are still yuck. You cannot love God, you won't love God. And I tell you something amazing about the Christian faith; it is not self improvement because that is mission impossible. The Christian faith is this amazing promise that God will give His people a new heart! Scrap that scrambled egg, there is no way you can recover it, no way you can salvage it but let me give you a fresh heart.

Jeremiah 24, "I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me (now) with all their heart." (Jer 24:7) When they have this new heart they will turn back to Me. Jeremiah 32:39, "I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever." (Jer 32:39a)

O it's, it's amazing. So easy for us to think that the Christian faith is like all other religions, you try your best, you improve yourself and maybe one day, God accepts you. No the Christian faith is God in His infinite mercy sees us in our sin, in our sinfulness and in our absolute depravity and chooses in His grace to call you and to give you a new heart.

How do we receive this? By faith. "And He made no distinction between us and them," (Acts 15:9a) That is, the Jews are saying, there's now no difference between the Jew and the Chinese, the Jew and the Caucasian, Jew and Gentiles, all people, we will have our hearts cleansed by faith. When we repent and believe in Christ, God's Son who came to die for our sins, God is going to cleanse our lives, cleanse our hearts, give us a new heart.

So when Jesus says blessed are the pure in heart, He's saying, blessed are those who have repented and believed; blessed are those because they will be the ones who are given this amazing new heart. This amazing new heart that really, really loves God. It's not someone who has gotten better, it's someone who is absolutely born again, you see that? That's how absolute this beatitude is.

I said about, I hope you understand what it means to be pure in heart but let me move on to the second point, which is - for they shall see God. When we think about seeing God, the first thing we think about, is a physical sight, isn't it? See God means I see with my eyes. Now that may be true in some way, especially in the coming future kingdom when Jesus returns, but I think in Scripture, it is not always and I think not generally about the physical sight when it comes to God.

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Why? Well 1 Timothy 1:17 tells us that God is invisible. We used to sing this song, actually we have not sung this for a long time, now to think about it - "Immortal, invisible, God only wise," right? And the Bible says God is invisible, you can't see God, why because God is Spirit. That's God. So when we say - see God, don't always imagine that it's in the form of a human figure that appears before you and those who are pure in heart will see God like physical body but He's all around us.

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There are many stories today people spin about seeing God and well, but the Bible tells me He is Spirit, He is invisible, I wonder if that is so. Certainly God can appear, He can choose to do so in physical form, that's perfectly fine, but I don't think this is something we routinely see or the only way we can look at, what it means to see God.

In fact, I see in Hebrews 11, the way to see God is really by faith. To know God, that's then, then I think that's what it means. To see God is really to know God, to understand Him, like  Moses. "By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible." (Heb 11:27) So Moses didn't quite see God, maybe he saw the burning bush in outward manifestation, but he didn't really see God. The author says he saw God who is invisible, he knew God, he understands God, that's I think what it means.

So when someone loves God, someone has this new heart that longs for God, that is sincere, He will understand God.I think that's what Jesus is saying. You get to know God, deeper and deeper, more and more.

So let me ask you, where do you see God in your life? Where would you see God in your life? Gospel Light Christian Church auditorium here? No, I've never seen a physical manifestation of God. But I think you see God,  I hope every Sunday when you hear His Word and you get to know Him from His Word, isn't it? And that's what the author of 2 Corinthians say. 2 Corinthians 3:18(b), "With open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord." Apostle Paul is saying when you read the Bible, you see the glory of the Lord. Now not physical body, not like a pop-up, opens woops, no but when you see, when you read the Bible, you understand God and you behold His glory. That's how you see God, you understand Him.

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I think today, okay, let me just ask you, you are so quiet, so let me just make sure you are alive. Where else do you see God? I have said, number one, you see God in the Bible, you understand God in the Bible, where else do you see God? In nature alright, great, the Creation reveals the power and the divinity of God, great, where else? You see God in your lives? In what ways, sorry? The change, life changes in people, okay, that's great, yep you see that in the people of God who, who know Him, and whose lives are changed by Him, great. Where else? Answered prayers, okay, you can see God in answered prayers, I supposed. Yes, miracles, yah, I suppose, yup. Sorry? So you see God in? I see God in Luke Chua, right? OK, hahah, it's true, don't no, no, no, it's true. You may be a bad representation sometimes, but and I am a bad representation for sure, but there are remnants of God's image seen even after the fall.

Okay good, what else? When you are being obedient okay. Not bad, anything else, scripturally based? Well, I think there are a few other areas. One of course I said, there's the Bible, two I think it's the church as you guys have mentioned. Why because the Bible describes the church, local church especially as the body of Christ. I see Christ in you guys, individually and collectively. We mentioned about how you have been extending mercy to someone like Joshua Carter you know what, I see God in the collective body of Christ in our ministry to him, for example, that's seeing God there.

Where else do you see God? Luke has mentioned, we are created in God's image, I think we can understand a little about God, not perfectly, it's a very bad mirror now because of sin, it's blurred, it's scratched but I can still see a little of God in man, in general. You mentioned Creation; Romans 1:20 that is absolutely spot on, we see the eternal power and divine nature of God in His Creation.

I think we see God in God's provisions. Someone asked just know why you show a bowl of rice? Because you see God in a bowl of rice, you see God in His provisions. I remember a good friend, he was in the Army and during my time in the Army, the food is not quite like what it is today. Today it's still SFI, is it still SFI? SFI, you know, you know, army people, is it still provided by SFI, Singapore Food Industries? It's, it's, it's a company, it's not cooked by cooks anymore. In my time, there is no company that cooks it, it's the own recruits that will cook the rice and, and the dishes. So during my time, the rice is very interesting, sometimes is like a it's like a ball of rock. So the chef or the cook who is like my age, he would scoop with this huge metallic ladle and *kong* on my metallic tray and it will vibrate along with it. *Kong* and then the rice stays that way. You know the chicken rice balls stores should learn from them, stays that way and then when you eat it, coc, coc, coc, really like biscuit like that know, OK anywhere sometimes hard rice, not very nice.

But my friend who is in Army, he would share during one of the prayer meetings that he, he, he really was very thankful for the ball of rice. I say you siow ah, but he went on to describe, how he think that rice he thinks that rice came to be. He, he, he is thinking and is thanking God for the farmers somewhere in Thailand. He's thanking God for the rain and the sunshine, he's thanking God for the farmer that planted those seeds and the farmer who harvested the rice. He's thankful for machines that will clean the rice. He's thankful for the transport company that flew the rice to Singapore. He's thankful for those who wash the rice, those who cook the rice and even for the man who *kong* that rice. He thinks about the entire process that God has put in place in order for him to have that bowl of rice. To the pure in heart, you see God. You appreciate His provisions, His grace. He is sensitive to it.

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You see God, even in pain. Something that we don't really like to think about. But God is seen even in our pains; "A thorn was given to me in the flesh.." (2 Cor 12:7b) It's a painful thing, a thorn, but the purpose is so that you may know and experience My grace. You see God wants to be known. He wants you to know Him and in every way, if you really think about it, you can know Him, you can see Him, you can understand Him. To the pure in heart, who wants to see God, you will see God. Not physically like I always emphasize here, but you will know Him.

I think CS Lewis puts it well, "It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to." Think about it, it's true. Only the pure in heart wants to see God. Those who are still stuck with the old heart, you really want to run from God. And if you're pure in heart you want to see God, you will see Him, you start to realize He's actually all around you.

I have two boys, Shawn, Matthias and we don't do very much except to go out hunting for insects and creatures. Somehow they love to look for pets, insects, whatever. And so over time, we have begun to catch ants, spiders, beetles, praying mantis, we have all kinds of insects somehow. And after a while you know you get, it graduates right, ants is not so thrilling anymore, you go spiders, spiders not so thrilling anymore you go for beetles, beetles not so thrilling anymore you go for, what is the next one, praying mantis and after the praying mantis, millipedes right Shawn, and, and then we moved on to lizards. We actually only caught one and after lizards we thought we will catch birds. Ooh and, and I wanted to catch birds, I just thought it's fun, let's catch the next bird and one of the birds I wanted catch was the mynah, they are all around us right.

Now, I thought the mynah is quite a handsome bird, okay, I know you siow this. OK, I think it's quite handsome bird, alright, it's quite simple but sharp and, and so we decided to go for a bird hunt. Read up a little, just a little and we decided to go on a trip. So Shawn and Matthias we will go to a field, we saw the birds once, quite a lot of them there, so we thought we will go back and they will be there.

So we went back, I got some of the equipment, some bread, some sticks, some vines, we don't even have to bring our ropes, we got a long vine, we found along the, amongst the trees and we took it out, we coiled it and this is the trap we laid. Hey, why you laugh? A good attempt lah, primitive, primitive I know. But there's a, yeah it's quite chim know because this trap, very hard to see, we are so far away. The vine was really long alright but it's so far away and you can see the box there.

So we waited there, we waited there, Shawn how long did we wait? I think we waited for more than an hour. They were so distracted they went to look for ants after a while, I was still there, please come, please come, where are the birds, how come today no birds. But to cut the long story short, I waited and no birds came, it was absolutely a failure. We didn't give up, we tried the same trick again somewhere else on another day and you know what, as usual, nothing came.

Then I read up a bit and I realized that mynahs were actually very intelligent birds. They actually tell one another, there's this idiot that wants to catch you. Serious, they tell one another. So they will not get near at all, they say, the only way you want to catch them is you got to lay the trap at night, in the cover of darkness, imagine that and, and they, they don't really, so yeah there are many reasons why they did not get caught and will not get caught and so we sort of forgot about it but it, okay so this is a negative demonstration.

But I share this because ever since I wanted to catch a mynah and we were thinking of where we can catch them, ever since those days, right now, I realize mynahs are everywhere. Prior to that day, prior to that time when I decided, let's catch, let's catch a mynah, I was wondering where can I find mynahs. Let me ask you, where can you find mynahs? How come you know uh? I just said it, is it? Then I started to open my eyes and are sensitive to where mynahs are. I realize they're all over, you don't have to go to a particular field, just go to any coffee shop, any hawker center, anywhere, look up in the sky and the trees, they are all around. So whenever I walk out now I hear the call of the birds, I, I see mynahs.

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And I thought to myself, actually I can be very blinded to God in my life, unless I really want to see Him. And then when I realize I want to see Him, I want to know Him, then it becomes clear, He's actually all around. Like CS Lewis would say, "It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to." You know this desire to want to see God comes only when your heart is changed and I think they shall see God, like all the Beatitudes it's not just about seeing God today, but there's a there's a future component in it, that I shall see Him, and that's what Job longs for. I'm not sure if I really will see God as in physically, I'm, that part of theology I'm not so sure. It may be a way of saying I shall really, really know Him very, very well. But perhaps I really may get to see God, I don't know. But that's Job's desire, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God," (Job 19:25-26)

And then in 1 Corinthians, "For now we see in the mirror dimly, but then" Look at this, "face to face." Now, you don't see God face to face now, it's then and I, I think the then is when Jesus returns, for "Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." (1 Cor 13:12) And then one more text, "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is." (1 Jo 3:2) Now all this may refer to Jesus. So you don't really see the Father as in the immortal God. Jesus is God, but He has come in the flesh, and He will be with in the flesh, for all eternity, amazing reality, but that's the longing of the Christian.

Jonathan sorry, Fanny Crosby, you may be very familiar with her, she wrote many beautiful hymns like, Blessed Assurance, To God Be the Glory. She would has, she was blind since young, but if you asked her, would you want to be healed from your blindness, this is what she will say, "If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind. For when I die the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Savior." Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God because they long to see God.

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Edwards, "God is the giver of the pure heart," Jonathan Edwards alright, "God is the giver of the pure heart, and He gives it for this very end; that it may be prepared for the blessedness of seeing Him."

So I think I've done my part in giving you the first two points, I want to end with this question - if God gives you a pure heart, would you struggle with sin? If God gives you a pure heart, would you struggle with sin? It's a true or false, yes or no question and I need you to make a choice. How many of you say, because God gives us a pure heart, we will struggle with sin? Can I see by a show of hands? 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, maybe 20, 30, 40. How many of you say, we because God gives us a pure heart, we won't struggle with sin? Can I see by a show of hands? Won't. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. The rest of you? Now I asked you to raise your hand because it forces you to think a little bit first, you are trying to think of all the verses, you understand the technicalities or the intricacies involved in the question like this.

If God gives us a pure heart, will we struggle with sin? Together you say yes or no and I see which one is louder okay? If God gives us a pure heart, will we struggle with sin? Wow, so many yes. I give you a chance again alright, if God gives us a pure heart, will we struggle in sin? Some no, some yes, but yes is very loud, alright.

Now why yes? Matthias, no need, no need, huh, huh, huh. Why, well, let me say this, before a man is saved, he doesn't struggle with sin, he will what, he doesn't struggle with sin because he will only sin. He can't help himself but sin. He can't want anything else but sin, because that's his nature. You don't have to tell a pig to go to the mud to roll in the mud, that's his nature. It's what he is. And we as sinners can do nothing but sin. But when God saves a man, He changes his heart. Now he may still be in the shape of a pig alright, we are still in the human body, but he doesn't have the heart of a pig, he now has a new heart, that loves God completely.

But the Bible also tells us, the old nature still remains and the Bible calls this the, the old nature, wah lau eh. And the Bible still calls this the flesh and so there will now it be in a Christian be a titanic struggle called flesh versus the spirit, the new life. Before you are saved, no struggle because that's the only thing you want to do. After you are saved, new heart says, I want to serve God, honor God, love God, but the old flesh still remains.

Therefore, apostle Paul says in Romans 7, "Oh wretched man that I am, that which I want to do, I don't do, because the flesh keeps pulling me the other side. And that which I don't want to do, I do, because the flesh keeps pulling me the other side." So the Christian life is not one, whereby after you're saved, you're only going all the way there with no backward movements. The Christian life is going to be like a tango. OK, I'm not a good dancer I should've asked someone to demonstrate, cha-cha-cha, cha-cha-cha a three steps forward, two steps back, three steps forward, two steps back, three steps forward, two, it's something like this. No, I'm not saying dancing is proper in church alright, just demonstration. But three steps in front, you go back, because there's this struggle. It's like a tug of war. You've seen tug of war? You've uugh, yo, yo, yo, yo, uugh, yo, yo, yo, yo but generally, there's this back-and-forth movement and the Christian life is going to reveal such a titanic struggle because there's two in a sense, natures warring within you.

There's a famous story called Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I'm sure you know this right? And it's about two natures in that one person. By the way I think this kind of a story, might be the inspiration behind the Incredible Hulk. Looks like a decent guy but sometimes, the siow kia comes out. Uugh, then he goes back, uugh, it is just two, two guys in one. And Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, that story is written by Robert Louis Stevenson. So after the success of this book, people asked, what is your inspiration. He said this, Robert Louis Stevenson, I found the inspiration in my own life, in my nature. You see he was a Christian and had learned that there is indeed inside of every child of God, a beast. I'm a Christian, but at the same time, I, I find this beast, this sin nature, this flesh in me.

"Every saved person has a new nature and an old nature. I find that there's always a struggle with the 'beast that lives within me.'" That is going to be the Christian life. Now, one day, praise be to God, we when we see Jesus, will be given a new body. I think it is then that the flesh is done away with. Salvation is going to be so complete, not just that God gives us a new heart, but He gives us a new body, and therefore that heart that loves God perfectly and there's no beast within me anymore, results in a life for all eternity, that lives purely and in a holy and godly way. But till then we are always going to have this struggle of the beast within you.

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So I say to you whilst this is a reality, this is not an excuse, okay? This is not an excuse, this is not excuse to say, "God, you know lah the beast within he jiak me again. Aiyah, God you know lah, the lion within me is going, no, no, no, no, no, no. This is no excuse, this is an understanding, but the Christian man does not say, "Oh, now that I have this and no wonder then I keep falling and it's okay to keep falling." No, the Christian man says he has this hope of seeing Jesus, pure in heart, shall see God, until then he will purify himself. He applies himself to the means of grace, he studies the Word, he gets in fellowship, he grows together with the local body of believers, he wants to be fighting sin, he's not going to let it up at all, he's going to try his best. Now he understands he's going to do a bit of cha-cha sometimes but he's always trying to get closer and closer to God, that's his heart's desire.

So I hope with this understanding as a church, we will understand there's no such thing as perfectionism. You know what's perfectionism? There's a kind that there are churches today who teach, that you can attain such a state of perfection, you will never sin anymore whilst on this earth. I say that's not true because the old nature remains.
On the other hand, I hope you're not going to pacifism which is, you don't do anything because the beast is within. No, you understand the struggle, but you press on and you fight on in the struggle, depending on God's grace, walking in the Spirit to live a pure and holy life.

So that's my job, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Mat 5:8)

Let me ask you today, how's your heart? What kind of a heart do you have? Do you really love God? Do you really desire to see God? To know Him? Who are you when no one else is watching? You see, the impure heart ones are those who look good when everybody is looking but when no one is looking it's a dirty cup. Let me ask you, how are you, who are you when no one is watching you? How's your heart?

If you could say today, I love God, I really do, I really want to see Him, I really want to know Him and I'm constantly struggling with sin but I'm always desiring and actually seeing progress moving towards Him, then I say to you, you really got to bow before God and thank Him for blessing you with a new heart, because you did not do it. He gave it. He called you and gave you when you were yet a sinner who would refuse Him if you want to be left on your own, but in His infinite mercy, He called you and save you and so this morning, give thanks and praise to God. Labor for Him, serve Him with your life.

But perhaps, you have always thought that you are a Christian, but deep in your heart, you know you don't love Him, you don't want Him and you are feeling so good in sin anyway. Then I say to you this morning, it's not too late for you to repent and believe. You can receive the cleansing of your heart by faith. I pray this will lead you to salvation and life.

Let's bow for a word of prayer together. What Jesus said in the statement was very short and sharp, but the implications cannot be any greater. The pure in heart are the blessed ones and those who are not, will one day be damned for their sins. This morning, here is a great watershed, here is a great divide, do you really have a pure heart? Coming to church doesn't cleanse your heart; praying before your meals doesn't cleanse your heart; only Jesus can cleanse your heart and you receive Jesus by faith. So stop trying to improve your life today if your heart is not changed. Stop right there. It's like that scrambled egg, you can't improve upon it, drown it with ketchup, drown it with religion, drown it with moral education, but it's still a yucky scrambled egg and it is not acceptable before God. Throw that whole plate away and ask God today give me a new heart because You are gracious, because You are merciful, oh God, I come to You, give me a new heart. I pray this for you, I pray this for my family, God give me a new heart.

If you today can say I know I have a pure heart, not because I achieved it, but I received it sometime back, then I say to you, don't forget, you will see Christ and till you see Him, purify yourself. Oh, deal with idolatry in your life. Oh deal with sin in your life; deal with adultery in your life; deal with covetousness in your life. I know you are going struggle, I know it's not easy, but keep at it because the pure in heart shall see God. And this hope of seeing God, gives us strength for holiness today. Think about His love, think about seeing Christ.

So Father this morning, we thank You for Your Word. Many thoughts are shared but at the end of the day, it's about my heart. Lord give those today who have not known You as yet, a new heart. What an amazing gift this would be, and Lord we pray that with this new heart, they will love You and serve You and glorify You for all eternity. And for those of us who have already received this new heart, teach us to keep our hearts with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. Bless everyone this morning, may all idols be put away; may we have this sincere, genuine, whole heart to love You all our being. We pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.

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