I'm not here to list 'all' the benefits of having a pure heart, just some.
Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matt. 5:8). Like most things in the Bible, this verse has more than one application. The application I want to focus on here relates to childlike purity. Some of the 'benefits' of this type of purity:
1.) Faith. Purity of heart increases a person's faith. There are different types of faith. 'Faith' as I define it here is the faith to ask God for something and receive it. I don't recall the specific details but there was a minister who took his family to South America for a conference. His 4-year-old son brought his canary to the house but lost it when it flew out its open cage and out an open window. The dad saw him on his knees praying shortly after that and asked what he was doing. The son said he was talking to God and God would bring his canary back. The dad laughed and said the canary had joined its friends, a species that was native to that area of South America, and would never come back. Walking past his son's room a little later, he paused and saw him holding his birdcage door open while the canary walked into the cage and the locking the door behind it. Amazed the dad asked what happened and the son simply said he'd asked God to bring the canary back and so God had. (This is a true story.)
2.) Favor with God. God doesn't have favorites, but He does have 'favors'. He favors some over others. He favored Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Jabez over his siblings, Moses over his siblings, David over his siblings, Joseph over his siblings, etc. When God promised to destroy Israel for sinning so He could re-create the nation using Moses and the few other faithful people, Moses told God not to do it. Exercising his purity of heart (literally, his right to approach God 'face to face'), Moses negotiated with God and 'overcame', getting God to change His terms in favor of Moses's terms (and Moses's terms were, in fact, God's original/preferred terms). After Moses won the negotiation, God told him why He conceded: "I will also do the very thing that you have spoken, for you have found Grace in My sight, and I know you by name" (Exodus 33:17). God knows everyone's name, but He doesn't everyone by name.
3.) Answered Prayers. If you're reading close you'll see that all three of these points are intimately related/acquainted. Job's friends Eliphaz correctly told Job that if he set his priorities in order and sanctified himself to God so that God was his primary object of worship, then Job could expect certain 'benefits'. (Job. 22:21-30.) Some of these benefits sound incredible but they're actually true scripturally and historically: "You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you, so light will shine on your ways." Just like any president, prime minister, or leader, God will always protect someone who is doing His will (eg. delegates, ambassadors, etc.). But when God particularly favors a person, He will even protect them when they aren't specifically doing His will, when they aren't performing anything godly and aren't on any assignment from Him. This is the theme of Psalm 91, which Jesus perfectly fulfilled (and didn't begin ministry till He was 30 years old), which says to the one who dwells with and is pleasing with God, "He will command His angels concerning you to keep you in all your ways." You will be kept not only in His ways (like the servant, the delegate, the general, etc.) but also in your ways.
Both OT and NT have a lot to say about this type of person. The NT is more pointed but less obvious about it while the OT is less pointed but more obvious about it. Jesus, Paul, and others teach believers to be holy so they can 'dwell' with a holy God; but they rarely explain it that clearly. The OT is clearer about the principle. Mirroring Moses's ascent to God on the mountain before and the believer's access to the Holy of Holies/Throne after (ie. intimate and close relationship, not simply being 'saved'), David says, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands (blameless conduct) and a pure heart (harmless motivations), who has not lifted up his soul to an idol (puts nothing before God) nor sworn deceitfully (has integrity, doesn't promote a false narrative)" (Ps. 24:3-4). Of course, anyone who wants the 'benefits of purity of heart' has to pay a price.
"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways. When men are brought low and you say, 'Lift them up!' then He will save the downcast. He will even deliver one who is not innocent who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands" (Job 22:28-30).
Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matt. 5:8). Like most things in the Bible, this verse has more than one application. The application I want to focus on here relates to childlike purity. Some of the 'benefits' of this type of purity:
1.) Faith. Purity of heart increases a person's faith. There are different types of faith. 'Faith' as I define it here is the faith to ask God for something and receive it. I don't recall the specific details but there was a minister who took his family to South America for a conference. His 4-year-old son brought his canary to the house but lost it when it flew out its open cage and out an open window. The dad saw him on his knees praying shortly after that and asked what he was doing. The son said he was talking to God and God would bring his canary back. The dad laughed and said the canary had joined its friends, a species that was native to that area of South America, and would never come back. Walking past his son's room a little later, he paused and saw him holding his birdcage door open while the canary walked into the cage and the locking the door behind it. Amazed the dad asked what happened and the son simply said he'd asked God to bring the canary back and so God had. (This is a true story.)
2.) Favor with God. God doesn't have favorites, but He does have 'favors'. He favors some over others. He favored Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Jabez over his siblings, Moses over his siblings, David over his siblings, Joseph over his siblings, etc. When God promised to destroy Israel for sinning so He could re-create the nation using Moses and the few other faithful people, Moses told God not to do it. Exercising his purity of heart (literally, his right to approach God 'face to face'), Moses negotiated with God and 'overcame', getting God to change His terms in favor of Moses's terms (and Moses's terms were, in fact, God's original/preferred terms). After Moses won the negotiation, God told him why He conceded: "I will also do the very thing that you have spoken, for you have found Grace in My sight, and I know you by name" (Exodus 33:17). God knows everyone's name, but He doesn't everyone by name.
3.) Answered Prayers. If you're reading close you'll see that all three of these points are intimately related/acquainted. Job's friends Eliphaz correctly told Job that if he set his priorities in order and sanctified himself to God so that God was his primary object of worship, then Job could expect certain 'benefits'. (Job. 22:21-30.) Some of these benefits sound incredible but they're actually true scripturally and historically: "You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you, so light will shine on your ways." Just like any president, prime minister, or leader, God will always protect someone who is doing His will (eg. delegates, ambassadors, etc.). But when God particularly favors a person, He will even protect them when they aren't specifically doing His will, when they aren't performing anything godly and aren't on any assignment from Him. This is the theme of Psalm 91, which Jesus perfectly fulfilled (and didn't begin ministry till He was 30 years old), which says to the one who dwells with and is pleasing with God, "He will command His angels concerning you to keep you in all your ways." You will be kept not only in His ways (like the servant, the delegate, the general, etc.) but also in your ways.
Both OT and NT have a lot to say about this type of person. The NT is more pointed but less obvious about it while the OT is less pointed but more obvious about it. Jesus, Paul, and others teach believers to be holy so they can 'dwell' with a holy God; but they rarely explain it that clearly. The OT is clearer about the principle. Mirroring Moses's ascent to God on the mountain before and the believer's access to the Holy of Holies/Throne after (ie. intimate and close relationship, not simply being 'saved'), David says, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands (blameless conduct) and a pure heart (harmless motivations), who has not lifted up his soul to an idol (puts nothing before God) nor sworn deceitfully (has integrity, doesn't promote a false narrative)" (Ps. 24:3-4). Of course, anyone who wants the 'benefits of purity of heart' has to pay a price.
"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways. When men are brought low and you say, 'Lift them up!' then He will save the downcast. He will even deliver one who is not innocent who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands" (Job 22:28-30).
