What does the Bible say about purity of heart?

In Matthew 5:8, Jesus declares, 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' This beatitude emphasizes the necessity of inner purity to experience God's presence. The definition of a pure heart, according to scripture, includes being free from corrupt desires, sin, and guilt. Purity is essential because, as expressed in Psalm 24:3-4, only those with clean hands and a pure heart can stand before God. The scriptures reveal that by nature, our hearts are deceitful and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), but through the new birth, we are given a new heart that is pure and capable of seeing God.