Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
As the Paul reminds us, the Word of God yields results in the hearts of men! However, those results can be vary greatly...
For example, we see that a variation of the following phrase appears twice in the book of Acts:
“When they heard these things they were cut to the heart…”
This first instance is found in Acts 2:36-42 on the day of Pentecost when the Jews were confronted by Peter with the charge that they were guilty of putting to death the Son of God. Upon hearing this they were deeply affected – “cut to the heart” – and asked what they should do to atone for this awful sin. Soon thereafter, they acted upon Peter’s command to repent and be baptized.
However, in Acts 7:54-60 Stephen preached essentially the same message, proclaiming Christ as Lord. His audience, members of the Sanhedrin, were also said to have been “cut to the heart” (NKJV), but they responded by becoming so angry that they literally killed the messenger, stoning Stephen to his death.
Why were there such drastically different reactions to what was essentially the same message?
Proverbs 27:19 As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man.
The difference in these two events was the condition of the hearts of those involved! Of course I’m not talking about the physical condition of their hearts, but rather their spiritual well-being…
"Heart" (Hebrew lebab/leb [b'bel], Gk. kardia [kardiva]) occurs over one thousand times in the Bible, making it the most common anthropological term in the Scripture. It denotes a person's center for both physical and emotional-intellectual-moral activities; sometimes it is used figuratively for any inaccessible thing.
Therefore we see that when someone is exposed to the Gospel, results will vary depending on the heart of the hearer.
Jesus illustrates this Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23) in which the soil represents different hearers.
Sometimes people don’t understand the Gospel, become distracted after a time, or are too caught up in the cares of the world to retain the message. On the other hand, “good ground” – people with an open heart – will allow Jesus’ message to grow within them and they will develop and grow as Christians and share what they have learned with others!
God Knows Our Heart
The Bible frequently reminds us that God knows us better than we know ourselves.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
While we may put on a pretense of righteousness, God has the ability to looks inward and examine our true self. Furthermore, God judges the heart as the root of our actions.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
“Guard Your Heart”
Therefore, if we seek to please God, we must examine ourselves and be aware of the condition of our heart.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.…
This may sound like a strange concept, the idea of guarding our heart. Guard it from what?
As we know from the Parable of the Sower, truth can take root in the heart; unfortunately, however, so can sin…
In Matthew 5:21-22, 5:27-28 Jesus reminds us that just as murder begins as hate and adultery begins as lust. Thus, we understand that all sin has its origin in the heart.
Mark 7:15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.
In Matthew 12:34 Jesus states that “… out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Surely, every action – good or bad – starts from within.
Therefore, if we do indeed seek to serve God, we must be actively cultivating a heart that yearns to please Him. This requires regular self-examination, diligent prayer, and consistent meditation on God’s Word. In this way we firmly embed Christ’s teachings within our hearts.
Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Hardened Hearts
Another danger to the condition of one’s heart is the development of a callous heart.
Throughout the Bible we read of people who had “hardened” their hearts toward God. This phrase has several meanings. In the case of Pharaoh in Exodus, he hardened his heart by refusing to release God’s people from bondage in Egypt; an act of arrogant pride.
Elsewhere (Mark 8:17-19, John 12:40), hardening of the heart leads to a lack of understanding despite clear reasoning or a lack of faith despite abundant evidence. In this way, a hardened heart can lead to apathy or insincerity.
Worse yet: a hardened heart can yield a “seared” or corrupt conscience.
1 John 3:18-20 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Before long, one with a hardened heart can find themselves believing the complete opposite of what God’s Word teaches. This is why we are frequently warned about false teachers (1 Timothy 4:1-2).
Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
Thus, we see that a hardened heart can have no place for love and no tolerance for truth. A hardened heart is the epitome of pride. A hardened heart is displeasing to God.
Obadiah 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you,You who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Whose habitation is high; You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’
Job 9:4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
Ruin is the fruit of a hardened heart. If we are not careful, we too could face the wrath of God.
A Heart Pleasing unto God
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
A heart pleasing unto God is Pure – A pure heart is blameless and genuine.
1 Timothy 1:4-5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith...
A heart pleasing unto God is Repentant – A repentant heart humbly appeals to God for forgiveness of sins.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
A heart pleasing unto God is Obedient – An obedient heart strives to live according to God's Word.
John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.
A heart pleasing unto God is Devoted – A devoted heart loves God and diligently follows and serves Him.
Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.
A heart pleasing unto God is Loving – Not only should we love God, but also our brothers and sisters and all we come into contact with.
Matthew 22:39-40 "...And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Where is the Treasure of Your Heart?
In conclusion, we see that it is vital that we are aware of the condition of our heart, knowing that from it we do good or evil. We see that God knows us better than we do ourselves and that He will judge us according to the type of heart we have. Therefore, we shouldn’t harden our heart to God, but rather strive to cultivate a heart that is pleasing unto God.
One final question before we conclude the lesson: Where is the treasure of your heart?
Matthew 6:19-21 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Does your heart yearn for God?
Do you wish to spend eternity with your Heavenly Father?
Is your heart right with God?
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References:
https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/heart/
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