New Heart

 

Throughout the Bible, we are repeatedly reminded of the importance of our heart.  When using this term, it usually refers to the inner person, meaning our thoughts, emotions, intentions, and moral decisions. For example, in Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," the Lord was talking about purity in the inner man and sincerity in our relationship with God. Similarly, in Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus teaches that what comes out of the mouth reflects what is in the heart.  In this section the Pharisees are critical of the disciples because they ignored ritual washing before eating bread.  Jesus rebukes them for emphasizing external elements of manmade religion and ignoring the deeper and more important aspects of our heart before God.

 

With all your heart…

The command to love the Lord with all your heart is found in several places in the Bible, most notably in Deuteronomy 6:5: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." . Jesus reiterates this command in Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27. Often called "The Greatest Commandment", there are slight variations, but they always begin with "Love the Lord your God with all your heart":

 

• “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deut 6:5)
• ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ (Mt 22:37)
• 'AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ (Mk 12:30)
• And he answered, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” (Lk 10:27)

So, it's obvious that God has created us for one supreme purpose, to love Him. And it's not supposed to be just any kind of love, but a special kind- "with all our heart".  But we have a special problem… Our heart doesn't always cooperate. It is rather ironic.  Our hearts were created for one purpose- to love God- but they seem unable or unwilling to fulfill their purpose.  Here are a few reasons why:

 

1. Our hearts produce evil thoughts and actions. 

“But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. “These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.” (Mt 15:18-20) 

Manmade religions provide external practices which have no lasting effect on the problem of our sin sick hearts.  The worshipper may feel a superficial benefit by the self-righteous thought that they did something good, but in the core of their being they know they are a sinner. They know nothing has changed.

 

2. Our hearts are deceptive.

The heart is more deceitful than all else

And is desperately sick;

Who can understand it?

“I, the Lord, search the heart,

I test the mind,

Even to give to each man according to his ways,

According to the results of his deeds.  (Jer 17:9-10) 

We will never be able to truly understand ourselves or our motives.  Our heart deceives us.  Even when we think we are righteous, it usually is for some selfish or self-centered purpose.  When we think we are loving God or our fellow man, are we really?  It is doubtful.

 

3. Our hearts are divided. 

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

Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. (Ps 86:11) 

A "divided heart" often refers to a state of inner conflict or lack of commitment to God. It signifies a struggle between devotion to God and the allure of worldly distractions or other loyalties. 

So, what is the solution? If our hearts produce evil, are deceptive, and divided, what can we do about it? 

• WHAT WE DO? Seek God with whole-hearted devotion. 

Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. (Ps 103:1) 

Can you honestly bless the Lord and praise Him with all that is within you?  If not, you may need to do some serious soul searching.  What is holding you back?  Is it a secret sin, hurt, or bitterness towards someone or something. Confess it to the Lord and claim His forgiveness.  Open your heart wide and let His light shine into the dark recesses of your soul.  Praise Him with a whole heart. 

How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart. (Ps 119:2) 

Determine that you will seek the Lord over all things.  Do you spend your time and effort trying to get rich, or popular, or comfortable?  Put the Lord first in your life and make Him the object of your love and devotion. 

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. (1 Chron 28:9) 

Submit to Christ as your Lord and Master.  Turn over control of your life to Him.  Give Him the keys, let Him be in the driver's seat, so to speak.  Live for Him, not for self. 

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. (2 Cor 5:14-15)

 

• WHAT GOD DOES- He gives us a NEW HEART. 

 “Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.” (Ezek 18:31-32) 

As we truly and sincerely repent and turn to God, He promises to give us a new heart! 

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Ps 51:10) 

David, after his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah, he seeks deep and personal forgiveness through turning from his sin to God.  He truly repents as we see in Psalm 51. He is looking to God, in faith to give him a new heart and spirit.  God answers his prayer and makes him a "man after God's own heart". 

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. (Ezek 36:26-27) 

Certainly, God knows the frailty of the human heart.  He knows how we are prone to sin and alienation from Him.  In Christ He has a solution- a new heart.  The promise in Ezekiel 36 applies to Israel in the last days, but it also applies to believers in Christ, in these days.  For all who come to Christ in sincere faith and repentance, they experience a new birth.  Christ comes to live in their hearts by faith.  The Holy Spirit comes to dwell within them, and they receive a NEW HEART.  Do you believe this?  This is what we see in Acts 2 at Pentecost.  All those who believed that day received the Holy Spirit.  It was a fulfillment of Joel chapter 2:28 in Acts 2:14--21. 

“It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions.  (Joel 2:28)

 So how about you? 

If you continue to live by the effort of your old self, you will still struggle with a continual cycle of sin.  If you begin to live by faith in the risen Lord, who lives in your heart, you will experience new power and victory.  This is a life of faith- faith in God's provisions. 

Jesus said to His disciples, "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) 

Paul, in Colossians exhorts us… 

Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him (Col 3:9-10) 

So, what is our conclusion?  We each have a heart condition.  Our old heart is weak, sin-sick, and corrupt.  The only solution is not to try to clean up the old man, but to repent, trust Christ as Savior and Lord, and live by the power of the new man.  Live in the power of the Spirit and let the new heart express itself in wholehearted devotion to God. 

Bless you!

  

All passages in this post were taken from New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).