The Heart

Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph 6:11

Our Heart

We can think of our heart as that part of us from which all decisions, choices and behaviors flow.

Our heart is composed of our desires, our ambitions, our thoughts, our emotions, our priorities and our will. There is overlap in these, but each has an an important place in our decisions and behavior.

Our heart not only directs our behavior, but our personality. To be sure, we are born with individual personalities, but we also develop and change our personalities through the desires of our heart.

Reality is, that all behavioral problems are heart problems. Bad behavior flows from the heart. Jesus said this when he described the fruit and the tree.

Matthew 7:16-18 (NKJV) 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

Jesus said the heart was the source of sin.

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Matt 15:19

He also said "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God". Matt 5:8

David said, Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life". Prov 4:23

Our behavior is driven by our thoughts, our emotions, our desires, our ambitions, and our priorities. The Christian life is allowing Jesus, through his Word and Spirit, to change us at heart level. Each of us are responsible to manage our lives in as way that honors Christ. Real change does not happen until we submit at heart level, i.e., our thoughts, emotions, desires, ambitions and priorities.

This is serious change. We are talking about allowing Jesus to be "formed" in us. He wants our heart to be conformed to His heart.  What this means is that we "take on" His thoughts, His emotions, His ambitions, His desires, and His priorities. This is what it means to be conformed to Christ.

This leads us to a discussion of Self-Control

PS 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

PS 7:10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

PS 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

PS 15:1-5 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 4In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 5He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

2TIM 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Home  Top