The Condition of the Heart

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Luke 12:34)

If you went for medical check-up and found that you had high cholesterol or your blood pressure was high, you would definitely take action to change your lifestyle. But some would try to change for awhile then return to their former lifestyle.

God wants us to check out our motives for serving Him! Many of us are observing how others are doing instead of paying attention to our walk with God. Our LORD warns us against such action: Judge not, that ye be not judged. (Matthew 7:1) For man condemns according to what he sees: Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. (John 7:24) Remember how Christ judged the Pharisees as hypocrites as their appearance was righteous but they were full of hypocrisy and iniquity. (Matthew 23:28)

Are we looking our best for church services, but our hearts are not right with God? So we have to ask the question if we are loving Him with all our hearts (Mark 12:30), or are we going through the motions in a lukewarm state, like the church of the Laodiceans (Revelation 3:15) who was neither hot nor cold.

Let us first look at our heart.

I. Seat of our affections

A. Our heart cannot be trusted: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

B. Our heart is the source of our character: But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. (Matthew 15:18) A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. (Matthew 12:35) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders (Mark 7:21)

C. Our heart brings forth emotion: And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. (John 16:22)

Secondly, let us look at the hardness of our heart.

II. Indifference

A. In Repentance: And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Acts 8:37)

B. In Obedience: Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. (Psalms 119:2)

Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. (Psalms 119:34)

C. In Trust: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)

D. In Prayer: And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

Lastly, let us look at how we need revival in our heart.

III. Renewed

A. New Man: And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:9) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)

B. Mind: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2)

C. Walk: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25) And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour (Ephesians 5:2)

For to love one another, we must start by renewing our relationship with God. One preacher said that if we walk like the heathen, then we must have not truly accepted our LORD as Savior. This is not so: For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins (2 Peter 1:8-9) This person is backslidden and forgot the mercies of God. We need to check our motives for serving Him. Are we prepared to worship Him when we attend church? Are we reading His Word to grow in His grace, or is it a mundane habit? Our Lord asked if He will find faith when He returns… faith cometh by hearing and hearing the Word of God. But hearing according to the parable of the sower is one who having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience (Luke 8:15)

After we renewed our love with the LORD, we will have love for one another that will not sound like sounding brass (pride), or act in a vengeance, but will beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things (1 Corinthians 13:7).

A Christian witnessed in the flesh and the unconverted objected to have someone else’s religion pushed upon them. If this Christian would have done this out of concern for the soul, love would cover a multitude of sins. Let us look at our motives in serving the LORD. Let us go back to His Word and prayer with a change of heart.