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THE HEART AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

First Thoughts
The word heart is used more than nine hundred times in the Bible. In almost every instance it is used as a figure
of speech meaning the seat of affections, the seat of the intellect, and the seat of the will. Some other times it is
used to refer to the innermost part of a man.
We would like to define the heart simply as the place where a person thinks, desires, and feels. The heart has
been one of my most cherished subjects. The Lord Jesus has taught me very important and priceless truths
through the Bible on the subject of the heart. I have been tremendously enriched by these truths. There is not
enough space and time to share fully the benefits I have derived from the knowledge of the heart.
I share some of these truths here with the prayer and confident hope that you my reader may also experience the
wealth of blessings that are locked up in these truths.
General Observation
This present world in which we live does not take seriously the condition of the heart. You only need to have a
certificate, a title (religious or secular), some good amount of financial and material muscle and you will be
celebrated to the high heavens. The world honours and celebrates men based on external factors, God celebrates
and honours men based on internal factors. It is not surprising that Jesus said to the religious people of His time
First clean the inside of the cup. . . Mt.23:26. In another instance He said: "You are the ones who justify
yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts.
To the church in Corinth Paul wrote about many who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the
heart. 2Cor.5:12. Sadly this situation is still widespread in the church today.

It is dangerous to measure yourself by external factors. It is dangerous to esteem yourself by human
standards.1Cor.3:18 The Christian who is properly instructed in the Word of God will not give in to this
widespread deception. The world of fallen men cannot understand or place proper value on the heart because
their hearts are blind.

But the person who wants the approval and commendation of God must turn his attention fully to Jesus Christ
and to His Word. He must turn his attention fully to the hidden person of the heart to clothe it with the fruit of
the Spirit. This is very precious in Gods sight. 1Pet.3:4.
Consider the following facts about the heart:
It is with the heart that we see God - Mat. 5:8
It is with the heart that we seek God Jer.29:13
It is with the heart that we find God Jer.29:13
It is with the heart that we serve God Rom.1:9
It is with the heart that we love God Mt.22:37
It is with the heart that we hear God 1Pet.3:4
It is with the heart that we feel God Lk.24:32
It is with the heart that we talk to God Ps.15:2/27:8

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE HEART
Thinking, the Hearts Major Activity I thought in my heart Ecc 3:17NIV
Oh, how I love your law!
I think about it all day long Psa 119:97GNB

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The heart is always thinking, it is its God-given nature. It must be taught and constantly exercised in wholesome
thinking that comes from meditating on the Word. This is the serious responsibility of every Christian. Thinking
determines the health, the character and direction of the heart. There is something like wholesome thinking
1Pet.3:1; It is a rarity today hence the unwholesome lifestyle that is widespread even among Christians. But with
the written Word of God graciously made available to us we have the spiritual resource material from which to
mine the wholesome thoughts of God. A habit of thinking wholesome and God-like thoughts gives spiritual
strength and security to the heart. It equips the heart with the capacity to function efficiently. If a Christian fails in
this duty the enemy will gladly take it up. Acts 5:4NIV.

The Heart Is The Man When a person looks into the water he can see his own face. In the
same way, a mans heart shows what the man is really like. ERV

Text: Prov.27:19 It is your own face that you see reflected in the water and it is your own self
that you see in your heart.GNB

What you are in the heart is what you really are and it is what is really important to God. Whether others know
your heart or not does not really matter. For the child of God the issue is always whether the condition of the
heart is pleasing to God or not. God told Samuel very clearly concerning Eliab, Jesses son: Do not consider his
appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks
at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." To the Jews in Jesus time He said: You are the
ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. Lk.16:15. The believer must learn this
basic and important lesson else he will be building his life on the sinking sand of worldly values and standards.

The Heart Can Be Pure Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God. NIV Mt. 5:8

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Ps.51:10NIV

To a generation that is so nearly thoroughly polluted and corrupted, this truth will obviously not sink in easily.
One of the things I have learnt from the Lord is that He never commands nor requires of us things that are
impossible. So when He says Blessed are the pure in heart, it means that the heart can be pure. Brother Paul
told the young man Timothy to follow those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart 2Tim.2:22. This obviously
means that it is possible to have a pure heart. But it is not only possible to have a pure heart; it is a basic necessity
for all of Gods children. Someone said God has placed before His redeemed children a vast world of spiritual
treasures but without a pure heart His children can never grow up to inherit this vast spiritual treasures. All of
scripture is united on this truth that the human heart can be pure. No child of God should settle for a heart that is
constantly harassed by impurities.
The Place of Gods Greatest Work For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him
and the power to do what pleases him. Phil.2:13

And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be
mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as
the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and
more like him and reflect his glory even more. 2Cor.3:18 NLT

The new birth is not an end but the beginning of the greatest and most important work that God is doing on
earth. The heart is the place of this great work. The work is one of fully developing the Life of Christ within you.
Gal.4:19. My dear reader: can you perceive any work going on within you now? Is your heart burning in your
fellowship with the Lord; are rivers of living water bubbling, flowing continually within you; is your heart making
melody unto the Lord; yea is your heart longing after God. It is critically important that you are experiencing
definite changes deep within you. Pay very close attention to the work within you and actively cooperate with the
Holy Spirit whose sole mission is to transform you to the image and likeness of our glorious Saviour.
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The Heart, Gods dwelling Place Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
the Spirit who calls out, "Abba,
[a]
Father." Gal.4:6

But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor
him as Lord. 1Pet.3:15 GNB

One of the fearful truths about the heart is that God actually comes to live in the heart of the person that believes
in His Son. God is perfect in love, in power and in purity. It is extremely important that the believer work hard to
keep his heart free from the pollutions of sin. The sins of the heart such as lust are particularly dangerous. This is
because you can be zealously involved in external Christian work when all the while your relationship with the
Lord is dangerously undermined by the sins of the heart. The secret of an abundant Christian life lies in God
reigning supremely in the heart of a believer. This is the crying need of this generation. Someone sang, Come and
make my heart your home. May this be more than a song, but the prayer, the pursuit and experience of your life.
A Pure Heart, an Approved Work You have no part or share in this ministry, because your
heart is not right before God. Act 8:21NIV
But Jesus did not trust himself to them . . . because he himself knew
what was in their hearts. Jn,2:24,25GNB
The incidence that led to these very strong words touched me deeply. Here was brother Simon baptized with the
others in the city of Samaria (vs.13) only to be told a few verses later that he cannot be a minister of the gospel
for only one reason- a wrong heart. It is extremely important for every Christian to see to it that ministry is the
out flowing of the life and work of God within his heart. Christian ministry is a partnership between God and man.
Jesus knows your heart and He will work with you to confirm His Word only when your heart is pleasing to Him.
Mk.16:20
Keeping a Pure Heart, Your Duty The preparations of the heart belong to man. . . Prov.16:1NKJV
Purify your hearts. .. Jas.4:8NIV

The sickness of the human heart is beyond human cure, but it is not beyond divine cure. The Psalmist rightly cried
out to the divine Physician: Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Ps.51:10. The provision for a pure heart has been amply provided by our Lord. The Word of the Lord is Gods
means of effectively purifying the heart Ps.119:9/Jn.15:3. You will never get your heart pure by any other means.
You must purify your heart yourself. It is your God-given responsibility.

HOW TO SECURE A HEALTHY HEART

Constant Biblical Meditation

Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly . . .NIV

Jos. 1:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night . . .NIV

This is the only means known to man by which he can both obtain and maintain a healthy heart. Biblical
meditation is the practice of spending long periods of time to think deeply on the Word of God. This long
period of time is very important; it allows the Word to dwell richly in the human heart making it active and
effective in cleansing the heart from any sinful matter that defiles the heart. Biblical meditation clears the way
for the believer to have unbroken and unfettered fellowship with the Living God. Any meditation on the Word
that does not lead to a life of purity and power shows that something is seriously wrong with the handling of the
Word of God.

Constant Biblical Praying

Mat 26:41 Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you.NLT

Jas. 5:16b The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.NIV
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Biblical praying is the praying that has the support of the Bible; it is the praying that fits perfectly into the life,
teaching and ministry of our Lord Jesus. That a prayer is in the Bible does not mean it is supported by the Bible.
Prayer like the Word is effective in purifying the heart. There can be no other way because in real praying your
heart is in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. True prayer draws the believer near to God and draws God near to the
believer. Nearness to God cleanses and keeps the believers heart pure and healthy.

He who has a pure heart will never cease to pray, and he who will be constant in prayer shall know what it is to
have a pure heart. - Pere la Combe
FINAL THOUGHTS
A fierce battle for the control of the hearts of young people is raging especially in the area of the Media. It is
critical that all stakeholders in the work with young people do everything possible to help young people gain full
control of their hearts while they are young. It is Gods will that every Christian govern his heart. The future well-
being of our young people, the church and the world at large lies in what is going on now in the hearts of young
people. Most of them do not know how to deal effectively with matters of the heart. It is the responsibility of
Christian parents, Christian teachers and Christian youth workers to teach them how to gain full control of their
hearts.
Father I want to know Thee, but my coward heart fears to give up its toys. Please root from my heart all those
things which I have cherished so long, and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest
enter and dwell there without a rival. A.W. Tozer
HELPFUL QUOTES ON THE HEART
When Jesus Christ cleanses the heart He cleanses the springs of action and being, so that our very desires are
purified; the desire to sin, the want to, is taken clean away. - Rev. John MacNeil
Once the heart is freed from its contrary impulses, Christ within becomes a wondrous experiential fact. The
surrendered heart has no more controversy with God, so He can live in us congenial and uninhibited. - A.W. Tozer
Discipleship is first of all a matter of the heart. Unless the heart is right, everything else is wrong George Verwer
We do say that he who has struggled with his own heart and conquered it, who has taught if humility, faith, love,
truth, mercy, sympathy, courage; who can pour the rich treasures of the heart thus trained, through a manly
intellect, all surcharged with the power of the gospel on the consciences of his hearers - such a one will be the
truest, most successful preacher in the esteem of his Lord. - E.M. Bounds
If Christ has not the love of your heart, He does not want the labour of your hands. - Charles H. Mackintosh