SCRIPTURES

(Prov 4:23 KJV) "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

(Rom 10:10 KJV) "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Introduction:

One of the unique characteristics about humans is that we have the ability to feel and verbally express emotions. Our mind and human spirit is able to catalogue experiences and recall feelings and sensations connected to them even though the experience may be in the far distant past. In addition, we are expert at retaining every little feeling of hatred, anxiety, jealously, hurt, lust, love, goodness, etc.. which has touched our life in the immediate time frame of a few yesterdays. And, we have the capacity to respond to those stimuli in many ways.

God knows we are like this for He made each of us. And, knowing this, He placed many illustrations, examples, warnings and instructions in the Bible relating to our "heart." (Not the physical organ but the center of our emotion and intellect.) Most all scriptures which speak of the heart (emotions, intellect, psyche, thinking, etc.) are referring to the spiritual part of our nature. For it is in that realm that our lives are governed. It is in that arena where we mentally and emotionally fight the battles of life.

It is there, where we express love and hate; joy and sorrow; peace and fear; fight and flight; forgiveness and vengeance; and a host of other dynamic emotional tensions. The heart is what the Old Testament called "the bowels." It is that deep, inner sense which controls our outer behavior.

The problem with the human heart began in the Garden of Eden. It was there that Adam and Eve set the course for all future humanity by allowing their heart to be deceived by Satan. Their actions gave birth to disobedience and selfishness, which is the root of all "heart" problems.

This sin was replicated in the heart of their son, Cain, who in a jealous rage slew his brother, Abel, and buried him in the ground in an effort to hide what he had done. Biblical history recounts in vivid details the historical failure of humanities efforts to do good when the heart is evil.

Let's consider and learn how we ought not behave from some of these examples.

(Psa 95:8 KJV) "Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:"

1. The Israelites had been delivered from horrific Egyptian slavery and wandered in the wilderness because of their complaining and bitter attitude.

(Exo 17:7 KJV) "And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?"

2. They rebelled when they tired of God's intervention.
3. They accused Moses of poor management and judgement.
4. Their hardened hearts caused the Lord to withdraw His blessing.

(2 Sam 11:2 KJV) "And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon."

1. David willingly allowed his heart to lust.
2. His lustful heart caused pain to many people.
3. Current events demonstrate that this sin is still prevalent.
4. Once ensnared by the spirit of lust, escape is near impossible.
5. Our generation is engrossed in lustful behavior.

(1 Ki 11:4 KJV) "For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father."

(Prov 14:14 KJV) "The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself."

(Gal 4:9 KJV) "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?"

1. Backsliding is treacherous because, as it happens, the individual is convinced in his heart that nothing is really happening.
2. Self delusion is a companion to backsliding.
3. It is a great tragedy to have known the Lord and then to willfully turn away from Him.
4. It is an even greater tragedy to have a backslidden heart and continue to believe that that you are right with God and thereby resist the Holy Spirit's conviction.
5. That someone could be restored to a right place with God is testimony of His mercy, grace and forgiveness.

(Rom 15:1 KJV) "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."

(Gal 6:2 KJV) "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."

(James 1:27 KJV) "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

(One of the greatest stories of repentance is in the Book of Jonah when an entire kingdom, the Ninevites, repented and turned to God seeking forgiveness.)

(Jonah 3:6 KJV) "For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes."

(Jonah 3:7 KJV) "And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:"

(Jonah 3:8 KJV) "But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands."

(Jonah 3:9 KJV) "Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?"

1. To be able to repent of sins and receive the forgiveness of our Heavenly Father is the greatest single blessing the human heart could ever know.
2. True repentance always turns a person toward God. Hypocritical repentance always turns a person toward himself.
3. Repentance is often accompanied by tears brought on by the recognition of the ugliness of sin.

(Psa 34:18 KJV) "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

(Psa 51:17 KJV) "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

(Joel 2:13 KJV) "And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil."

(2 Cor 7:10 KJV) "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."

4. Heartfelt repentance always finds forgiveness.
5. No man, woman, boy or girl should ever be eternally lost. The Lord has made salvation possible to everyone by responding to repentance and confession. The Apostle Paul wrote a compelling promise in the book of Romans, chapter 10, verses 9&10.

(Rom 10:9 KJV) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

(Rom 10:10 KJV) "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

(Deu 6:5 KJV) "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

(Psa 119:2 KJV) "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart."

(Prov 3:5 KJV) "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

(Jer 29:13 KJV) "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."