We all know what our physical heart does. It is the life of our circulatory system. Areas of our body that suffer from a lack of blood die. The oxygen that cells need is carried by the blood, which is pumped by the heart. The heart is a muscle that flexes itself several times a minute. However, in the Bible, the word heart is used in many ways. In the Bible, it is used to describe the things that are usually ascribed to the mind. When I speak to someone referring to their heart reaction, I am referring to the entwining of the emotions and the intellect.
In Hebrews 3:12, we are told to take heed or pay attention, to not return to the way we were before we were saved. The writer of Hebrews was warning the Jewish Christians not to fall into the same traps their ancestors had experienced. The Israelites were famous for their roller-coaster religion. When we allow sin in our lives, it can cause our faith to wean and sprout a seed of unbelief. Unbelief is a symptom of an evil heart.
Hebrews 3:12 “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
In Romans 10:10, the heart is designated as the area that influences the mind to have faith. In Mark 11:23, the heart is also referred to as the area that fuels our faith and belief.
Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.”
Mark 11:23 “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
We find in John 14:1, that our hearts guide our grief. He had just told them how some of them would treat Him unkindly. Peter’s look must have been one of sorrow and confusion. He had just proclaimed that Jesus would not wash his feet, to which Jesus replied that if he didn’t, he would have no part of Him. Jesus was telling His disciples how to handle the future. He was telling them of His return to Heaven, but they didn’t understand. He saw the conflict and doubts in their heart and proclaimed; “let not your heart be troubled.” In this instance, their emotions were guiding them. They needed to engage their mind to believe and their emotions to yield to their head knowledge.
John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
In Matthew 5:28, the heart is controlling our desires. A man looks at a woman with desires, his eyes see, his heart or emotions lust, and if not seen as a sin, as Jesus sees it, his mind will direct him to follow through on those emotions. Our hearts can direct us to sin as well as repent.
Matthew 5:28 “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
In Ephesians 5:19, we are to sing and make melody in our hearts, but we must fill our hearts with the truth of His word to make the right melody. Engaging the heart in our worship is essential to glorifying God. Our worship cannot be just a meeting of the mind or an accruing of knowledge. True worship is based on the truth of the Word, but it must stir our emotions if it is going to change our lives.
Ephesians 5:19 “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”
In Matthew 13:15, the heart is spoken of referring to their thoughts and reasoning. Albert Barnes says the phrase “waxed gross” means “the people were so sensual and corrupt that they did not see or understand the pure spiritual principles of the gospel.” Their sin was yielding to their feelings or emotions and not allowing the mind to yield to the truth they were hearing.
Matthew 13:15 “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
The Bible uses the heart as the base of who we are and what we do. It is important that we guard our hearts against the wrong atmosphere for a Christian. Hearing, reading, seeing, and being around the wrong things will have an impact on our hearts and how we act. Luke 6:45 teaches us, that what goes into the heart will make its way out of the mouth.
Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
What about your heart today? Is your mind focused on the truth of the word and your heart in tune with your mind? We need to take heed and pay attention to our hearts. We need to fuel our faith and engage our hearts to make the truth of the Word more than intellectual knowledge. We must guard our hearts to keep them from sin and yield them to the truth of the Word.
