The Power of a Good Heart

Posted on by BETH

The power of God is found in our hearts.  He shows us that our mouths speak “out of the abundance of the heart” (Matt. 12:34).  Look at the power of the heart!  Most of us have much evil in our hearts.  The heart is the source of the evil and good that we do. “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:18, 19).  The evil abides in the heart and is manifested when the temptation arises.  It is our responsibility to remove all of this evil out of our hearts.  He command us to: “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:8).

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth (Col. 3:5, 8).

It is also our responsibility to renew the new man we put on in baptism:

And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering (Col. 3:10-12).

We have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27) which is our ‘new man.’  The ways he commands us to put on (above) are all part of the love of Christ, which is growing in his image.  If all of the evil is taken out of our hearts and the love of Christ is put into our hearts, our mouths will speak from the abundance of hearts like Christ’s heart.  Our actions will naturally follow our tongues, for the tongue is the bridle or rudder for the whole body (James 3:3-5).  There is great power if the perfect love is in the heart.  Those with the perfect love do not err in word (James 3:2).  His heart controls his tongue because his heart has been formed with all of the parts of Christ’s love.  That same man is  “. . . able also to bridle the whole body also” (James 3:2).  When would we not obey God if our hearts are full of Jesus love and we are able to bridle the whole body?  If we are unfaithful in the least, we will be faithful in much (Luke 16:10-12). Why?  If our heart is faithful, whether we have little or much, we will be faithful.  God’s power in our hearts is found in the love of Christ!

Consider two examples of the power of a good heart.  God testifies to David’s heart – “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will” (Acts 13:33). David’s heart was formed and thus he was able to fulfill all of God’s will.  God inspired David to write: “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart” (Psa. 101:2). David would have to have a complete heart because he was a man after God’s own heart–and God’s heart is surely complete!  We need to remember that David was not born with a complete heart.  No doubt this Psalm was written toward the end of his life.  After David died, God gave him a tremendous testimony concerning the power of his heart:

Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite (1 King 15:5).

With the one exception, David did what was right and did not turn aside from anything God commanded him all the days of his life (1 Kings 15:5).  Who could claim that sort of record but Christ himself!  Some scorn David because of the horrible sin he had, but do they have a record where they have not turned aside from any command all the days of their lives except for one lapse?  There are different degrees of temptation.  We have the promise now that we will not be tempted above what we are able.  David did not have that promise.  Peter was sifted like wheat, and Jesus knew he would fall (Luke 22:31).  The promise not to be tempted above what we are able was written after Peter was sifted like wheat.  How strong was David’s temptation?  We will not know until Judgment Day.  Others claim that God’s testimony is false,  and that David did sin more than in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.  Keep in mind the statement: David did not turn aside from “any thing that he commanded him.”  When David counted the people, his heart smote him.  This was not something God had commanded him to do or not to do.  There was no law about counting or not counting the people in the Old Law, which David was under.  Sin is transgression of law.  If there is no law, sin is not imputed (Rom. 5:13).  We must walk by faith.  God made the statement above, and we need to trust God enough to believe it.  David has a marvelous record, because he has a marvelous heart after God’s own heart.

The Lord testifies: “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2).  This is a marvelous statement.  The phrase in this scripture, “If any man,” would include Job.  God testified that Job was a perfect man, not once but three times, and one of those was to the Devil himself (Job 1:8).  If it were not true, Satan would have contradicted God.  But he did not.  Satan knew that Job was perfect.  We would expect Job not to offend in word according to the definition in James 3:2.  God gives Job this very testimony: “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:22).  Even after Satan removed all of his possessions and flooded him with boils, God testifies: “In all this did not Job sin with his lips” (Job 2:10).  Keep in mind that God said that “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. . .” (James 3:2).  Some, like Job’s friends, would accuse Job of sinning, but there was no proof except their allegations.  In the end, Elihu was angry with the three friends because they could not answer Job (Job 32:1-3).  The worst that Job did (or came close to doing) was to condemn God and dis-annul his judgment (Job 40:8). Sin is transgression of God’s law.  Job lived long before the Old Testament law, and even if he were under the law, there is no such command not to dis-annul God’s judgment.  God did not accuse Job, but asked him if that were what he was doing (Job 40:8).  In the end, God himself justified Job:

And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.  Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job (Job 42:7-8).

Truly David and Job are examples of the power of a good heart.

Look at the hope of glory!  The hope of glory is to have the eternal marvelous and beautiful love of Christ in our own hearts.  (Col. 1:26, 27)!  Love never fails (1 Cor. 13:8).  God is love.  God is eternal.  His love is eternal.  What is unseen is eternal.  If we grow in that love, we grow in what is unseen and thus in was is eternal (1 Cor. 4:18).  If we do not grow in that love, but keep the hatred and/or evil we have in our hearts, those unseen things will also last eternally.  If we grow in the heart of Christ, we will have that love forever and ever.  If we inherit the new body and a new mansion in heaven, and have the heart of Satan, what can God expect?  “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34).  God can expect us to speak evil from the abundance of an evil heart. Heaven will not be heaven if we arrive there with an evil heart.  There is no glory to having an evil heart or even an empty heart.  If we are filled with the heart of Christ we will surely be faithful as Christ was faithful (He 3:1,2).  It is no wonder that “perfect love” gives boldness on the day of judgment and casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).  The heart of Christ is truly the hope of glory (Col. 1:26, 27).  There is a way to overcome the world!  There is a way to obey all the commands of God.

Great Commission: First Command Reviewed

Posted on by BETH

The first step in the great commission is to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19) – disciples who are determined to grow to become like their master (Luke 6:40) in mind (Phil. 2:5) and heart (Matt. 11:28-30).  Our Father is satisfied if we become like Christ in mind and heart (Matt. 10:24,25), because having the mind and heart of Christ is to have the complete love with all of its parts (1 Cor. 13:4-8), which surely will cause the mouth (Matt. 12:34) and the body (James 3:2-5) to speak and do all of the will of God (Acts 13:22).  The first step in the great commission will turn us toward the purpose of God.  After we are turned to do the purpose of God we must have help and direction to fulfill that purpose. This is the reason for the second command of the Great Commission.

THOUGH I GIVE MY BODY

Posted on by BETH

“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing”
(1 Corinthians 13:3).

The key Greek word in this passage is psoomizoo (NT:5595), which is translated to feed the poor.  It signifies to divide into morsels, and put into the mouth.  This in turn implies carefulness and tenderness in the way in which it is administered.  The picture of a bird feeding its young may come to mind or the picture of a mother feeding her child.  This may also be applicable to distributing property in small portions. During New Testament times, charity (alms to the poor) was usually distributed at a rich man’s gate (Luke 16:20) or in some public place.

To make the case as strong as possible, Paul says that if ALL that a man had were dealt out in this way, in small portions, so as to benefit as many as possible, and yet were not done because of true love for God and man, it would all be false, hollow, hypocritical, and really of no value to his salvation.  It would profit nothing. Though good might be done to others, yet where the “motive” was wrong, it could not meet with God”™s approval or gain his favor.  Wealthy individuals like Bill and Melinda Gates or Warren Buffett often desire praise for being benevolent, and so we read grandiose accounts of their giving billions to “charity.”  It was against such a desire for praise and renown that Jesus directed some of his most severe reproofs (Matt 6:1-4).

A second phrase, “Though I give my body to be burned”¦” (evidently as a martyr, or a witness to the truth) seems to be saying, “Though I should be willing to lay down my life in the most painful manner”¦,” and have not charity (love), it would profit me nothing.  Ancient prophets were often called to suffer martyrdom. These all died in faith (Heb 11:34; Heb 11:13).  Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace, because they were worshippers of the true God; but by God”™s miracle they were not consumed in the flame (Dan 3:19-26; Daniel 3:28).

We know from historical accounts that Christians were persecuted and tortured for their faith (Acts 15:26), and burning became the common way in which Christians suffered. This was true under Nero and during the Inquisition.  It was also true in the persecutions in England in the time of Mary.  However, many modern day “martyrs” have not been a glory to God.  During the Vietnam War, protesters oftentimes immolated themselves in order to force the US to get out of that conflict.  Today the suicide bombers are willing to die to force the world to submit to their false religion.  Is this mode of death endured because the individual loved the Lord and wanted to glorify Him in his death?  Certainly not.  Men may desire to be martyrs for various causes.  Not a few have been willing to give themselves to the flames who never knew anything of love for the true God of heaven. 

If I have no true love for God, I will perish, after all. Love is more valuable and precious than all the offerings and sacrifices by themselves. Nothing can take its place; nothing can be connected to salvation without it.  The bottom line is motive.  If we have no love for God or His people, all our sacrifices and good works are in vain.

“According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death” (Philippians 1:20).