What is Your Heart Condition?

“What is Your Heart Condition?”

The greatest killer of adults in America is heart disease. The condition of a person’s physical heart can greatly affect a person’s life on earth; the condition of a person’s spiritual heart will not only affect the quality of their life on earth, but also the quality of their life for eternity.

In the book “Lord of the Rings,” there is a character named Bilbo Baggins. He finds a gold ring, puts it on his finger, and he disappears. This is a great, more and more he uses the ring to escape bad situations, the more he uses it the more he becomes controlled by the force behind it. Through the ring the Dark Lord of the kingdom of darkness has power over all who wear it.

Even if the person wearing it knows that the ring is ruining his life, he won’t take it off, because it has obtained such a strong hold on his life.

Scripture talks about how the flesh tries to control us. The more we give into it the harder it is to get free from it. Bad habits are very easy to start or make, but they are very difficult to stop or to break.

James 1:14-15 “...each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
Satan knows the weakness of the flesh; he is diabolical and strategic! Satan does his work in the inner man, the place where all of our thoughts and desires are controlled (cf. Genesis 3:4-5), "You will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Psychologists call this the place of the human intellect, the ID, or the Ego. God's Word calls this place the heart, not referring to your physical heart, but to the seat or throne of your spiritual person or life.
The Hebrew word translated heart refers to the totality of a person’s immaterial being. The Greek word is similar and means the place of conscious awareness each of us has; but it also includes the spiritual dimension of responsiveness or unresponsiveness toward God.

In other words, the heart refers to the place of our spiritual life, our conscious self; this is the inner man and the part of us that will live forever.

In Ecclesiastes 3:11, Solomon tells us that God has put eternity in the heart of man; and in Proverbs 4:23, Solomon gives us some very sound advice, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

How can a believer guard his heart? We are to put on the Breastplate of Righteousness (Ephesians 6:14), as we live in obedience to God's Word, in communion with Christ, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we gain spiritual protection for our heart.

“Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). We must fortify our hearts with the Word of God; turning from what God says is bad, to that which God calls good. We must be actively engaged or our heart will be taken captive.

Prov. 2:1-2, “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding...” 10-11, “...wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.”

Proverbs 3:1-2, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.” Proverbs 4:20-22, “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.”

Proverbs 7:1-3, “My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.”

Your heart is the place where your true spiritual condition before God exists, your position in Christ is settled, and you are known by God. A heart without Christ is unclean, unacceptable to God, a heart’s condition will be clearly evidenced by the way a life is lived.

Matt. 15:18-19, “the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man `unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”

Jeremiah 17:9-10, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? ‘I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.’"

Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Ezekiel 18:31, “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit.”

Your eternal destiny is determined by what you do with Jesus Christ; the quality of your life here is determined by the desires of your heart. If you train your heart to follow the flesh, the flesh will control you like the ring controlled Bilbo Baggins (1John 2:15-17; Genesis 3:6-7).

If you condition your heart to resist what displeases God, you are preparing your heart to trust God and to do what brings God honor. We are responsible for the influences we give into, and just as we are for those we reject. We all, at times, give in to those things we know we should avoid; cravings often taunt and entice us into pleasures that give immediate momentary gratification; but the long term and/ or collateral damage will most likely not be beneficial for us or for those we love.

In the end, the attitudes and actions that displease God will ultimately damage and disable our spiritual heart, just as a high cholesterol diet, overeating, smoking, and a lack of exercise will ultimately harm our physical heart.

As Christians, we are redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ to be part of the family of God; and God not only dwells in us, He continually nurtures, strengthens and cleanses our spiritual heart (Titus 2:11-14; 3:3-8).

Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you [new birth, regeneration]; I will remove from you your heart of stone [stubborn & self-willed] and give you a heart of flesh [pliable & responsive to God].”

What is the condition of your spiritual heart? What habits, cravings, weaknesses constantly lead you into temptation, causing you to trip, stumble, and perhaps fall? 1John 1:8-9, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Jesus Christ is God: He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! He becomes your Savior when you repent of sin and trust Him to forgive you. He saves you and He gives you a new heart that seeks to do good and to honor Him.

Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” 12-13, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.”

As we prepare to receive the Lord’s Supper, please consider your own heart attitude toward God, God’s Word, and God’s People; (Revelation 7:10, 12) ”Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." “Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”