Articles
Is Your Heart Right With God
You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God (Acts 8:21
Your heart is not right before God—What a terrible condition for anyone to be in as they make their way through this life toward the day of judgement that is coming (Hebrews 9:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Ecclesiastes 12:3-14). We sing the song that asks the question, “Is thy heart right with God.” My friends, this is a question that all of us should be considering, diligently making sure that our heart is right before God. Hear the message from 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that he may strongly support those whose heart is completely his.”
The spiritual heart is the mind, the center of intelligence, emotions and will (Coffman). The spiritual heart thinks (Matthew 9:4. Hebrews 4:12; reasons (Mark 2:8); understands (Matthew 13:15); believes (Romans 10:9-10); loves (Matthew 22:37); rejoices (Psalm 33:21); purposes (2 Cor. 9:7). It can also condemn (1 John 3:20 or give confidence (1 John 3:21). There are good and honest hearts, sorrowful hearts, willing hearts and pure hearts. There are also hearts of unbelief, and hearts that faint in the day of adversity.
Proverbs 23:7 tells us that as we think in our heart so we will be. Proverbs 4:23 admonishes us to watch over our heart with all diligence because from it flow the springs of life. Jesus tells us that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). I listen as Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Feed the heart on the fleshly appetite, the things of the world and it will make it impossible for the heart to be right before God because it will lead us to love the world more than we love the things of God There ever stands the need for each of us to watch over our heart every waking moment to make sure it is right before God.
The heart must be pure in order for it to be right before God (Matthew 5:8; Psalm 24:3-4; 1 Timothy 5:22; 2 Timothy 2:22). For the heart to be pure, sins must be forgiven. Sins will only be forgiven through obedience to the gospel of Christ, it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:17). The gospel of Christ is God’s way of directing us to the way that leads to the saving of our soul. That way consists of hearing and believing in Christ (John 8:23-29, Mark 16:16); Repentance of sins (Acts 2:38, Acts 17:30); Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10, Acts 8:37); Be buried with Christ in baptism (Rom. 6:4, Gal. 3:26-27, 1 Peter 3:18-21); Then, after becoming a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), live faithful until death (Rev. 2:10).
Today, our ambition should be to make sure our heart is right before God. Vengeance will be taken on those who know not God and obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
Charles Hicks, Gallatin Tennessee