This is copied from the April 1972 edition of Plain Talk, a publication of the Oaks West Church of Christ in Burnet, Texas. Robert F. Turner was the editor.
It is a rare thing indeed for any man to admit honestly that his heart is not "good" or "right." We may acknowledge all sorts of wrong doing, even say, "I'm just no good" when the admission itself is supposed to prove that deep down we are really a fairly decent person. But sins of the heart (i.e., "I am a covetous man" etc.) are rarely confessed.
Yet every test the scriptures offer for knowing the heart have to do with words, actions and conscious thoughts. Matthew 7:20, "by their fruits you shall know them" is followed by, "Not everyone that says to me, 'Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven." That section is followed by the lesson of the wise and foolish builders, who did and did not the sayings of Christ. Luke's record says, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45).
The primary, initial approach to God is the development of basic faith in His eternal power and deity; a faith that, given the reins, will impose certain fundamental obligations upon man, to glorify God and be thankful or recognize our dependence upon Him (Romans 1:18ff). This faith is possible for all of mankind who have the capacity to consider and evaluate the created world about them.
But, because it humbles man before his Maker, many reject it. The capacity to accept Him is in us but being free agents, we must give our hearts to Him and here is the rub. "Professing themselves to be wise (we contend that our heart is good) they became fools" (Romans 1:22).
Each individual is a microcosm of Paul's universal truth. Each is a little world to which God presents Himself. Only those who bow their hearts are then in position to objectively approach His revelation and be governed thereby. Woe unto those whose, "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" (Matthew 13:10-16).
It follows therefore, that both an overtly sinful life and/or persistent disrespect for divine authority is evidence of a bad heart. One who manifests a hateful attitude toward his brother has a bad heart. God is not there (I John 3:10f). Why hesitate to say what John plainly spoke? It was a bad heart that kept people from heeding Jesus during His earthly sojourn and that keeps others from considering His words today. No wonder we are exhorted to, "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart" and to believe, "with all thine heart" (Matthew 22:37; Acts 8:37).
Paul wrote the goal of our instruction, "...is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith" (I Timothy 1:5).
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