D1: The Heart – A biblical survey of the heart

Saturday, October 12, 2013

D1: The Heart – A biblical survey of the heart.

This description of the heart begins with a description of the human condition apart from God’s saving w the unmixed condition on your chart).

1. What is the heart? (From the NIDoNTT)

• OT: leb, lebab. LXX renders leb predominantly with kardia, more rarely by dianoia (mind) and psyche (soul). Kardia occ predominantly in a general sense, referring to the whole man. Leb is the seat of man’s spiritual and intellectual life, the in of man. It is also the seat of man’s feeling (joy, pain, tranquility, excitement). The seat of man’s thinking (understandin knowledge, rational forces and powers, fantasies and visions, evil thoughts) = all operate in the heart. The seat of man’s (carefully weighed intention). Leb = the man with all his urges, in short, the person in its totality, Ps 22:26; 73:26; 84:2. I comprehensive term for the personality as a whole, its inner life, its character. Since the idea of responsibility is particula to the heart, “that which comes out of the heart is quite distinctively the property of the whole inner man, and therefore, m responsible for it. It is also the “place” through which man, either as godly or as disobedient, meets God’s word and acts heart that conversion to God takes place, Ps 51:10, 17; Joel 2:12.

• NT: The use of kardia coincides with the OT understanding of the term, just as much as it di ers from the Gk. The mea ff as the inner life, the center of the personality and as the place in which God reveals himself to men is even more clearly the NT than in the OT. It frequently denotes the seat of intellectual and spiritual life, the inner life in opposition to externa appearance, 2 Cor 5:12; 1 Th 2:17. The power of the spirit, reason, and will have their seat in the heart in the same way movements of the soul, the feelings, the passions and the instincts. It is simply the person, 1 Pt 3:4. The most significan of kardia in the NT occur in those passages which speak of man’s standing before God. The heart is that in man which i God. It is the seat of doubt and hardness as well as of faith and obedience. A striking feature of the NT is the essential c kardia to the concept nous, mind. Heart and mind can be used in parallel, 2 Cor 3:14 or synonymously, Phil 4:7. In su ff element of knowledge is more heavily emphasized with nous than with kardia, where the stress lies more on the emotion will. Thus it is the person, the thinking, feeling, willing ego of man, with particular regard to his responsibility to God, that denotes by the use of kardia. So, if the heart has been enslaved by sin, the whole man is in bondage. Evil thoughts (Mk from the heart. Shameful desires (Rm 1:24) dwell in the heart. The heart is disobedient and impenitent (Rm 2:5; 2 Cor 3 and faithless (Hb 3:12), dull and darkened (Rm 1:21; Eph 4:18). No man can understand his heart, let alone change it. M God lives under the power of sin, which has taken up its abode in his heart and from this vantage point enslaves the who God alone can reveal the things hidden in the heart of man, 1 Cor 4:5, examine them, Rm 8:27 and test them, 1 Th 2:4. corruption stems from the heart it is there that God begins his work of renewal. Kardia is the place where God deals with “place,” where, in the first instance, the question for or against God is decided. Conversion takes place in the heart and i matter of the whole man. . . The natural man has a stony heart, turned against God and his neighbor, until God’s interven him a new, obedient heart.

• Summary: The “heart” is another way of referring to who you are in all of your totality. The heart is where God meets us Judge or as Savior. Illustration? “If you only knew my heart. . .” = “If you knew who I was/meant inwardly. . .”

2. What can be said of the human heart from Scripture? It is:

• Genesis 6:5-6.

- An undivided heart in evil against God.

• Proverbs 20:9.

- A heart beyond my cleansing. The implied, understood answer? “No one.” The stain of sin and impurity has been powerfully set, that man cannot of himself purify or cleanse his own heart. No exceptions to this. “Who?” No one.

• Romans 2:5.

- An unrepentant heart storing up appropriate wrath. Trace the “you” from 2:1-5. This is a man who has religious convictions and evaluations but whose heart is storing up wrath.

• Mark 3:5.

- A hardened heart which provokes Christ to anger and grief.

• Isaiah 57:17.

- A heart that will not change under righteous anger’s rod. Remember Genesis 6:5-6 (pre-flood) and then look at 8:21. Notice the same thing. Judgement, which is right and deserved is not designed by God to change the conditio heart.

• Matthew 15:1-20 (vv 18-20).

- A heart that defiles all of the man.

• Hebrews 3:12.

- A heart that must be avoided at all costs.

3. Is the sinner alert to his heart’s devastating condition?

• Deuteronomy 11:13-17 (v. 16).

- The heart is easily deceived even when surrounded by blessing; the best. The heart is prone to deception, eve face of obedience and blessing. THAT is the time to watch the heart.

• Jeremiah 17:9.

- The heart is an excellent deceiver. Make a list what you find deceitful in the world and the heart will never be knoc of the #1 spot. Its sickness is beyond mental grasp. It is worse than I think.

• Romans 16:17-19 (v. 18).

- The heart can be deceived by others. If unsuspecting of troublemakers in the church, if naïve to them, our hearts be deceived. Note: Paul is describing the believer’s mixed condition here. . . This may be more confusing here than • James 1:26-27.

- The man himself can deceive his own heart. To think yourself religious, but not have control over your words, is e that you have deceived your own heart.

• Is the sinner alert to his heart’s devastating condition that we set out in #2? No! How can he be alert to his the condition when it is surrounded by and filled with deception?

4. What standard has God called the heart to?

• Deuteronomy 6:4-6 (v. 5); Matthew 22:36-38.

- The condition of the inner man: The heart that is undivided, that is beyond cleansing, that is unrepentant and only st wrath, that grieves and angers the Lord Jesus, that not even God’s judgement against it will change, that is the sourc defilement, that must be avoided at all costs, AND, is easily deceived when at its best, is also an excellent deceiver i can be deceived by others, THAT HEART is supposed to love God, not in a partial way but in totality?? Are you kidd - God – do You know what You’re asking the sinner? Do You see the heart’s condition?

5. Does God see the heart’s predicament?

• 1 Samuel 16:6-7.
• 1 Kings 8:37-40 (v. 39).

- God definitely sees the heart, my/your heart – all the hearts of the sons of men.

• 2 Chronicles 32:31 - *
• Deuteronomy 8:1-2 - *
• Psalm 44:17-22 (v. 21).
• Mark 2:6-8 (v. 8).
• Proverbs 24:11-12 (v. 12).

- Not only does God weigh the heart in His scales, but He is weighing it so as to repay man; to render to man accordin work.

• Jeremiah 17:9-10.

- Why does God search, test? To give EACH man according to his ways, according to his deeds. There is no broad, repayment. Rather the repayment is personal – BUT ONLY AFTER having searched the heart.

• So not only does God see the whole predicament the human heart is in, He actually searches the heart for the purpose o

6. What did God command sinners to do with such a heart?

God called the sinner to do something about his own heart. Man is responsible, culpable for his heart.

• Deuteronomy 10:12-16 (v. 16).
• Jeremiah 4:4, 14.

- 4:4 – Circumcision (a significant surgical procedure). Heart circumcision = the radical removal of all that is wrong wit inner man, or else JUDGMENT! 4:14 – Wash your heart/inner man -> saved! Man is responsible for the wicked thou within.

• Ezekiel 18:30-32 (v. 31).

- Make a new heart, spirit = all that the man is before God? Make a new “me,” inwardly speaking??!! The “place” wh man as either Judge or Savior??

• Joel 2:12-13.

- 2:12 – The sinful Israelite was to return to God with deep sadness for what he made of himself. 2:13 – tear the heart tearing something partial and superficial, like clothes, does not begin to touch the kind of grief that should be express that man was at the heart level was to be torn in grief, sadness, brokenness. Notice the motive for doing so: God’s

• James 4:8.

- Purify? But Pr 20:9 “Who can say, ‘I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?”

• But here is the good news! Simultaneous to the command to do something about your heart, God says He will actually b do it!

7. What did God promise He would do for sinners with such a heart?

God promises to do for man what man cannot do for his own heart.

• Deuteronomy 30:1-10 (v. 6).

- The Old Covenant existed, knowing that a new heart was needed AND that God would be the one to actually provide someday. From its earliest days, the OC made Israel long for what God Himself would do with their hearts apart from would do something with their hearts that the OC itself could not do. The OC highlighted the need without providing means to get it.

• Psalm 51:10.

- This is more likened to the NT’s renewing of the mind than it is a cry for conversion. This verse may not be helpful h under that OC and knowing God’s evaluation of his own heart, felt his problem deeply. He felt his own inability at the – the work was beyond him. So David cried out to His Redeemer/Creator to unite His powers as such at his heart.

• Jeremiah 31:31-34 (v. 33); Hebrews 8:8-13; 10:15-18.

- The New Covenant, Jer 31:31 (for Israel) = its work and focus will be at the heart; to do with the heart what the OC w designed to do.

• Ezekiel 11:14-21 (v. 19-20).

- Corporate promise, anticipation apart from the OC.

• Ezekiel 36:22-32.

- 36:26-27!!

• Acts 2:36-39.

- The NC in His blood has been inaugurated (50 days earlier, Lk 22:20), AND, the HS of promise is present – what ha heart level to those who hear Peter? 2:37 – The work God promised at the heart level is beginning.

• Acts 15:6-11 (v. 9).

- God’s promise to Israel apart from the OC in the NC was now including Gentiles! OT prophets didn’t see this - how G Jews could be fully ONE in one assembly before God because of His work at the heart level in both Jew and Gentile

• So, man is called to do something about the condition of his heart (this accents man’s responsibility, culpability) AND the heart changes is man pleads his inability and trusts God’s promise in the NC to do for him what he could never do for him Identify this section on the card - “Conversion Event.”

8. What has God provided for those trusting in Him to help them see their heart’s condition?

Review: #2: The inner man of the sinner is a devastated heart before God. #3: The sinner is easily overcome by the decep his inner man. #4: God commands the sinner to love Him from the inner man with everything he has and is! #5: Does God He’s asking of sinners??? YES! He sees the inner man completely, tests the inner man, and will hold the sinner accountable #6: The greatest need at the inner man level for sinners is to be changed there! But the sinner can’t change His own conditi sinner must look away from himself and call out to God to do for him at the inner man level what he cannot do for himself the circumcise, make him new, etc. And now, lastly, #8:

• Deuteronomy 6:4-6 (v. 6).

- His word and the heart = a full contact sport!

• Ezra 7:10.

- Ezra knew it should be a full contact sport! Do you?

• Psalm 19:7-11 (v. 8).
• Psalm 119:11, 34, 36, 111-112.

- Psalmist believed it!

• Proverbs 3:1-2.
• Proverbs 6:20-24 (v. 21).

- “Bind them continually on your heart!”

• Proverbs 7:1-3 (v. 3).

- Write them on the tablet of your heart.”

• Jeremiah 31:31-34 (v. 33); Hebrews 8:10; 10:16.

- In the NC, God is the One who brings the ultimate full contact hit with His word at the heart. The heart and God’s reg new relationship will be unlike anything before.

• Luke 8:9-15 (vv. 12, 15).

- 8:11-15. Does the Devil know what God has provided for the human heart, 8:12?!! Jesus: word of the KOG (8:10) m into contact with the heart.

• Luke 24:25-27, 32.

- 24:25 = The men were slow of heart to embrace the Word of God through the prophets concerning Messiah! 24:32 – our hearts burn within us. . . while He opened to us the Scriptures?! What did He open in particular? 24:26 = His su gospel). The Bible’s answer for the heart is Jesus’ su ering, which is the gospel.

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• Hebrews 4:12.

- We want the truth of 4:12 to work on us all year long (for the rest of our lives). God’s word is His provision for our he

• If all of this is true:

o The inner man (heart) on its own is a dismal failure; stained; defiles; hardened and unrepentant; unchanged by judge deceived and self-deceived and greatest deceiver (completely unaware).

o The calling from God for the heart is so high – LOVE!

o The Son of God su ered to bear away the sin of the old inner man and to give a new inner man through His blood.
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o And God intends His word to be the companion to the inner man (heart). . .

• Then what should my attitude, posture, stance toward my heart be?

o D1. Shepherd your heart to the word of God to know, love, to meet with Jesus Christ in the gospel.

o Do not merely come to the word to prove someone else wrong, to win a theological argument, to absorb facts about Rather, shepherd your heart, prayerfully so to know this precious Savior revealed by the word who bled to bear away the sin of the heart! And so you can on a daily basis see the condition of your heart. . .