What is the heart? The answer might seem obvious when thinking about one’s physical heart. However, something spiritual is being referred to most times that the heart is mentioned in the Bible; and what that is might not be so clear at first thought.
The Bible teaches that each human being is a soul with a spirit and body and shows that the heart, soul (mind, emotions, and will), and spirit (the immaterial part designed to connect us with God) are connected. Just as the physical heart is centrally located in the chest cavity and plays a central role in the circulatory system, the spiritual heart is at the center of who we are and affects the condition and operation of our soul.
The heart is a place of emotion, which can be seen in the biblical phrases “he will be glad in his heart” and “they discouraged the heart.” The heart is a place of communication. The phrase “said in his heart” involves the mind but goes deeper than the intellect. That is also true when the Bible also teaches that the heart is a place of imagination.
Genesis 6:5 says, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” This verse and another that says “in the integrity of my heart” teach that the heart is a place of character, whether good or bad. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
The moral condition of the heart is where the heart of the matter comes into view. Jesus said in Mark 7:20-23, “That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
The defilement of humanity began in the garden of Eden when God’s instructions were disobeyed by Adam. This brought death and corruption into the world and resulted in all humans except Jesus Christ the Son of God inheriting a sin nature, which is the natural inclination to choose our own way and rebel against God and His way. The problem started in the heart, and the solution must take place in the heart.
Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Salvation from sin and its eternal penalty comes by believing wholeheartedly in who Jesus Christ is and personally receiving by faith that what He accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection is the way of salvation and forgiveness. The Bible speaks of a hardened heart, but faith in Christ must come from a softened, humble heart.
This new, forgiven life in Christ means that person is no longer confined to the dictates of an evil imagination or wicked heart. It is to be a life of ever-growing love for God and devotion to His ways. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Jesus reinforced this when He said as recorded in Mark 12:29-30, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” Love for God must be with the entire heart and is the basis for putting God first and following His ways.
Greenfield Baptist Church is a caring church with a life-changing message. Founded in 2015, this independent Baptist church meets at 138 Main St. in Greenfield. Worship services are held on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., Sunday School is at 9:30 a.m., and Midweek Prayer Meeting is held on Wednesdays at 6:30PM. For more information about the church, please call 413-376-4516 or visit www.greenfieldbaptistchurch.net. Sermon videos can be viewed by searching for “Greenfield Baptist Church MA” on YouTube.