Beware of the old heart!

(Jeremiah 17:9) “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

I agree with my brother Malcolm’s statement that scripture must take precedence over all other teaching or preaching, both externally as well as internally, our hearts are desperately wicked and deceitful above all things and they look to wrestle for liberty and often at the exclusion of sound doctrine.

"And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.” (1Chronicles 28:9)

There is much talk about one’s own free will in Christian circles, especially between the Arminian and the Calvinist. I will not go there this morning but we will look at this instruction from David to his son Solomon and understand Solomon responsibility, “If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.”

If one sets out on a journey, the only way to finds ones destination is to have a detail map. Guess work is never a good idea! Our hearts if left to their own devises will lead us down that road Destruction; we may even come across, Obnoxious, Rage, Self-willed and Proud streets as they are all in the same vicinity. It is only the accurate map to life, “the Word of God” that will keep us out of those dangerous hazards. But it is imperative that we use the map to life if we are not sure of life’s direction. Guess work is never a good Idea! I am convinced that He who has begun a good work will complete it on the day of the Lord. Not because I like the sound of it, which I do, but because the bible teachers me this to be true! I bypass my heart in that sense and trust the Word as the final authority. And yet we are warned that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night! “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” (1Thessolonians 5:2)

Therefore I have a responsibility to pay attention to this warning and many others. How do I know that the Lord will come as a thief in the night? Not because I sense it, which may well be true as I am lead by God the Holy Spirit and God’s Spirit now lives within me. But I know of a certainty that the Lord will come as a thief in the night because the Word of God, the Bible has told me so. A clear uncomplicated message! Now if it was left up to my own imagination about certain truths in scripture, where would that leave me? A very dangerous place! Why? Because our hearts are desperately wicked; “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9): - How do I know this? Because I am taught from the bible and when I examine it against scripture I know it to be true. Much about my life consists of excusing or accusing, but where is that yardstick? The bible is the final authority! On the other hand the world with its jargon teachers a different message and that is we are all inherently good. Who will you believe? I have made my choice! Let God be true and every man a liar! It is not about what my heart would like scripture to say but rather what is actually says; Let me use a very strong example which may cause hearts to resist, proving my point; “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” (1Timothy 2:12): - Not a very popular message, even more so in today’s world, nevertheless Paul explains why; “For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” (1Timothy 2:13-14)

What then we will conclude? Will we yield to the authority of God’s Word or will we resist it and yield to the deceitfulness of our hearts, only you can decide! When we resist the instructions of men, so be it, but when they speak under God’s authority we have no choice but to pay careful attention to what is said.     

We cannot remain on the fence if that is where we find ourselves. We must look at the detail map God has left us, His Word, our Saviour the Lord Jesus and find clear concise direction for our next step wherever we may be. If we have second guest up until now on any given topic, let today be a new day with a new resolve to be more diligent to God’s instruction in and through His Word.

God help us to take life a little more seriously, for His name sake, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone