Young Adults' Group

Matters Of The Heart

by Pastor Mark
June 06, 2019

Defining the heart

The theme of this week’s Junior Camp is “Keeping the heart with all diligence”. For June, I will be writing a series of articles on the Biblical teachings about the heart.

What is the heart? The heart that is used in the Scripture is a symbol of our innermost being. It is what makes us who we are internally. It is the central part of us that determines how we feel and what we hold dear.

King Solomon wrote, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Prov 4:23) This reveals to us what is contained within the heart. The issues of life spring forth from the heart. The issues of life are all that constitutes life…both good and bad. What we are internally will affect the external.

The many dangers of the heart

1. It can defile

“There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.” (Mark 7:15)

Out of the heart can proceed all kind of things that is evil and sinful. It is these evil things that will defile a man. (Mark 7:21–23)

2. It can be defiant

“But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart; they have revolted and departed.” (Jer 5:23) The heart can be defiant, which leads to rebellion against the Lord. There is no fear of the Lord in the heart. (Jer 5:22,24)

3. It can be dictated by evil

“Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.” (Jer 7:24)

The heart of the people of Israel was so filled with evil that it ended up dictating their lives. They were no longer following the voice of the Lord.

4. It can deceive

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer 17:9)

The heart can be full of wickedness. It is filled with many sins. It is the wickedness that causes the heart to deceive. We can be deceived into thinking that our heart is fine when it is not. It is hard to know what is in the heart.

These are some dangers that we want to be warned of concerning the heart.

The diligent keeping of the heart

Because of the dangers that can affect the heart adversely, let us be challenged to give more significant and urgent attention to our heart. The challenge is given that we are to keep the heart with all diligence. It means that we should guard and treasure the things in the heart which are good and righteousness. All things that are evil and wicked should be cleansed and to be removed from the heart. Let us be challenged to give utmost priority to know and address the state of our heart. Let us be challenged to keep the heart with all diligence.

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