Article: The Heart of Man

We live in a self-righteous generation who refuses to acknowledge sin. It is considered foolish or for the simple minded only. Man feels that he has evolved past the silly concept of sin. We have our psychologists of today who tell people that their problems are not the result of sin, but instead attempt to shift the blame, to our Mother or Father, or they might say our problems stem from a lack of self-esteem.

This present generation, I believe, is exceptional from previous generations in their attempt to reject the God of the Bible and our Lord Jesus Christ. Although, this generation is very religious, Yoga, meditation, and New Age thought have permeated this present generation. The mind set of today is very inclusive and accepting of all forms of religious thought except the narrow way of the Bible which declares that Jesus Christ is the only Mediator, the only Door, the only Saviour, and the only true God.

God declares the truth regarding the condition of man, as He revealingly states in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" God looks directly into man's heart and sees its utter depravity. God declares - who can know it? Only God can see into the heart of man. The scripture reveals the omniscience of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ was at the feast of the passover in John 2: 23-25, "Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man." Amazing! Only God can know all men, this testifes of Christ's deity. Jesus Christ himself declares what is in the heart of man, as in Mark 7:21-23, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murderers, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things, come from within, and defile the man." We need only watch modern day television entertainment and all these things are glorified there and we can see what proceeds out of the heart of man.

The only answer to the condition of man's heart is given in the gospel of John 3:7, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again." Man needs a change of heart. first, he must see the condition of his own heart as Christ sees it and realize that he needs a spiritual rebirth. when we are born again of the Spirit of God, Christ comes to dwell within. all those who repent (turn from sin go in the opposite direction) and believe the Gospel are changed as the Scripture declares in II Corithians 5:l7, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

What a glorious experience to be born of the Spirit, to know the Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to walk with the living God. To let Him guide and control our lives, there really is no greater joy than to be sure of a home in heaven and to grab hold of the promises of God. To stand on a solid rock while the world is sinking into the quagmire of moral corruption. We who are born of the Spirit can say with Apostle Paul as in II Corinthians 5:8, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from body, and to be present with the Lord." Death for the true believer is only the entrance into the glorious of heaven, to walk the streets of the heavenly Zion, the streets of pure gold, where there is no need of the light of the sun or moon for Christ is the light thereof (Revelation 21:23). What a blessed hope the believer has to be delivered from the fires of eternal damnation, no more compassed by the guilt of sin. Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Our God has cast our past sins behind His back never to be remembered again. Such a blessedness to be free from the guilt of sin. Christ must dwell in these fleshly tabernacles if we are to overcome sin and temptation. man made religion can never give what Christ can give, He alone has the answer to the sinner's misery if they will but turn to Him in humble repentance. Romans 8:9b states, "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Christ must dwell in the believer if he is to overcome sin and temptation, only then can he overcome the world.

Much of the professing church of Christ, I am referring to evangelical Christians of this generation, know not Christ but have only embraced a form of religion and have not Christ dwelling in them nor have been born of the Spirit of God but only put on a cloak of religion. They more resemble the Laodicean church as in Revelation 3;14-22. They lust after the affections of this world. These churches have grown and increased with goods but have forgotten the purity and holiness of their God. They are neither cold nor hot and Christ will spue them out of His mouth if they refuse to repent. Christ stands at their door and knocks, but they are not answering His call. They are blind leaders of the blind, leading many a soul to destruction. Their leaders are ashamed of truth. They are, as it declares in Romans 16:18, "For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."

Christ is calling. He is knocking at the door of our heart that He may enter in and sup with us. Seek Christ and you shall find Him. He is near to those with a sincere seeking heart. He is near to the humble but far from the proud. Our Father in heaven is asking mankind, religious or unbeliever - What think ye of Christ, whose Son is he?