Keep Your Heart

‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.’ (Proverbs 4:23)

To keep the heart is to guard the inner person. It is to watch over and protect that which dwells inside of us.

How to Keep

This keeping is not to be done in a passive manner. Just as a shepherd watches over his sheep and guards the flock from wolves with intensity, we are likewise to watch over our own hearts and guard them from sin. This is to be an active process, one which is ever watchful.

Jesus himself exhorts us to watch with diligence that we are not caught sleeping. We are being commanded to be diligent in this endeavor in a position of active watchfulness. Negligence in this area is being strictly warned against. Just as we are exhorted to esteem the keeping of God’s commandments as more precious than gold and silver, we are also to prioritize the keeping of our heart.

Why We Keep It

We have established what we are doing, but the passage also gives us the reason why we are to do it; ‘for out of the heart are the issues of life.’ The original Hebrew here indicates that the heart is the very source of life. That out of our heart flows our very person, our character and our being.

This is the same teaching that Jesus brings forth against the Pharisees. It is one of the most prominent teachings of Christianity, but it is far too often neglected. Christ demonstrates that the Pharisees were religious and pious in exterior form. They followed the rituals and made a show of their religious behaviors. They would make long prayers, travel across lands to make disciples, follow scrupulously the traditions presented before them that had been established by previous generations whom they deemed to be teachers of God’s ways.

These were some of the most religious men in the world. And yet they had no true religion - they did not please God. For inside as Christ describes they were like white washed tombs. They were alive to men, but dead inside. They had no life towards God, and yet their whole life was devoted to observing what they perceived to be religion towards God.

Much of the world lies in this very deception.

A religion that lacks the vital inward union with God through Christ is no true faith at all.

I use the term ‘religion’ here to draw a difference between that outer form of ritualistic observation, whilst true and living faith is the reality of inward vital union and relationship with God through Christ in the inner person.

‘Religion’ is a set of rules, rituals and behaviours, yet the true Christian faith is found in the hidden life with God.

It is therefore possible to follow all the principles of what constitutes outward manifestation and profession of this inward life, without carrying that inner life.

The inner life is that life of Christ. Only Christ in you, shall save you.

Anything short of inward union with Christ, is not true Christianity.

The Faith of Paul

Prior to his conversion, the Apostle Paul was the prime example of such a religious person.

He was a man so zealous for his inherited religious doctrine that he was willing to go out and murder the christians opposing his practices and life.

Zeal is to be commended, yet zeal must follow knowledge and truth. The Pharisees were zealous for God, yet they did not know God. As Christ says a day will come when people will kill you thinking that they are doing God a service.

How fanatical and delusional must such persons be in order to murder Christ’s disciples?

How devoted to a particular cause that they are willing to violate so heavily the manifest law of God in their conscience for a particular belief held?

Yet is it not a shame that such boldness and zeal is rarely displayed by those who profess knowing the truth of God? Perhaps we worry that we might be labelled as fanatics.

When Paul was converted, his zeal did not change, he instead kept that zeal and placed it into the labor for the church of God. He, who was once a wolf, had become a shepherd of the herd, yet his fervency and fight never faltered.

Fighting Shepherds

Perhaps the imagery of shepherding in our present culture brings about a peaceful and tranquil image of a person slowly leading the sheep around small hills.

And yet the scriptures paint a different picture.

The shepherd is a warrior, a fighter, a person who wrestles. David the shepherd boy killed a lion in hand to hand combat whilst fighting for his flock. He likewise killed Goliath whilst defending his people. It was the same inner compulsion. This was well pleasing to God, for we know David was a man after God’s own heart.

David was small and ruddy. Samuel upon seeing him would not have expected him to be fit for the position of the King of Israel. And yet it was God’s judgment, for he judges the heart and not as man sees the outer appearance.

Likewise we are to judge righteously, to judge our heart and not our outer form.

It is possible for professing Christians to be like the Pharisees. To go through all the religious motions, understand all the correct terminology and religious doctrine, and yet be missing that vital inner life, by which God judges a person.

It is not outward actions that hold life, rather it is the inner person.

It is easy to be holy outwardly, to not look like the world. To dress modestly, act modestly, to be conservative and reserved and to avoid anything overtly profane. It is relatively easy in today’s culture to confuse holiness with introversion and passivity. And yet it is the inner life, the inner state of heart that is God’s focus for holiness and sanctification.

Paul himself talks of being delivered out of the hand of a lion. We must think and remember that these leaders of God are of a disposition that is so bold in the face of death, that they defy it for the sake of their people and their God whom they trust to deliver them in the fight.

This is not a passive fight.

David did not lie down against the lion, he didn't just wait for Goliath to slaughter him.

This shepherding is the image of guarding, it is the image of keeping. This is what we are to do with our heart. The guarding of our heart is not passive. It is a watchful guard. It is a warrior’s gaze laid upon the soul. We know that the Lord shall deliver us the victory of the battle, for it is his and we know he commands us to go up and fight. We are to wage war against any wolf or lion that tries to enter therein. Whenever sin and flesh are found lurking we must take our stone and defy it in the power of the name of our Lord.

Shepherding was the training for Israel’s great warrior king. And hunting was the training for God’s great shepherd to the Gentiles. Certainly God’s ways are not our ways. Sometimes the greatest training for warring against sin, is sin itself.

How can that be?

The Sinfulness of Sin

When we are exposed to the pain and suffering of sin, we gain a revelation of the sinfulness of sin.

The greater the darkness, the more awareness of any source of light.

When we come into the light of the forgiveness of Christ, we cling with greater passion to the light, knowing there is no other source. That Christ is the light that shines and there is no hope in any other.

When we come to understand the evil nature of sin, we gain a greater revelation of God, for we see and comprehend a deeper knowledge of what Christ has done for us. And the love of God works deeper in our hearts, for it is revealed further what Christ went through. Just what occurred on that cross, and just how holy God is.

It also makes us desire holiness, it makes us seek for goodness and cleansing. It gives us a zeal to yield our members to holiness and to flee from any appearance of sin.

Knowing the Heart

Now, you and I only know the heart of one person in this world. And that is our own heart.

And yet scripture says the heart is deceitful above all things. I believe that this does not necessarily mean it is the heart that deceives, but rather it is the stories we spin, the reasonings we form and the mental gymnastics we invent and bring forth inwardly to avoid having to confront issues that we know reside deep down.

We see our heart reflected to us in the word of God. For the word exposes the heart.

We either obey the word or disobey and make excuses for disobedience.

As scriptures says:

‘For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.’ (Heb 4:12)

The word is alive.

It is what holds together the fabric of the universe, every atom, every quart, are all known to God by name. It is what holds together every fiber of our bodies and gives every beat to our hearts. It is what supplies the inner man with divine life, as well as the outer man with physical life.

Here it is described as a two edged sword, piercing, dividing and discerning.

This is its effect. It exposes, it reveals, it gives light. It cuts to the matter of the innermost part of a person, to the very core of the person themselves.

Joints and Marrow

The imagery of this passage indicates that the word is cutting not only the joints on the outside of the bone, but exposing the very inside of the bone, the marrow. This is the thoughts and intents of the hearts.

The imagination is the outer joints, it is the reasoning, the intellect, the rationale. It is the stories, the excuses, the reasoning being spun to excuse ourselves and the intent is the marrow, it is the inner motivation, the purpose and the character of our inner person.

Our inner person consists of the rational soul and this inner heart. I do not mean this necessarily as a metaphysical distinction, but rather as a demonstration that just as our physical bodies carry the outward flesh, they likewise carry the internal organs. This is how our outward person is formed.

Our inner person carries the soul and the heart. One is deeper than the other. And God sees both and judges both. If you take captive a person’s heart you take captive their mind. Likewise if you can influence their mind you can get into their heart. Both feed into the other, but the heart is the deeper, more rooted aspect of the person.

Motive Matters Most

We are judged by God for our motivations and not just our actions. This is self-evident even in natural reasoning. In the human legal system when judging a criminal case the action of the crime is not considered in a simple void, but the the intent must be considered as well. Such a term is called the ‘mens rea’ or the mental intent of the action.

It is possible to preach the Gospel of Christ and do it out of wrong motivations, Paul mentioned there were some who did this in his day (Philippians 1:15).

It is possible to fast, pray and do deeds of charity all with the wrong heart as Jesus so declares in the sermon on the mount. Therefore actions are not enough, the motive and reason needs to be considered.

The light of God’s word shines brightly upon this matter of heart.

Why did we do it? Did we do it for our own pleasure, did we do it to appear good to others, did we do it for self satisfaction? Are we doing it for the sake of pride and our own glory? What is our motivation for ALL our actions?

The answer to these questions will prove who sits on the throne of our heart, for the heart is a temple. Either Christ sits on the throne, or an idol sits on the throne.

The first and great commandment is being tested right now at this moment in every member of the human race.

The question therefore is; who is enthroned in our heart?

The Heart’s Idols

We may look and see the obvious idols in the world: false religions, graven images, superstitions, sports, hollywood movie stars, musicians, money. If you stay far from these you do well, however, the word reveals that the greatest idol in the history of humanity is the idol of self.

This is self in all its forms: Self-pleasure, self-satisfaction, self-pity, self-care, self- indulgence, self-righteousness.

Self is the heart’s greatest idol.

We must be sure to guard the heart against the idol of self.

Pierced by the Word

When the Jews heard the preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecost they were pricked in the heart.

A deep piercing by the word of God.

A piercing that was deeper than anything else in the world. For it was God revealing himself to them. And as a result they were having the revelation of their own self.

The court of their conscience had accused them before God and they had become aware that they were not right. That their heart was not at peace with God, that there was sin soaking their inner being.

They had religion, yet they were not holy, they were not pure, they were not righteous. Their whole religion was a sham, for it had no effect on their inner person. And now they were being confronted by the true life, the true light, the light that exposes the inner person, the light that gives life to the inner person. The light that gives life to all. And all people who follow this light, follow God and are children of God.

Now these people were confronted with truth, the truth of self and the truth of God. They had but only one cry. What are we to do?

Turning to the Light

Peter, that great apostle, a new man, a man who only days early had denied his Lord, now preaches that very word that convicts these men’s hearts.

First, he had his own heart exposed. From this he had gained the knowledge of himself. He had undergone the pruning and piercing of the word. For as Christ said, I have prayed your faith will not fail, and when you are converted (or when you are turned back). Peter had in his denial seen a revelation.

Upon this he had turned from the light, it had stung him, it had pierced him, it had overwhelmed him. And when he turned back and faced the light, he was given boldness, power, zeal, the power to preach, teach and lead.

For that light is a holy light, it is a refining fire. And it is the light of divine love. A love so pure that all who catch the smallest glimpse give their life for it. A love so inexplicably above all imaginations that people give up their souls for the opportunity to be lost in its presence forever.

We are to give up our whole self that we may be devoured by the fire of this great light that is Christ. Self is to die, that Jesus may live in us and move through us.

Peter upon that great infilling of this love proclaims forth to these exposed hearts: Repent and be baptized and receive the promise of the Holy Ghost. To all he proclaimed the message: ‘Do not hide from the light, but rather turn to this light, embrace the light of God’s love, be immersed in Christ and receive his love poured out into your heart.’

Checking Our Hearts

Therefore, I exhort us all to check ourselves. Where our hearts lay. To do an inventory of all that is in our life. Not only our actions, but our motives and purposes in life.

Do we seek to please ourselves? Do we work as unto God in all things? Do we carry out our life in outward actions or inward sincerity?

If you are committed to the service of God. The question is why are you committed? Is it to ease the conscience because you think it is what you are to be doing, or is it out of genuine devotion and love to God? Does God accept any sacrifice of service or devotion that does not come from the heart? Do the lips and hands give service to God, but the heart runs to idols?

This is not some kind of morbid introspection, but rather it is a reflection of our person in front of God’s word. A challenge to besetting sinful attitudes, motivations. It is God’s will that we strive against sin. That we face it with a sword and shield and cut it down.

The Great War

John Wesley said as an aged man that he had become convinced that the Christian life was a state of constant warfare.

This war is over our heart.

The mind may be the battlefield, but the heart is the city the enemy is attempting to lay siege at.

To guard our heart is of the utmost necessity of every Christian, for it is God’s temple. And God is holy, his temple must be holy.

A holy heart is a living Christian.

It is a heart on fire to God.

It is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

It is the fire burning upon the altar day and night in devotion to the Most High and offering the sacrifice of our person to God, that we may be emptied of self and consumed with God.