The Human Heart

The Human Heart THE HUMAN HEART
By H. L. Calhoun The text of this sermon may be found in Matthew 5:8 : “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

All people who believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God claim to believe in heartfelt religion. In fact, if one does not have heartfelt religion, he does not have the religion taught by Jesus and his inspired apostles. It was Jesus who said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The thing which makes the human heart impure is sin. Isaiah tells us: “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God.” The word of God declares: “There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sin neth not.” It further says: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

These scriptures make it plain that persons old enough to be accountable to God must have a change of heart if they are ever to see God; for if sin makes the heart impure, and if all have sinned, and if only the pure in heart shall see God, it follows of necessity that all men must have a change of heart. Another thing to remember is that we all have hearts alike— strange, is it not? How many people imagine that they are peculiar, that there is no one else in the world quite like themselves. Many imagine that no one else has such trials and hardships as they have. I used to think that about myself. Do you know what was the matter with me when I did so think? I was simply so little, so narrow, so self-centered in my thinking that I did not look around far enough to see that others had just as hard a time in proportion to their strength as I had.

God’s word teaches that we all have hearts alike. It declares of him: “He fashioneth their hearts alike.” Again, it says: “As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.” This being true, that the face in the water is exactly like the face above it, then one human heart must be exactly like another human heart (Proverbs 27:19).

Another point to remember it that God knows all hearts. Proverbs 15:1 says: “Hell and destruction are before the eyes of the Lord; how much more the hearts of the children of men?” Acts 1:24 says: “Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men.” Since God knows all hearts, and since all have sinned and therefore need a change of heart, it would follow that we all need the same change of heart.

Now there is only one thing that can purify a human heart from sin and that is the blood of Jesus Christ. God’s word says: “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” In discussing the subject, The Human Heart or Heartfelt Religion, four questions seem to be especially important: first, What is the human heart? second, What change does the human heart need? third, Who changes the human heart? and fourth, How is the human heart changed? In answering these four questions I suggest that we give not our own opinions nor what some man has said. But since God’s word is the truth for Jesus said, “Thy word is truth,” we should let this word of God be our guide as we seek the answer to these questions. Then all who believe the Bible to be the word of God can accept our answers, if we are faithful to the word of God. What we want in answer to the question, What is the human heart? is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I suspect many of us would be surprised if we should distribute pieces of paper and pencils to each one in the audience and ask him to write down an answer to the question, What is the human heart? to find how many different answers we should get. Yet almost all of them, though different, would be true. But do you know that it is not enough on this or on any other subject to have simply the truth? A half truth is sometimes more deceiving than a whole lie. May I give you a little story illustrating this point that partial truth does not give clear ideas? Some of you have read or heard the story of the blind men who went one at a time to see the elephant. Of course, blind men have to see with their fingers. The first one who came in ran up against the great broad side of the elephant, and said, “It is clear to see the elephant is just like a wall.” Now this is the truth, but it would give a very poor idea of what an elephant is like just to say he is like a wall and quit with that. When the second came, he threw his arms around the great tree-like leg. Rubbing his hands over that, he said, “Any one can see that the elephant is just like a tree.” And he told the truth, but not the whole truth. The third one came, and got hold of the big fan-like ear of the elephant. Rubbing his hands over that, he said, “The elephant is just like a big fan.” The fourth came and got hold of the big spear-like tusk. Rubbing his hands over that, he said, “The elephant is just like a spear.” This was true, but what a poor notion of an elephant it would give.just to say he is like a spear and stop with that. The next one came, and he got hold oi the big old trunk twisting and squirming about like a great big snake. Rub bing his hands over that, he said, “Any one can see that the elephant is just like a snake.” He. told the truth, but not the whole truth. Then the elephant was like the wall, the tree, the fan, the spear, the snake; but to take any one of these by itself, would by no means give a true idea of what an elephant is like.

Just so it is with many of the answers which some people give to the question, “"What is the human heart?” Most of them tell the truth in the answers, but they do not tell the whole truth; and what we want on the subject is the truth, the whole truth, ana nothing but the. truth. So let us take God’s word, for Jesus said, “Thy word is, truth.” Let us take all that God’s w'ord says in answer to this question, and we shall have the whole truth on this point. Let us stop with that and we shall have nothing but the truth. God’s word says that the human heart thinks. Genesis 1:5 says: God says that the imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil. Jesus says, “Out of the heart come forth evil thoughts.” The writer of Proverbs says of a man, “As he thinketh in his heart so is he.” Then in answer to the question, What is the human heart? upon the authority ot God’s word we say it is that part of man which thinks. Is that man’s say so or your say so? No. It >s God’s say so; therefore it is the truth. Is it the whole truth? No.

Again God’s word says: “0 ye simple, understand wisdom; and ye fools, be of an understanding heart.” Then the human heart understands—God’s word says so. And Jesus said of some people: “Their eyes they have closed; their ears they have stopped; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts.” So Jesus says the human heart understands. In Romans 10:10, is found the statement that the heart of man believeth; so the human heart believes. Now what have we found? God’s word says the human heart thinks, the human heart believes, the human heart understands. You are thinking while I speak, you are understanding what I say, and I trust you are believing what I say, because I am saying just what God’s word says. So the human heart is that part of a person that thinks, understands, and believes and this is not what I say, nor what I think, but what' God says; and it must be true.

Now sometimes men have a name for a thing and God has a name for it. So then God says the human heart thinks, understands, believes. What do men call that part about a human being that thinks, understands, and believes? I am glad there is no difference on this point. No matter who the man is that has written upon this subject. All of them say the human heart is that part about us that thinks, understands, and believes and that this is what men call the intellect. If one has no intellect, he neither thinks, under-stands, nor believes. So what a man calls the intellect, God calls the heart. Is this the truth? As certainly as God’s word is the truth this is the truth, for it is what God’s word says, the human heart is. Is it' the whole truth ? By no means. If one should give to God his intellect, that which thinks, understands, and believes, and stop with that, he would never find God; for God says, “When you seek me with the whole heart.” What is the human heart? In Romans 10:1, we have this statement: “Brethren, my heart’s desire to God for Israel is that they might be saved.” Here we learn that the human heart desires. God’s word says so. In Matthew 22:37 is the statement: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” In Proverbs 3:5 is the statement: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.”

Desire is a feeling; love is a feeling; trust is a feeling. So the human heart embraces man’s feelings. Did it not we could not' correctly speak of heartfelt religion. So in answering the question, What is the human heart? we may say it embraces man’s feelings. Here again I am glad that there is no dispute between God’s word and what men say when they write concerning the human heart. Men say that we desire, love, and trust with our sensi-bilities which is simply a long word for feelings. The Bible says we desire, love, and trust with our hearts.

Thirdly, God’s word says, Hebrews 4:12 : “The word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two- edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and the joints and marrow, and is a dis- cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Here we learn that the heart intends. Now what is an intent? It is simply a decision to do or not do a certain thing. God’s word says we do this with our hearts. In 2 Corinthians 9:7 is the statement, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart so let him give.” Here we learn that the human heart purposes. Again in Rom. :17, we find the statement, “You have obeyed from the heart.” Hence we see that God’s word says that the human heart intends, purposes, and obeys, What do men call that part about us that intends, purposes, and obeys? Here again is the perfect agreement of men who have written concerning the . s'ubject. They say that man’s will forms his intentions and purposes and determines his obedience, so this is what the human heart embraces. Men call it the will. Let us ask then what is the human heart? In the light of the teaching of God’s word, we shall be compelled to answer, “It is that part about one which thinks, understands, and believes.” Men call this the intellect. It is that part about one which desires, loves, and trusts. Men call this the sensibilities. It is that part about a human being that intends, purposes, and obeys. Men call this the will. So according to the word of God and the declaration of men, the human heart includes man’s intellect, sensibilities, and will. This is how much human heart my brethren believe in. Do you believe in any more? There is no more in which to believe. This comprehends all of man’s inner or spiritual nature. It does not take in the human body. That was the subject of the former lecture.

Having answered the first question, What is the human heart? the second question to be answered is, What change is necessary if one hopes to see God ? In Isaiah 55:7 is this statement: “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” In Php_4:8, Paul says: “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.” These Scriptures make it plain that no man’s heart is right until he thinks right. So a man’s heart must be changed till he forsakes wicked thoughts and thinks thoughts that are good and pure. No man’s heart is right as long as he continues to let it be filled with evil thoughts.

Second. Ephesians 4:18 says: “The Gentiles are alienated from the love of God through the ignorance that is in them.” And Psalms 119:130 says: “The entrance of thy word giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple.” No one would claim that a human heart is right until it understands God’s will. Sinners have their understanding darkened. Now the human heart understands: hence, since the human heart thinks and. understands, one’s heart must be so changed that he think right and understand right. Of course, no human heart is properly right until it is a believing heart, “He that believeth not shall be damned;” and without faith it is impossible to please God, and he that cometh to God must believe that he is. So in answering the question, what change does the human heart' need? we say it must be so changed as to think right, understand right, and believe right. In other words, man’s intellectual nature must be brought into accord with the teaching of God. Again in Proverbs 11:23 is the statement: “The desire of the righteous is only good.” As long as a man’s heart is full of evil desires his heart is not right before God. 1 John 2:15 says: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Matt’. 22:37 says: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” And Proverbs 3:5 says: “Trust in the the Lord with all thine heart.” And Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a man who trusts in anything else but God to enter the kingdom of heaven. What change does the human heart need ? It must be so changed as to desire only good, to love God supremely, and to trust in God above everything else. That is, man’s feelings or sensibilities must be so changed as to be brought into harmony with the will of God. In Matthew 5:28, Jesus teaches that a man who looks on a woman with lustful intent is already guilty of adultery in his heart. No man’s heart is right as long as his intentions are wrong. Acts 11:28 says that Barnabas exhorted the Christians in Antioch to cleave to the Lord with full purpose of heart. Nothing is more important to a good life than to have one’s purposes right. Hebrews 5:9 says that Jesus became the author of eternal salvation unto all them who obey him. Now since we obey from the heart, no man’s heart is right until it is an obedient heart. Thus we see in answer to the question, What change does the human heart need? that it must be changed from evil to good thoughts, from ignohance to the understanding of God’s word, from unbelief to belief, from evil to good desires, from love of the world to love of God, from trust in riches or anything else material to trust in God, from evil to good intentions, from evil to good purposes, from disobedience to obedience. Thi^ is how much change of heart my brethren believe that a man must have in order to see God. Do you’ believe in any more?

Some one might say, “I know a good many of your brethren that do not live up to what you say about how much change of heart a man must have.” Yes, so do I. I did not come here to defend my brethren; I came here to teach God’s word on the subject of The Human Heart. In the light of God’s word, I am sure that many of my brethren are going to be lost; for Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins” and the five foolish ones never did get into the wedding feast. The third question, Who changes the human heart? can be answered more quickly than the preceding ones. Let me first answer the question in my own words and then show from both the Old Testament and the New that my answer is correct. If I do not so show it' to be correct, please do not accept the answer I give. One verse in the Old Testament and one in the New showing who changes the human heart. My brethren believe, always believed, and always will believe, because God’s word teaches that God changes the human heart. In Ezek. 26:36, God, speaking, says to the people of Israel: “I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you a heart of flesh.” That is, God would take away the old hard sinful heart and give them a new heart. If God takes away the old and God gives the new, then is it not clear that God changes the human heart? In Acts 15:9, Peter says: God put no difference between us Jews and the Gentiles, purifying their hearts.” God is here said to purify the heart' of both Jew and Gentile, and that is exactly the question we are considering, Who changes the human heart? So both in the Old Testament and the New it is plainly taught that God changes the human heart. Now let me answer the question who changes the human heart? and then I will show you from God’s word that my answer is correct. If I do not so show, I do not want you to believe my answer. My brethren believe, always have believed, and always will believe because God’s word teaches it, that, man changes his own heart. In Ezek. 18:33, speaking to the people and guided by the same Holy Spirit Ezekiel says: “Make you a new heart and a new spirit, for why will ye die, 0 house of Israel?” Now God cannot lie and God does not joke. So we learn here that Israel must make their own new heart. In 1 Peter 1:22, the same man from whom we quoted in answer to the question, Who changes the human heart? says: “Seeing ye have purified your souls, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” Here it is just as plainly declared they had to purify their own hearts as it was stated above that God purifies the heart. Some one says, “Does the Bible contradict itself? Did you not prove clearly that God changes the human heart? And did you not prove just as clearly that man changes his own heart? Yes, 1 did. Then some man says, “Is that not a contradiction?” No, my brethren do not believe that there is a contradiction in the Bible where God speaks or where one of his inspired servants speaks.

Let us see how both of these answers can be true— must be true. If one believes that God did it all and man has nothing to do with it, he would have a contradiction on his hands, and no way to escape it. For all those passages which teach that man must change his own heart would contradict' the ones that said that God did it. Again, if one should say that man did it all and God has nothing to do with it, he would have a contradiction on his hands and no way to escape; for all those passages that say God does it, would contradict him when he says that man does it. Again if we say God and man working together change the human heart, then both statements are true, and these have no contradiction. God has a part in the changing of man’s heart, and man has a part' in the changing of man’s heart. Man cannot do God’s part, and God will not do man’s part. But when both work together, then the heart is changed according to the teaching of God’s word. It is like this: James says: “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.” Let us take the first expression, “Cleanse your hands,” and see how beautifully it illustrates the cleansing of the human heart. Suppose my hands were literally and actually dirty and soiled, how would I get them clean? You say, “You would take some water and wash your hands, thus getting them clean.” Where would I get the water? “Oh,” you say, “out of the hydrant, bucket, or pitcher.” But where did it come from when it came into the hydrant, bucket, or pitcher? You say, “God furnished the water.” Yes. All the water in this world God furnishes, but he does not take that water and wash my hands. That is my part. I take the water which God furnishes and I wash my hands; and God and I working together get ray hands clean. Just so it is with regard to a human heart. Now do not make a mistake. Water cannot wash away sin from a human heart. My brethren do not believe that, never did believe it, and never will believe it, because God’s word does not teach it. We believe what God’s word says: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Now where does the cleansing blood come from? Who furnishes it? “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son;” hence we say, “There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins.” But it is ours in obedience to his invitation to be washed from all our sins in his blood. Thus it is clear that it is God’s part to furnish the cleansing blood and ours to make use of it. And thus the scriptures answer who changes the human heart. God and men working together, each one doing his own proper part. The fourth question, How is the human heart changed? can be answered quite briefly. I have already quoted the passages that answer this. Let us now call attention especially to how the human heart is changed. Acts, 15:9, the Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Peter said God purified their hearts by faith. In Romans 10:17, we are told that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. No man’s heart can be purified without faith, for “He that believeth not shall be damned,” and “Without faith it is impossible to. please God.” So in order to have the human heart purified, one must have faith which comes by hearing the word of God. In 1 Peter 1:22, Peter says, “Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” Here it is just as plainly stated that these people purified their own hearts by obeying the truth. In Romans 6:17, the Holy Spirit says: “Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine made known unto you being made free from sin.” So in answer to the question how is the human heart changed? in the language of the Bible itself we say, “By faith and in obedience;” and there is no promise that any one’s heart ever has been purified or ever will be purified without these two, because by works faith is made perfect, for “Faith without works is dead, being alone.” In Psalms 51:17 we have this statement: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit'; a broken and contrite heart, 0 God, thou wilt not despise.” God wants our hearts, and calls upon us to give them to him."

Some years ago a young man and young lady living in an eastern state married and came and settled in the western part of Kansas on the plains. They lived happily till one day, the supply of provisions having grown short, the young man kissed his wife goodbye, took his wagon, and went fourteen miles to the nearest town to buy provisions, leaving his young wife for the first time alone. When he left home the day was beautifully fair and warm. He reached the town; but while buying his supplies, one of those sudden storms known in the west as northers came up, with terrific force. The snow was blinding, the wind a perfect hurricane. Friends told the young man that he must not start home in such a storm, that it would be folly, that he would lose his life if he should undertake to go home through such a storm. Several hours passed and the storm grew harder, and evening was drawing on. He thought of the young wife miles away from the nearest house with the darkness of the night coming on and the fearful storm round about. In spite of all friends could do, he started on foot. He fought the storm with all the courage of a brave heart and a strong body. Night came on; no star to guide his way, every trace of the road covered by the snow, the wind coming from many directions. Soon he lost all idea of direction, did not know where he was going, lost on the plains; but still he fought on until through chill and exhaustion, he sank to rest just a moment he thought; but when the storm was over, they found him within a mile of his own house door. The wife had taken the one lamp, and had polished it as brightly as she could and set' it inside the window, hoping that the light would guide him home. Sad to say that he died almost in sight of home, but there are sadder cases.

There are human hearts today sinking down to death in the storm of sin and in the full light of heaven’s glory as it shines upon their pathway, while God is knocking at the door of their hearts, saying, “If any man will hear my voice and open the door, I will come in.” God help us all to give him our hearts and lives in loving service.