23 18 "Thy Heart is Not Right"
18 "Thy Heart is Not Right"
18. "Thy Heart is Not Right"
There is an old saying: "Just so the heart is right, all is right." This is true. The words of Solomon in Proverbs 23:26, "My son, give me thine heart," indicate that when Jehovah has our heart he has all he wants; and the words, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life," indicate the same thing (Proverbs 4:23); also the words, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7), certainly teach that when our heart is right, all is right. But if the saying, "Just so the heart is right, all is right," be true, its opposite must also be true viz., "If the heart is wrong, all is wrong." There are many Scriptures that clearly teach that we may do the exact thing that God wants us to do, but if it is not done from the heart it amounts to no obedience at all. In Romans 6:17-18 we are told that the Roman brethren obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine delivered unto them, and were then made free from sin in that obedience. Suppose that they had done exactly the same physical act, buried in baptism and resurrected, but this act had not been done from the heart, would they have been made free from sin? Certainly not. Not one act of worship can we engage in, and our Lord accept it, unless it is done from the heart. To learn how to give unto our Lord the whole heart is one of the most meaningful accomplishments in the Christian’s life.
SIMONS TROUBLE The words at the heading of this article, as doubtless the reader has already recognized, are taken from Peter’s words to Simon, the sorcerer, found in Acts 8. The words should be read in their setting:
"Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said unto him, Thy silver perish with thee, because thou hast thought to obtain the gift of God with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee. For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me." (Acts 8:18-24).
We can better understand Simon’s plea to Peter to pray for him that none of the things Peter had spoken come upon him when we note in the marginal reading of the Revised Version that Peter said: "For I see thou wilt become gall (or, a gall root) of bitterness and a bond of iniquity." In this reading Simon is rebuked for just one wicked thought. He is commanded to repent of "this thy wickedness." He was not so bad right then as he would come to be, unless he got rid of that wicked thought. Here is the law of pardon to erring Christians clearly revealed. Simon had been a great sinner (verses 9-11); but when he also believed Philip’s preaching, as did many of the other Samaritans, and was baptized, he was freed of all his past sins, just as were they. (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:12-13). one wicked thought put him into a fallen state, and he needed to repent and pray God for the forgiveness of this sin. But the point in it all is that Simon’s heart was not right before God. He had a motive or desire Lying back of the request for this power, that was all wrong. It has been said that the sin we most frequently commit before our baptism is the one we will be most likely to commit after baptism. The man who has developed a desire for strong drink by his continued drinking habit will be most likely to be tempted at this point after his baptism more strongly than at others, and so with liars and fornicators. Simon had before his baptism ’’amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one." He had caused the people to exclaim of him: "This man is that power of God which is called Great." But he had been using sorcery, which was pretended employment of supernatural agencies. Now he sees the real power, and at once covets it, doubtless, for the purpose of causing the people again to acclaim him as a great power of God. Anyway, his heart was not right before God because of just one wicked thought, which thought if not at once abandoned, would lead him on to gall of bitterness and a bond of iniquity. Truly did Solomon say: "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." And how important that we heed the admonition, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life"!
THE HEART RIGHT, ALL IS RIGHT Let us, a little more in detail, study the thought that if the heart is right, all is right.
1.Brotherly Love. This love is at the very beginning of our lives as Christians. Repenting and going back to our first love, as the church at Ephesus was commanded to do in Revelation 2:4-5, simply means to go back to the love we had at the first. Our “first love" is the love we had when we were born again. If brotherly love is not in our hearts, then our baptism is a form without any power whatsoever. Think on the following:
"Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by
the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." (1 Peter 1:22-23).
"Unfeigned" love is unpretended love—it is pure love, it is fervent (warm and wholehearted) love. Paul says in Romans 12:9 : "Let love be without hypocrisy." There is much lying done on the part of brethren as they pretend to love each other. Solomon says that: "He that hideth hatred is of lying lips." (Proverbs 10:18). The following words of Solomon describe perfectly that man who claims to be a Christian, but has not brotherly love:
"He that hateth dissembleth with his lips; and layeth up deceit within him; when he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation." (Proverbs 26:24-26).
There is no good thing that can come to a human being who carries hatred around in his heart. He is blind and cannot see. The following will suffice on this point:
"He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." (1 John 2:9-11).
2.Sound Doctrine.As a rule, when we speak of sound doctrine we have in mind teaching the pure word of God, and not the doctrine and commandments of men; and certainly this we are taught to do in God’s holy word. "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1), if you will read right on, has reference to our living right before God. It means that we be sober, grave, temperate, sound infaith, in love, in patience, not false accusers, not given to wine, and not only living this way, but teaching others to so live. (Titus 2:1-15). But we have already said that if our hearts are right before God it is because we have given him the whole heart, and this is exactly the whole truth in this matter. We have the following words from our Lord:
"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me; teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:7-9).
If our hearts are right before God, we will try the spirits that come among us as teachers to see if they are of God. (1 John 4:1). We will "prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We will let God have such a place in our hearts that nothing satisfies except the consciousness that his will in us is being done as it is done in heaven. Is your heart right before God? It is a fine time to give ourselves a thorough examination. It will be too late after death comes and the door is forever shut. THE FRIEND WHO STANDS BY When trouble comes your soul to try, You love the friend who just stands by, Perhaps there’s nothing he can do; The thing is strictly up to you, For there are troubles all your own, And paths the soul must tread alone:
Times when love can’t smooth the road, Nor friendship lift the heavy load. But just to feel you have a friend, Who will stand by until the end; Whose sympathy through all endures, Whose warm handclasp is always yours.
It helps somehow to pull you through, Although there’s nothing he can do; And so with fervent heart we cry, God bless the friend who just stands by.
—Selected.