A Holy Heart
A holy heart is characterized by love, joy, peace, and other fruits of the Spirit, and is always accompanied by a holy life.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes that a holy heart naturally leads to a holy life, asserting that true holiness manifests through gracious actions and habits. He explains that just as natural habits grow stronger through practice, so do spiritual habits flourish when exercised. Brooks encourages believers to cultivate their inner holiness, which will inevitably produce outward expressions of love, joy, and other fruits of the Spirit. He highlights the importance of aligning outward works with inward dispositions, suggesting that holiness should be evident in both thought and action.
Text
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control." Galatians 5:22-23
A holy heart is always attended with a holy life.
All holy habits must be brought forth into holy acts. All
gracious habits must be attended with gracious motions,
gracious operations, and a gracious life. Outward works
must be suitable to inward habits. It is with spiritual habits
as it is with natural habits--the more they are acted and
exercised--the more they are increased and strengthened.
Holy habits are golden talents that must be employed and
improved. Where there is holiness of disposition, there
must be, there will be--holiness of living.
Where there are the seeds of holiness, there will be
the flowers of holiness.
Sermon Outline
- A Holy Heart
- The Relationship Between Habits and Actions
- The Importance of Employing Holy Habits
- Holy Habits are Like Golden Talents
- Holiness of Disposition Leads to Holiness of Living
Key Quotes
“A holy heart is always attended with a holy life.” — Thomas Brooks
“Where there is holiness of disposition, there must be, there will be--holiness of living.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We must act upon our holy habits in order to increase and strengthen them.
- Our holy habits should be employed and improved in our lives like golden talents.
- When we have the seeds of holiness, we will see the flowers of holiness in our lives.