God, the Examiner of Hearts

August 8, 2023

One theme that we find in the Sermon on the Mount is that God sees the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, and that those inner thoughts and intentions will determine our standing with God.  It’s not merely our actions that God is concerned about, but the condition of our inner being.  For example, in the Beatitudes, Jesus pronounces a blessing upon those who are “poor in spirit,” on those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” and on those who are “pure in heart.”  Each of these qualities are first and foremost a condition of the inner person (though they certainly create noticeable, external effects).

Later in Jesus’ sermon, He continues teaching about the condition of our hearts.  “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court…” (Matthew 5:21-22a NAS95) We all get angry at times, but Jesus is teaching us that to continue in anger toward another, to nurse our anger and hold on to it makes us guilty before God.  This is entirely a matter of the heart!  Notice that Jesus hasn’t said anything about the words we say in anger, or the things we do in anger.  It’s all about what is going on inside—things that only God could know!  Yes, Jesus deals with the words that we might say in anger (later in the same verse). But notice that it all starts as thoughts within the heart.

Similarly, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28 NAS95) Here is another case where no physical act is taking place.  One might think they are in a right relationship with God because they didn’t “do” anything.  But Jesus says that God looks at lust in the heart as adultery.

Sometimes people will flippantly say, in order to lightly excuse their sinful behavior, “God knows my heart!”  Yes, God does indeed know our hearts, and the sin that dwells there can condemn us eternally.  We must have a deep concern about the condition of our hearts!  The teaching of Jesus, when heard carefully, will not cause us to casually dismiss our sinfulness, but will drive us into the arms of Jesus to beg for His mercy, His cleansing, and His continual transformation of our hearts through His Spirit.  Thank God for the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus!      

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Do It In the Right Order!

June 28, 2019

Two women who didn’t know one another began to converse as a way of passing the time. The conversation began to narrow down to the one woman’s son and the other woman’s daughter. Both children faced the same problem. Each had a sex partner although they were not married. Pregnancy had come to both couples, and difficult questions came to the two couples with the pregnancy. Did the couple have what it takes for a long-term commitment? Did they have what it takes to raise a child?

Neither couple was certain that they had what it takes for a long- term commitment and child rearing. The woman with the son wondered whether she would have a grandchild that she rarely if ever would see. The woman with the daughter confided that her daughter and the father of her child were seeing a counselor, but they admitted that it was difficult.

Society has advocated moral relativism — no moral absolutes, and certainly no moral rules about sexuality. It has promoted certain lies. Sex has no consequences. You should start to have sex when you are emotionally ready for it, but only you know when that is. And our sexuality is not something we can control.

God’s plan is different. It recognizes that sex does have consequences. The proper place for sex is in marriage (Hebrews 13:4), so Christians are taught that they can control lust and sexual behavior (Matthew 5:27-30, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8).

Waiting for sex means that you can develop job skills to support yourself and a family. Developing job skills might include college, apprenticeships, and trade schools. You find someone to marry. With marriage we ask the hard questions first of whether this is someone I could have a long-term relationship with or can I imagine raising a child with this person. These are deeper questions that whether I find them sexually attractive or fun on a date.

Marriage has the birth of children within view. The announcement of a pregnancy is usually a source of joy and not a crisis as to whether this relationship will continue.

God’s way has an order to it: job skills, marriage, sexuality, and if blessed with them, children. You are less likely to end up in poverty if you do it in this order. Your life is likely to have greater stability. But most important of all, it honors God when you do it in the right order.

Leave a Comment » | 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, Hebrews 13:4, marriage, Matthew 5:27-30, pregnancy, premartical sex, sex | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden