Your Heart: How Would You Describe?

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Romans922

Puritan Board Professor
How would you describe the heart of a Christian who has fallen into sin by following after their own heart? I'm thinking of 1 Samuel 27:1ff with David fleeing to the Philistines because he believes Saul is going to put him to death (actually).

Proverbs 28:26 - 'He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.'

If a Christian trusts in their own heart they are a fool? I'm trying to reconcile the heart of a Christian. Don't they have a 'changed heart' a 'renewed heart'?
 
Again, coming from the new guy layman here...

A Christian's heart has been replaced but a Christian still sins, their heart is still capable of sin.

When the bible speaks of following your heart, isn't the implication always; "your own desires that are not in line with God's commands?"

I choose to follow my heart and evangelize rather than lay on the couch...well that's not wrong, but following my heart when clearly it's contrary to God's word...that's another story.

I know when I'm choosing sin over obedience; I darn well know it...but choose it anyway at times...my heart leads me to what I know is wrong.

How frustrating...
 
How would you describe the heart of a Christian who has fallen into sin by following after their own heart? I'm thinking of 1 Samuel 27:1ff with David fleeing to the Philistines because he believes Saul is going to put him to death (actually).

Proverbs 28:26 - 'He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.'

If a Christian trusts in their own heart they are a fool? I'm trying to reconcile the heart of a Christian. Don't they have a 'changed heart' a 'renewed heart'?

Galatians 5 brother. Christians have competing desires in their hearts, the desires of the Spirit and the desires of the flesh. The old man still lingers on after the new birth. So they must follow the Scriptures in order to discern which desires of their heart are right to follow. Without the Scriptures to guide you, there is no objective way to decide which part of your heart to follow. :2cents:
 
Good answers so far. Thanks everyone. Just trying to get my wording correct for my sermon. :)
 
Galatians 5 brother. Christians have competing desires in their hearts, the desires of the Spirit and the desires of the flesh. The old man still lingers on after the new birth. So they must follow the Scriptures in order to discern which desires of their heart are right to follow. Without the Scriptures to guide you, there is no objective way to decide which part of your heart to follow.

Nicely put...thank you.
 
We do have a new heart but we also have a heart that is prone to wander. A heart that can grow cold, hard and distant. Not perhaps overnight but gradually, imperceptibly in small sublte steps.

I am reminded of a section in Thomas Watson's Godly Man's Picture: "There is a great difference between the hardness in the wicked and that in the godly. The one is natural, the other is only accidental. The hardness in a wicked man is like the hardness of a stone, which is an innate continued hardness. The hardness in a child of God is like the hardness of ice, which is soon melted by the sunbeams. Perhaps God has at present withdrawn his Spirit, so the heart is congealed like ice. But let God's Spirit, like the sun, return and shine on the heart, and now it has a gracious thaw on it and it melts in love."
 
I see my heart as something that is a new heart but one still in need of cleansing from the Lord. There is still uncleanness and sin in our heart or David never would have said this:

Psalm 51

1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
 
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I would say my heart is wicked.

There are many times I will think things that I ought not think, and I have to seek forgiveness for my thoughts..because they are evil.

This is actually a topic one of my daughter's and I were talking about the other day, concerning herself. She had taken a quiz and one of the questions was "if you were someone else, would you be your friend?" She answered no.

Because she knows her own thoughts about others, and how mean they can be, not always able to take every thought captive and the thoughts become the words on her tongue, and she is soon having to apologize and seek forgiveness..

And I had to confess to her, that I struggle with the same things, how often do I drive down the road and someone pulls in front of me, and my first thought is 'you idiot' or something to that effect. The fact I have those things as my first thoughts..show's me just a glimmer of how wicked my heart truly is.

How often when someone hurts me, do my thoughts turn to 'poor me' where I desire to see them hurt as I hurt..and my focus is all about me..and the offense I suffered, and not on loving them as Christ loves me..when I offend Him.

It is our thoughts that lead to our words and our actions..and knowing my own thoughts..and how horrid they can be at times..it's not a pretty picture..
 
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