As Christians, we believe in the gospel. We understand the gospel. We proclaim the gospel. It’s at the forefront of our churches and many of our lives. We know that the gospel is good news. Jesus came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). This is a central idea to the good news: sinners must find refuge in the Savior. The gospel calls men to humility in confessing their sins; they find salvation.
Sadly, even in my own life, I see a propensity to become relaxed about continual sin. My actions portray I live as if repentance and confession of sin were only for pre-conversion me. Luther said that the life of the Christian is to be one of continual, daily repentance.
The result of the unchecked heart
In Judges chapter 21, verse 25, we hear this dismal scene,
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Emphasis added)
Everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes. Today, we might say, “Everyone followed their heart.” At first glance, this would not be too surprising, but it is very telling in the context. The sentence before clarifies the prevailing thought of the day, “in those days there was no king in Israel.” Israel believed they had no king to rule over them. They thought they needed an earthly ruler to be complete. 1 Samuel 8:7 gives us details on the beginning of Israel’s situation, “And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” (Emphasis added) Ultimately, Israel rejected God as their king, and their downfall was everyone doing what was right in their own eyes. This is the same reality that Adam and Eve faced in the garden. They rejected God as king and sought to put themselves on their throne. Therefore, sin entered the world, and corruption came about to all men.
In the life of a Christian, we can quickly become numb or absent from our daily disciplines, grow normalcy to the functions of church services, and memorize rote prayers to pray over our food, all at the expense of a close relationship and guard over our hearts. These “spiritual events” can quickly become nothing more than a religious practice done out of familiarity rather than reverence. This is the result of an unchecked heart. A heart that is prone to wander inclined to leave the God I love. A heart that is distracted and drawn to earthly things and fleeting pleasures. A heart that makes much of self rather than God who created them.
For the unchecked heart of a Christian, there is little assurance of salvation. I wonder if I am saved. Can a Christian really do these things and be saved? I know my actions are supposed to be (x), but I can not seem to do that. I know I need to pray, but I feel prayerless.
The necessity of heart work
We all have examples of someone in our childhood who showed great potential in a sport or skill. We knew that if they continued to practice, they would undoubtedly become excellent in that skill. Yet, most of them stopped practicing that skill. The disciplines of the Christian life are similar. It takes work to learn to read the bible and understand its cohesion. It takes time to learn to be quiet before the Lord in prayer. It takes effort to watch over one’s attitudes and reactions in public amongst close friends or family.
Above all else, guard your heart,
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
for everything you do flows from it.
The Christian life requires a shepherding of emotions and the heart. The Proverb tells us to guard our hearts above everything else. Jesus is clear in his teaching about how our heart reveals our true desires (Luke 6:45). Therefore, the Christian must be daily about heart work. Have you ever thought about reading the bible as guarding your heart? Have you ever imagined prayer as guarding your heart? Do you see scripture memorization as guarding your heart? Is accountability with a close friend seen as a grace from the Lord in guarding your heart?
God wants us to guard our hearts. This is our “heart work”. Just as a shepherd of the field watches over his sheep, day and night, similarly, we must watch over our hearts. Our Savior advised his disciples to “watch and pray” in the garden so they may not fall into temptation; this is heart work.
The result of heart-work
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:30)
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:39)
…that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32)
…holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:12-15)
These are New Testament commands, but for the Christian who is continuing in heart work, these become realities. Instead of wondering if God loves you, the pure will see God, even in ways right now. Rather than going back and forth, the Christians will love the Lord, their God, with their whole being. The outflow of heart work is loving your neighbors and enemies thinking the best about them. Peter shows us that in the context of husbands, those seeking God and doing heart work can have their prayers heard by God. The Christian striving to renew himself on Christ will find a new, compassionate, holy, kind, humble, meek, patient heart that will bear with one another and forgive as Christ has forgiven him.
Heart work will be difficult, it does not usually come naturally to us. “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11.
