“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it comes the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

THE HUMAN HEART
⦁ The human heart pumps enough blood to fill 5,000 swimming pools in one year.
⦁ If you live to be 70 years old, your heart will have pumped approximately 191,625,000 gallons of blood.
⦁ The average human heart beats at 72 beats per minute. This adds up to approximately 2.5 billion times during an average lifespan of 66 years.

But! Did you know that every human heart has a void until Jesus comes to live inside of it?

Propensity for Evil
What a mystery the human heart is as it functions in our body twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. However, today I am not going to talk about the human heart from the physical standpoint of pumping blood throughout our bodies, but I am going to talk about the heart’s propensity for evil.

Have you ever wondered why in these days of great technology, and communication where the news constantly reminds us of the thoughts and actions of people, that we never seem to hear any discussion about the reason behind people’s actions.

Have you ever wondered what is wrong with the person who can kill, rape, abuse, rob and mistreat another human being, or hate someone so much they could pour oil on them and set them afire? What kind of heart does a religious person have to have to be able to cut off the heads of those who simply do not believe as they do? What is wrong with this awful picture? I can tell you exactly what it is, my friend! It is SIN!

Do you know what the first thing was that is said about the human heart in the Word of God? Consider this:

And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5

Yes, the very first thing said about the human heart concerns wickedness and evil, and it was God himself who said it!

God’s word has a lot to say on the heart. When the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt by the Pharaoh, God said this to Moses about the Pharaoh’s heart:

And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go. Exodus 7:14

The Pharaoh did not want to do what God wanted, so he refused to listen to him. But that did not stop God as we know, and eventually we see in scripture what happened to the Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea. There is a great lesson to be learned here by everyone who decides to do what they want to when it is contrary to the will of God. To rebel against God is always dangerous and every time anyone does rebel, they lose. Sadly, even worse is that person who does not realize they are rebelling against God because they do not even believe there is a God.

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. Psalm 14:1

In this scripture the Psalmist refers to those who say there is no God and points out that such a person is corrupt and does abominable things. My friend, these are the same people who bring destruction to society. They rob and steal. They rape and murder. They argue, fuss, fight and pollute. They are bad neighbors who are selfish, greedy and proud. They are filled with hate, bitterness, lust and prejudice and they rebel and riot, continually! People who think and, live like this have depraved hearts and cannot even see the works of a holy God in nature all around us.

This rebellion stems from SIN! Many have a heart problem, AND ONLY GOD can change this!

Solomon the wisdom writer wrote:

An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief. Proverbs 6:18

Solomon tells us that there are those who plot in their hearts their wicked plans and then they rush to carry them out against the innocent, and the unsuspecting. They pounce upon them like a wild beast upon its prey. The wicked heart does not recognize that all men are made in the image of God and are important to God. No, the wicked hearted is only thinking of getting something for nothing, or worse yet, doing their meanest just because they can. This kind of person never thinks they need a new heart, but they are the ones who need it the most. They are content just as they are as they go along in their lives deceived by the great Deceiver. Unfortunately, they do not realize this fact, or the fact that they cannot ever escape Hell, regardless of what they think. Can you imagine how grieved the heart of a holy God is when he thinks of the multitudes of people that are deceived and living without him. All of them could have had a better life blessed with the free gift of salvation, but too many choose to live without it.

Blessing of Salvation
Jesus has told everyone he has saved that we are to share the gospel with everyone everywhere.

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

As we know people must hear the gospel in order to even have an opportunity to be saved. Those who never hear are left to die in their sin. But think of the millions who do hear the gospel and reject its claims. There are far too many in this group of people. They are Christ Rejecters, and no matter how much they hear about the Savior they continue to reject him.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:19-20

God wants to save everybody. The cross of our Savior and the suffering and death he endured, made it possible for all to be saved. How sad, that most people do not avail themselves of the love and grace of God. A large part of this is because there are so, so many that are greatly deceived!

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

The Prophet Jeremiah describes the heart of man as pitiful. He is not talking about just the murderers, robbers, rapists, or any specific kind of evil person. No, he is saying that this is the condition of everyone. If we search our own hearts, and look deep within ourselves, it will be frightening what we see. If we were honest, we would agree everyone needs a new heart. Accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our own personal Savior allows us to achieve this new heart.

Jesus said: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. John 3:7

Jesus knows what sin has done to us and he came to deliver us from its penalty.

Lucifer

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: Isaiah 14:13

The most beautiful of all the angelic hosts decided in his heart he would take God’s place. But what he thought in his heart, he could not do with his might. That is the way it is with all of us. We might have our plans but, carrying them out depends upon God. It is a total fact that one day every one of us will stand in judgment before the Holy One. What we have done with the Son of God will be most important then.

Lucifer thought he would dethrone God, but instead, he lost his position in heaven and was cast out as the Devil, or Satan. Because of his wickedness, a special place was prepared for him and all his followers.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: Matthew 25:41

This verse tells us that Satan, the demonic angels and the people who are unsaved will all be cast into this Lake of Fire to spend eternity. It is here, the Lake of Fire, that the wages of sin will be paid for by all.

Heart Secrets

Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Psalm 44:21

Men have their secret sins hidden in their heart, but they are not hidden from God. Everything we do is open to the eyes of God, including the intents of our own heart.

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Romans 2:16

The tragedy is that man is helpless to correct the problem with his heart of sin. In fact, man does not want to change, because he loves his sin. Were it not for the gospel and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, man would be satisfied to be a sinner forever!

Believers and Sin
So, what about the Christian who has unconfessed sin in their life? I am afraid that this is the condition of many believers today. Unconfessed sin closes the ear of God when they pray. Sin blocks and shuts out God’s blessings. The life of a believer is to be one in daily fellowship with God, but sin will deny that fellowship.

The Psalmist spoke of this:

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: Psalm 66:18

As Christians it should be the sincere desire of our hearts to please God. We should desire to be in continuous fellowship with our wonderful Savior. Anything less than this will cost us the peace and joy that we can experience by living a faithful, obedient life.

Consider this scripture on obedience:

If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

We must be aware of how quick sin can spring up in our heart in an instant. A word too quickly spoken, pride, lusts, an attitude are just some of the ways sin can enter our hearts.

The Psalmist Prayer

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

This should be my prayer and the prayer of every Christian. That I maintain a clean heart before God. Oh, what a desire for each of us. To live a holy life for the glory of our great God and to be a witness to the unsaved around us. Changed, transformed lives by the power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence should be the goal of all of God’s children. Not only do we need this, but the world of darkness around us needs to see the light of Jesus Christ in us. Until man sees the wickedness of their heart’s they will be satisfied to live a life of sin. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus:

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Ephesians 4:21-27

Heavenly Father, we praise you for the birth from above to make us the children of God through Jesus Christ. We pray that many others will be born again today, so they can experience the joy of salvation. In Jesus’ holy, precious name we pray. Amen. Preacher