Keep Your Heart
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Introduction
Introduction
Last week we talked about our hearts. Not our organs, but the deepest part of our inner self, that Proverbs 4:23 says:
Is the very thing that influences and wills everything we do in life.
In addition we also talked about how:
1 Sam 16:7 mentions h e is most concerned about our hearts.
We talked about how when God first created us, our hearts were pure, but when Adam disobeyed God, sin entered his heart and his hearts and our hearts became defiled or messed up.
And it was because this, that made God extremely concerned with the issue of our hearts. Genesis 6:5-6
3. But we also talked about how God, through this deep concern with the unclean state of our hearts, gave us a way to have our hearts to be forgiven and renewed, and this was through:
Sending His Son Jesus to die for our sins, and give us a new heart through the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says in John 7:38 that through believing in Him, He will give us a new heart and Spirit.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
If you are saved, then you are a new person. Jesus has given you a new heart and a new spirit.
Your old self, your old spirit, and heart, have both been renewed by the Holy Spirit:
Your inward self, quite literally has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit!
Now when God looks at you, He doesn’t see sin, but He sees the new you! Doesn’t that excite you? To know that Christ has changed you on the inside?
But though we have been changed on the inside, we still haven’t been changed on the outside.
On the outside of our hearts lies, our flesh and the world. And both are drawn into sin.
God’s Word is clear in Romans 12:2
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Here God is telling us strongly, now that we have been reborn, not to be like this world, nor to follow it’s ways.
But God’s Word is also telling us something else:
Our minds have to be renewed.
Our Spirits have been forever renewed but our minds have to be constantly renewed.
Psychologists say this a lot:
“Sow a thought, reap a deed. Sow a deed, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.”
**Since we are Spirit Filled, we should no longer be Sin Filled.**
Because sin is so dangerous and the world is driven by it, this means that we must protect our renewed hearts.
As Romans 12:2 said, we are not to be like the world.
But since we are in the world, that means that the world and it’s way’s can rub back on us. Which is not what we want.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
Notice the first, part of this verse, it says that we are to protect our hearts with all vigilance. What does this mean?
In the original language that this passage was written in, that word protect, means to “guard” or “to keep” and that word vigilance means “diligence” which means to put effort into something.
We should take steps as christians to protect our hearts, from becoming like the world.
Ask Yourselves this question:
Why should we who have been set free from our sin, and from the world, become trapped by those things again?
This is the danger. If we do not protect our hearts, ourselves, satan will try to one again through the world, and through sin, steal the salvation that we have, and make our hearts defiled again.
If we do fall right back into our old lives, yes we can lose our salvation.
That is why protecting our hearts is so important.
How Do We Protect Our Hearts?
How Do We Protect Our Hearts?
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The greatest way we protect our hearts is by renewing our minds.
Remember in Matthew 15:19 It was the thoughts that were unclean.
Psychologists say this a lot:
“Sow a thought, reap a deed. Sow a deed, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.”
So the best way for us to guard our hearts, is to renew our minds.
How Do We Renew Our Minds?
We read and study the Word of God:
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
You see our new Spirits are forever connected to Christ
And Christ is the Word of God in the flesh, or bodily form:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
So when we read and study scripture, it is not just that we are learning more about the Bible, we are actually learning more about Christ.
We are reading Christ. And our Spirit man knows this, and since our spirits are connected to Jesus, something begins to happen on the inside of us.
13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”
Moses wanted from God more than anything else to know God’s ways, so that He could know Him personally.
When we consistently read the Word of God and pray, we are getting to know Jesus more and more, and the inside of begins to change.
We will start thinking like God thinks and we will even want to do what His Word says!
That is what is so awesome about God, the more time we make with Him, the more He begins to change us!
So as our minds are set on His Word so is our hearts. And when our hearts are on Him, they will not be on the things of this world or sin.
Remember the psycologists quote:
“Sow a thought, reap a deed. Sow a deed, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.”
Now imagine if you read your Bible everyday and met with God everyday, where could God lead you?
But if we want to do what God has called us to do, then it all starts with the thoughts. We must be intentional about meeting with Him, and renewing our minds so that our hearts do not become side tracked.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So as a Christian, our minds should not be geared toward sin, but toward God, because if our minds are not toward God, they will by default be on the world and sin.
Where is your mind at today?
Where is your heart at?
Are you trying to know God?
Are living a life that would please Him?
Are you reading your Bible?
I am not trying to make you all feel guilty about reading your Bibles. Reading your Bibles is not what saves you from your sin, your faith in Christ does.
But it is through reading your Bibles that God speaks to you and changes you into the person He has called you to be.
You can’t do what God has called you to do without reading His Word.
So please start reading Your Bibles!