Teaching

by George Bakalov

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I. THE ART OF KNOWING OUR HEART

1. You are your heart.

In the physical we have hair, legs, arms and even a physical heart. But as spirit beings we don't just have heart, we are our heart. Who we are before God is really what our heart is.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it? Jer. 17:9

In this brief teaching I will not go into detail related to the old heart being removed and new heart being given to us in Christ. I will go straight to the subject matter of the importance of our heart in its spiritual and yet very existential importance.

The place of the heart in the Biblical narrative is very central. The heart is defined as:

• the core of who someone is
• the place of consciousness
• the place where moral judgment is made (different from the will)
• where guilt or righteousness becomes resident

Psychology has confused us in how we determine man, or rather what is exactly the substance of who we are. Properly categorizing the different types of personalities, thought patterns and behavior [psychology] is not sufficient to determine who someone is in terms of their heart.

God judges (determines, categorizes) people based on who they are on heart level. The two general categories of people we see in Scripture are wicked and righteous, based on the state of their heart [righteousness in the sense of the disposition of the person's heart, not the perfection of Christ's sinlessness].

However, within these two main categories, there are various nuances and levels. Due to the elusive and abstract nature of the mind, emotions, will, attitudes and consciousness, who we are is best determined by God Himself. However, Scripture is definite that both the righteous and the wicked in heart are also measured as such based on how they interact and respond to their fellow man.

Because the heart is so complex ("deceitful above all things"), we can't know ourselves by ourselves. We need to come to know ourselves in the light of a relationship with the Father himself through the Holy Spirit.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; James 1:23
for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. James 1:24

Also, it is God's will for us to be part of a covenant community where who we are will be reflected in our relationships and in circumstances. The family, the church (Kingdom community) and the workplace are the three main arenas that represent the litmus test of who we are.

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Acts 2:46

2. How important is to understand our heart?

The word heart is used over 800 times in the Scriptures. For comparison, the following words, generally defining what seem to be some of the most important existential issues for us as people, are used as follows [relatively]:

love - little over 200 times
life - little over 300 times
peace - little over 300 times
blessing - little over 60 times
heal - little over 40 times
salvation - little over 160 times

Jesus taught it was from the heart we manifest who we are:

Mark 7:14 When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand:
Mark 7:15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.
Mark 7:16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Mark 7:17 When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.
Mark 7:18 So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,
Mark 7:19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”
Mark 7:20 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.
Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mark 7:22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
Mark 7:23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

All evil in the world is a manifestation of our heart. Demons wouldn't have power in the world unless they had human beings to operate through. And human beings wouldn't give themselves to be used as conduits of evil if they didn't make a decision to do so on a ... heart level.

3. The outward shell and the inner man

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
But his heart is not with you. Prov. 23:7

I want to challenge the traditional interpretation of Prov. 23:7, which has often been used by preachers to address the importance of the mind and the way we think.

For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you. Prov. 23:7 (BBE)

When we consider the context of this verse it becomes clear that it really speaks of a process going on in the "heart", not the mind. The thought process of our conscious mind which processes the daily calculus of information we gather through our senses and thought patterns, is indeed an important process to consider. Conscious thought patterns may need repair and alignment with the word of God.

However, what this verse speaks of is more than that. It actually pulls the curtain of the visible shell of behavior we so often adopt as our own identity and it the spotlight of God's word reveals a deeper process - the thoughts of our heart.

This also shows our heart is not our emotions. Most Bible teachers accept that emotions are part of the soul, not the spirit of man. We have emotions, but we are not an emotion. We are a spirit, the core of what we are.

Due to established etiquette in society, church environment, cultural context and family stereotypes, we all develop a certain mode of being with others. We all need to find ways of being compatible in the great human exchange called society. Thus we form our outward shell. This shell may be a deliberate construct and we can choose to modify it dependent on the seasons of life, our social strata, the fads of the day, professional profile and popular culture.

People dress like pop stars, talk like famous characters and imitate other role models, adopting the imitation as their own. All of us do this to a degree, in an attempt to find ways to develop, be comfortable with ourselves and fit in.

Due to all of the above and the overwhelming sense of lack of identity, many people (probably most) are not who they act like or seem to be in their everyday interaction with people. That's not hypocrisy. It's a code of behavior that enables us to function in our daily lives.

The problem comes when people root their identity in their outward shell ("I'm a truck driver and I guess I'll think and act the way truck drivers do"). When we become born-again, our new inner man begins to push through and give us new patterns how to reshape our outward "shell" in such a way so that the new spirit nature we have from God (our heart from Heaven, the heart of Jesus in us) can come through.

Spiritual maturity is the art of equilibrium of who we are on a heart level, freely expressed through our "shell" and yet having a shell good enough to allow us to interface with this world. This is a very complex process and it can take many years to come to a place where we incarnate Christ and yet we come across authentic and organic.

Thus, to be spiritual is really an ongoing process of spiritual osmosis that permeates our soul, comes through in our words and actions and gives shape to our lives in a way of principles that are scalable.

Discipleship is really the ultimate process of allowing a measure of Christ in us to become incarnate enough so that it can be experienced on a human level by others. This is our "testimony". It creates an interface with the ascended Christ , so that from this point, when someone accepts the measure of the incarnate Christ through us, we can then lead people to a place where they can reach for themselves and have an encounter with ascended Christ.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 1John 1:1

It's imperative for us as Christians to go beyond institutional Christianity and to press in to a place of a divine encounter with Christ who alone can define our heart. Psychology can't do it, Sunday morning sermons can't do it, books can't do it. We need to understand the Scriptural framework, but we also need an encounter with Christ Himself. This is the missing link in contemporary Christianity.

II. 25 KEY SCRIPTURES ON THE HEART [BUILDING A SCRIPTURAL FRAMEWORK]

1) The first time the word 'heart' is used in Scripture

¶ Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen. 6:5

2) Pharaoh hardened his heart

And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. Ex. 7:13

3) The breastplate of judgment

And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually. Ex. 28:30

4) Giving comes from a willing heart

“Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze; Ex. 35:5

5) God puts wisdom in our hearts:

Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work. Ex. 36:2

6) We are not to hate in our heart

“You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. Lev. 19:17

7) We can get discouraged in our hearts and refuse to possess the land.

For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, so that they did not go into the land which the LORD had given them. Num. 32:9

8) The Lord tests our hearts

And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. Deut. 8:2

9) We are not to harden our hearts toward the poor

“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, Deut. 15:7

10) The Lord will circumcise our hearts so we can love him

And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deut. 30:6

11) God put wisdom in Solomon's heart

Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 1Kings 10:24

12) Solomon's heart became corrupt

For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. 1Kings 11:4
¶ So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 1Kings 11:9

13) The pure in heart will see God

Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God. Matt. 5:8

14) Our treasure is in our hearts

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. Matt. 12:35

15) The word of the Kingdom is sown in our hearts

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. Matt. 13:19

16) Hypocrisy begins with the coldness of heart

“These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me. Matt. 15:8

17) Love God with all your heart

And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. Mark 12:30

18) Faith faith lives in the heart

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Mark 11:23

19) Jesus rebukes the disciples for their hardness of heart

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. Mark 16:14

20) Our hearts are not to be troubled

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. John 14:1

21) Evangelism is all about the heart

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37

22) Discipleship is about singleness ["aphelotes", Gr.] of heart

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, Acts 2:46

23) Persecution begins in the heart

When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. Acts 7:54

24) Prophetic ministry exposes the heart

And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you. 1Cor. 14:25

25) God is bigger than our heart

For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 1John 3:20
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 1John 3:2
George P. Bakalov