The Heart of Man
Recently I had a vision flash through my mind. The vision was that of a person I knew who had a heart that was blackened. I knew from past encounters with this person that they had grown cold and callous toward the word of God. When this vision flashed across my mind I began to pray for this person. When I began to do so, I questioned, what is the Bible referring to when it is talking about the heart of man?
Luke 6:43-45 (NLT) A Tree & Its Fruit
43 “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NLT)
25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.[b] 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and carefully obey my regulations.
What are the Differences of the Heart:
In Luke 6:43:45, Jesus addresses two common themes, the first theme is the type of fruit produced and the second is the condition of the heart. Let’s dissect what is the heart and how either good or bad fruit can flow from it.
Ezekiel 36 is the perfect example to bring this concept together. In the book of Ezekiel, the Lord has commissioned Ezekiel to become a prophet unto the nation of Israel (Ezekiel 2). The nation of Israel rebelled against the Lord and worshiped false idols. This meant that Israel went against the commandments the Lord gave the nation (Deuteronomy 6), inciting the Lord’s anger to lend Israel to the hands of surrounding nations who were her enemies (Ezekiel 16:23-29). Therefore, the Lord anoints Ezekiel a prophet to deliver the Word of God unto the Nation of Israel and to declare how she has turned away from her covenant with the Lord. The heart of the Israelites corresponds to their actions and attitude toward following the commandments of the Lord. In Deuteronomy 6, Moses commands the Israelites to follow the commandments of the Lord and to teach and impart them upon their children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Following the law of the Lord brought safety and prosperity to the nation of Israel, whereas, disobedience to the law brought lawlessness and famine upon the land. Israel’s heart in Ezekiel 36 represents the nation’s actions and will toward the Lord. According to Strong's Concordance, Ezekiel 36:26 use of the word “heart” translates to the Hebrew word “leb” (3820) meaning inner man, mind, and will. This only affirms the importance of our actions and thoughts in response to the commandments of the Lord.
Making the Connection, what is the Big Idea:
In Luke 6:43-45 Jesus, our Messiah is the speaker. He is the same speaker in Ezekiel 36 who is giving the word to Ezekiel to deliver unto Israel about her adultery. In Luke 6:45, in the Strong’s Concordance, the word “heart” translates to “Kardia '' (2588) alluding to the mind, character, inner self, will, and intention of a person. We read that “what you say flows from what is in your heart”, again this verse is highlighting how our heart (mind, character, and will) controls what we speak over ourselves or others. We were born into a sinful and fallen world, our actions will reflect this truth. Just like in Ezekiel 36, man’s rebellion against God stemmed from the heart. Man’s inward corruption led to all sorts of sin and rebellion. In Luke 6, Jesus is noting the fallen and depravity of man. There must be a renewal to take place within the heart of man for what he does to be considered good unto the Father. “What is this transformation”, you may ask. This transformation is the renewing of mankind’s eternal soul (John 3:1-8) Jesus describes being born again of the spirit. When a new believer asks for repentance and confesses in their heart that Jesus is the Messiah who came to take away the sins of the world a transformation is occurring within the believer’s heart. Their mind, will, and emotions are changing to fit that of God’s will. No longer is that person a child of the world but now they have been adopted into God’s family (Ephesians 1:5).
Call to Repentance:
Beloved if you do not know the Lord, I ask that you say the following prayer with me:
Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus came, died for my sins, and rose on the third day. I ask that you come into my heart, please renew me so that I am in line with your will for my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go in Peace beloved