Keeping The Heart With Diligence

The Holy Spirit said, “Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov 4:23). This is a vital charge to every man or woman of responsibility who walks the path of life, and who must come before the judgement seat of God. No greater charge has been given to humanity.

The heart is that part of man from which flows his convictions, affections and will, and it determines his course of life. W.E. Vine describes the use of this word in the Bible as meaning man’s entire mental and moral activity, “both the rational and the emotional elements.” The heart includes the intellect, emotion and volition of man. The functions of the heart, as described by the word of God, include: the understanding, the perceptions, the determinations, the reasonings, the desires, joys, sorrows, and griefs, the thoughts, the intentions and purposes, and the conscience.

The “issues of life” indicate all elements of life: the thoughts, words and deeds. The heart is the center of man’s life, and his life will show the state of his heart. Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matt 12:35).
Jesus gave a parable, recorded in Matthew 13 and Luke 8, in which he presented the state of the heart as the soils into which the seed, which is the word of God, was sown. Jesus depicted these soils as different conditions of the heart to which the word of God was preached. The only soil that produced the acceptable harvest in the sight of the master was that “honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15). But who makes that heart honest and good? The word of God produces acceptable obedience only in the honest and good heart. The person himself makes the heart honest and good, or deceitful and evil. Jesus taught that when he said: “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man” (Matt 15:18-20).

The gospel of Christ is addressed to the heart of man, not to his belly or social needs. “The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom 14:17). Man is changed from the inside - from his heart. That is why the social gospel has failed to convert man to serve the Lord; it appeals to the appetites and not to the heart of man. Salvation from sins does not occur until man turns from his sins and to the Lord. This is accomplished by repentance, which necessitates faith. Faith comes by hearing the word of God, and from no other source (Rom 10:17). Genuine faith produces repentance which results in the cessation from sin and the reformation of life. All this comes from the heart. If the heart is not honest and good, faith and repentance will not follow. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom 10:9,10).

The gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16), is addressed to the heart to produce faith (10:17), and obedience comes from the heart (6:17). Unless the heart is honest and good, it will not receive the gospel by which that person can be saved. This makes the man responsible for the integrity of his heart.
This thought is further emphasized by the teaching of Jesus regarding an evil heart. He said one commits adultery in his heart by looking on a woman to lust after her (Matt 5:28). That is sin, yet it is only in the heart. Jesus described the heart condition of the scribes and Pharisees and many who followed them as “This people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matt 13:15). By refusing to hear and see and understand with their heart, they could not be converted that Jesus might heal them. These were responsible for the condition of their hearts, and their salvation depended upon how their hearts received the truth which Jesus taught. (This same lesson is taught in Acts 28:27).

Simon the sorcerer was a deceiver who bewitched many people in Samaria. But when he heard the gospel preached by Philip he believed also and was baptized. He continued with Philip, observing the miracles which he did, but when Peter and John came down and imparted spiritual gifts unto them, Simon saw this and offered them money for this gift. Peter said to Simon: “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou has neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity” (Acts 8:20-23). Simon asked Peter to pray for him that “none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me” (vs 24). Even if one’s heart is right to receive the word to be saved, he must guard his heart lest it become “not right in the sight of God.” The Holy Spirit said, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Heb 3:12).

When the heart will allow it, Satan will enter and lead one into all kinds of evil, in thought, word and deed. Satan entered the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus (John 13:2). Ananias with his wife Sapphira lied about his gift to the work of the Lord. Peter asked, “Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back a part of the price?” (Acts 5:3). Satan enters the heart and fills it to do evil. The question by Peter to Ananias indicated that he could know why Satan filled his heart. He had to give consent. Satan can not get into the heart unless that person allows it. That makes him responsible for the condition of his heart in the area of honesty and goodness.

But the Lord “opens” the heart with the power of the gospel. Those on Pentecost were “pricked” in their heart by the gospel which Peter and the other apostles preached. They were convicted by the gospel which they allowed to enter their hearts. Others on that same occasion rejected the gospel because they did not allow the truth to enter their hearts. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia by the things which were spoken by Paul, and she was baptized and her household (Acts 16:14,15). Without hearing the gospel, the Lord would not have opened her heart. This simply means that as Satan “entered” and “filled” the heart by temptations to betray Christ and lie to the Holy Ghost, so the Lord “opened” the heart of Lydia by the leading of the Spirit through the gospel which was preached to her. The hearts had to be ready to receive what was proclaimed to them.

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov 4:23).