“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 ESV
The appearance of what comes from the heart may be good in its externality, but internally its motives are as dead as a corpse without Christ.
We as humans are men and women who live in a depraved society. We allow our feelings to dictate how we live, rather than seeking Him Who is Goodness and Perfection. Instead of allowing God to rule and reign, we send Him to the drain. We empty ourselves of His presence and His Truth, and we choose to follow our heart and our ways. It is in our heart, however, where sin and self dwell. Nothing good comes from the heart. The appearance of what comes from the heart may be good in its externality, but internally its motives are as dead as a corpse without Christ.
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5 ESV). All of us were brought forth into a fallen world. We all live amongst transgressors. Without the Holy Spirit living in us, we will continually dive deeper into sin and self. We will believe that we ourselves control our destiny and we deserve the best. We become lovers of self, rather than seeking to help. We simply go the way of the world and make every excuse behind our actions and motives. We justify our wrongdoings and we place a deceptive light over our intentions. What a pity it is that few are bold enough to sit in silence by themselves. Why is that? Because the heart is sick and in need of a Savior.
Multitudes are in constant need of being surrounded by people or technology to drown out the reality of what lingers within.
Multitudes are in constant need of being surrounded by people or technology to drown out the reality of what lingers within. Many are afraid to be transparent with themselves and to strip themselves naked of all distractions. Few are bold enough to confront themselves for exactly who they are without Christ’s Blood covering them. It is a tragedy that we go throughout this life being as wicked as the next man, but simply refuse to fess up. Our thoughts are perverted and immoral. Our heart deceives us and inclines us towards pride, lust, self-love, envy, idolatry, hate, evil and the like. We simply turn a blind eye to our sins, yet, so quickly we point to others. It is in having our entire sight directed away from ourselves, where wickedness and sin continue to grow within the heart.
Man will go to any lengths to excuse sin.
“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7-8 ESV). Man will go to any lengths to excuse sin. They will corrupt the Scriptures, they will distort Christ’s Words, and they will believe the lies that linger within. They will be led by their heart, rather than give their heart to Christ. Without transformation there is damnation. Without a desire to change, one will always be deranged. Any heart that is led by emotion and passion will cease from productive action. Action that pertains to the Scriptures and is dedicated to God. For without our Lord Jesus Christ at the forefront, we toil and strive in vain. When the mind is set on believing popular psychology and the trend of the day, there is a deadly price to pay. For those who go with the world, cannot follow Christ. Galatians 5:17-24 (ESV) has everything to say about this matter:
“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
We desire pure garments, but we defile and stain the very righteousness Christ is willing to give us!
“The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5 ESV). Ever since The Fall, God has discerned and seen what truly lies within man. The desire to be as their own god. The desire to decipher what is right and what is wrong. O how society has twisted the Scriptures! We no longer believe that what God calls sin is sin. We no longer see that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We simply see Him as a Savior, and nothing more. We steal from His Holiness. We desire pure garments, but we defile and stain the very righteousness He is willing to give us! How sad it is that the masses who claim to be Christian do not really know God. That is why Christ said, ““Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”” (John 3:3 ESV).
We all are sinners, but only the humble will receive salvation. Only the humble act on the conviction of the Holy Spirit and place God above themselves.
To be born again does not mean to put in your Facebook profile "I'm a Christian." It does not mean to share a verse every now and then. It does not mean to go to church every Sunday. To be born again means to change. It means to use the freedom of the will to act on the Holy Spirit’s conviction. It means to turn to Christ, believe He is Savior and Lord, and to repent of sins. We all are guilty, and we all are sinners (I being the worst), but only the humble will receive salvation. Only the humble place God above themselves. That is why God gives grace to the humble and lifts them up (1 Peter 5:5-6). For it is the person who humbles themselves and repents who will receive the Holy Spirit. It is then the Holy Spirit Who will be their Advocate, their Guide and their Source of Love and Wisdom within. Without the Holy Spirit we are nothing. With the Holy Spirit, we can do all things through Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
“They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart” (Ephesians 4:18 ESV). Most of what has been stated will not be understood by the depraved human who desires nothing of Christ. “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV).
It was humility that led Christ to the Cross, but it was love that kept Him on the Cross. Likewise, it is humility that leads us to the Cross, but love for Christ that keeps us carrying our Cross.
God desires to reveal the secret chambers of His Divine heart, but not until we humble ourselves. So long as pride lingers and we believe we are good, God will forever allow us to live in delusion. We will not be able to think on the things of God, for all things received by God begin with humility and are led and kept by love. It was humility that led Christ to the Cross, but it was love that kept Him on the Cross. Likewise, it is humility that leads us to the Cross, but love for Christ that keeps us carrying our Cross.
The only difference between unbelievers and born again believers in this depraved world is the acting upon the conviction of the Holy Spirit and being humble enough to deny oneself.
May the Truth that “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6 ESV) sink deep within. No man or woman is better than the other. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 ESV). The reality is we all have allowed the spirit of lawlessness to rule within us. The only difference between unbelievers and born again believers in this depraved world is the acting upon the conviction of the Holy Spirit and being humble enough to deny oneself.
We must be willing to turn from our sinful ways and desire change, if we are to turn from human depravity, and toward Eternal Glory - God Almighty.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, in the midst of a chaotic world, You are still Sovereign. Lord, You allow evil to happen in order to work out a greater good. Lord, You are the One Who knows all things and can put a stop to all things. Lord, in our sin, You loved us and called us. Before we were even a thought, You desired to know us. Lord, we pray that all would come to know You. Lord, You have allowed evil in the world to reveal that we as humans are nothing. We are in need of a Lord and a Savior. Heavenly Father, may the Blood of Christ transform and renew us. May we be brought into Your Kingdom as Holy Citizens. May the Holy Spirit lead us through this life. Continue to sanctify us and strip us from evil, sin, the world and self. Lord, give us a new heart and a new mind. May we desire nothing but to do Your will, for in it is Goodness, Hope, Joy, Grace, and Love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lance VanTine