The heart wicked or clean - What does Jesus say?

[MessageOfTheCross]

Paul also makes it very clear in Romans 8:10 that the physical body, mind / intellect, and the heart (which is evil - Jeremiah 17:9) has been rendered helpless because of the original sin; consequently, the Believer trying to overcome by willpower presents a fruitless task. Only the Holy Spirit can mortify the deeds of the flesh and make us what we ought to be (Romans 8:13). This means we cannot do it ourselves. Once again, He performs all that He does within the confines of the Finished Work of Christ (Romans 8:2).

If a Christian will and their efforts to live for God is in anything except Christ and the Cross, i.e., Finished Work, The Blood of Jesus (Romans 8:2), Satan can override your will and force you to do things you don't want to do and trying not to do (Ephesians 6:12). Jesus said deny yourself and pick up your cross and follow me (Luke 9:23).

Remember our bodies are dead and useless to God. The heart is prone to wander away from God's love and eat from "The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." The reason why the body is dead is because of the effects of the fall has made us totally incapable of yielding spiritual obedience on a regular basis (Jeremiah 13:23). So there must be a source outside of myself that helps me to enter into sanctification which is the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:13).

God has chosen to operate His work from the basis of faith. "The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2) is God's prescribed order of victory for the Believer. This means that the Believer must maintained proper Faith the size of a mustard seed exclusively in Christ (who He is) and His Finished Work (what He has done), i.e., The Cross, i.e., The Blood of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit, He Works strictly within the parameters of the "Finished Work" i.e., "the Cross of Christ", which demands that our Faith be exclusively in the Cross of Christ. The reason is simple, that's were the price was paid, and the victory was forever won (Romans 6:1-14; 1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 5; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 2:13-18; Col. 2:14-15).

For whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)

The Law Of The Spirit Of Life In Christ Jesus gives the Believer victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

Victory over the world: Galatians 6:14 ; 1 John 5:4
Victory over the flesh: Galatians 5:24
Victory over the Devil: Hebrews 2:14 ; Colossians 2:15

How does a Believer maintain faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross? By just believing in Jesus (who He is) and what He accomplished at Calvary Cross. Romans 4:5 - Galatians 2:19-21 NKJV - 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 NKJV - Colossians 2:11-15 NKJV

 

[zone]

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jeremiah 17:9

The above is the state of those who do not follow Christ.

Those who have been saved are like this

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Col 3:1


Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Col 3:15

Some feel their emotions or hearts are a closed book they dare not touch.

Three areas need addressing
1. Sinful behaviour is evil, needs to be dealt with, repented of
2. Love is King. Love heals and resolves issues
3. Behaviour reflects the state of our hearts.

Christ has come to rule in our hearts, but you need to let Him in.

We need to recognise our love and Gods love and set it free in our lives, to become
emotionally alive and free in Christs strength through the cross, by seeing His love
that drove Him to sacrifice Himself for us and forgive us of our sin and blindness.

It is pure delusion to think people have pure hearts because this is not the
experience of all. The opposite is true, people are often overcome with sinful
passions and encourage and dwell in fantasy to escape the grinding situation of
their current reality.

Unfortunately until people face the heart is where everything matters in the
believer they will never realise Gods power at work within them.

why can't you just post without adding how your mysterious "others' who just don't reach your level of sanctification (ahem); blah blah

 

[Ariel82]

Psalm 51:10 ►
New International Version
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

 

[Grace777x70]

Psalm 51:10 ►
New International Version
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Thank God that the Lord answered David's prayer and it is manifested in the New Covenant of the gospel of the grace of God in Christ.

 

[Ariel82]

Matthew 5:8 ESV

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Hebrews 10:22 ESV

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Proverbs 20:9 ESV l

Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?

1 Peter 1:22 ESV

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

Titus 1:15 ESV

To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

***

The Holy Spirit cleanses and purified our hearts and minds and makes us pure. He teaches us how to live godly lives.

Jesus says he gives us clean hearts and washes away our sins.

Are you calling that belief a delusion?

 

[zone]

....Jesus says he gives us clean hearts and washes away our sins.

Ezekiel 36
…25"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26"Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.…

 

[willybob]

The righteous are separated from the wicked on almost every page of scripture...There is a clear distinction between the two..Isaiah 17 speaks of those with a wicked heart, but speaks also of the covenant keepers as well. .Why do many professing Christians always number themselves among the wicked?

 

[PeterJens]

why can't you just post without adding how your mysterious "others' who just don't reach your level of sanctification (ahem); blah blah

Zone, dear sister, please do not read it this way.
I am a poor man trying to grasp the wonders of our Lord and King.
I am a captive to my heart and what I see. I wonder at the door or
reality I see because I never expected this. So I share hoping others might
be blessed. This is just my heart.

I wonder how sin makes people captive, how hurts and pain destroys who they
are, how I need to learn how to share love in this holy place.

I shared with a brother yesterday and he talked of his Dad in grief. I must be just
a listener here, because so easily I can defile the privilege. So please hear I only
come in love as the Lord sent me, the work of His hands.

 

[MadebyHim]

[SUP]21 [/SUP]For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
[SUP]22 [/SUP]The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
[SUP]23 [/SUP]But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
[SUP]24 [/SUP]No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:21-24