Should Christians Trust the Heart?
Should the Christian trust his heart? The answer to this question is often an emphatic "no!" Frequently, counsel is given that we ignore our hearts and emotions or, at the very least, do not trust their leading as we aim to live a life pleasing to the Lord. This counsel is usually based on Jeremiah 17:9, which says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" Before we consider this an open and shut case, is it possible that using this verse in isolation to levy this counsel is short-sighted and gives only a partial view of how Scripture addresses the heart? In this article, I want to argue that this verse does not apply to the born-again believer and that for us (the believer) to experience genuine restoration, refreshment, and encouragement, we must have a more complete and nuanced view of the heart. As often is the case, there's more to the discussion than can be gathered at first glance. Together, let's examine Scripture's treatment of the heart, why we need to be aware of our heart, and how the heart helps believers retain a balanced spiritual life.
Referring back to Jeremiah 17:9: Is the heart deceitful? Yes. Is it desperately sick, as Jeremiah wrote? Yes. However, we should ask a few simple follow-up questions: "Who is the intended audience of Jeremiah's letter? And, how should it be applied to us?" The context of Jeremiah's words is critically important. Jeremiah prophesied to the nation of Judah from the reign of King Josiah in 627 b.c. until sometime after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586. Jeremiah's task as a prophet was to declare the coming judgment of God. It is relevant for us to know that he is addressing the nation during a time of rebellion when their hearts had turned away from God. So, we now ask, "Should Jeremiah's words, intended for rebellious Israel, awaiting God's judgment, be taken to apply to the regenerated heart of the born-again believer?" To answer that question, we must acknowledge that Jeremiah's prophecy was not all bad news. Jeremiah sees a future day when God will write his law on human hearts. Thus, he intends to speak to two distinct heart conditions; a cold heart living in rebellion against God and a second that no longer lives in rebellion but is totally submitted to God. The former is the one who is deceitful and sick.
For proof of this, we look at chapter 31. In Jeremiah chapter 31:31-34, he says, "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
Question: Where did God intend to write his law? That's right! On the heart!
The unbelieving heart is rebellious against God. Yet, through faith, when we enter into a covenant with God through his son Jesus Christ, we experience a change of heart, so to speak. Ezekiel chapter 36 further explains, "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God."
Yet, what does God mean when he says our "hearts" will be changed? In truth, "heart" is the most encompassing biblical word for describing the inner person. Hebrews 4:12 affirms this: "For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." When we discuss the heart, we refer to the thought process and intentions of our heart. Kohler & Baumgardner, authors of The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, describe the heart as "one's inner self, seat of feelings and emotions, inclination, disposition, will, reason, the mind in general."
In Christ, our inner motivation changes. Our disposition changes, as well as our emotions and inclinations. We no longer desire to sin and live in rebellion against God. We no longer experience pleasurable emotions when we sin. The Apostle Paul said it this way in Ephesians 2:1-10, "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."
In truth, the heart is neither God to lead us nor an evil foe to be defeated or ignored. It is clear that the heart and our emotions are an inseparable part of our being and, like every aspect of our being, must be intentionally submitted to God and used as an instrument for a life of worship.
Awareness is Key
What happens in our hearts influences us whether we want it to or not. Ignoring the heart is not only unwise but dangerous. Even for the born-again believer, a wounded heart is sneaky and misleading. When emotionally wounded, our hearts tell us untruths and can lead us to make unwise decisions. Wounded hearts may convince us of the worst of others, arousing suspicion or stirring jealousy, for example. With reason, Proverbs 4:23 says, "Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life." We must watch over our hearts, ensuring that they in no way become bitter through harboring offense or unbelief. Without faith, the Scriptures tell us, it is impossible to please God. Additionally, Satan tries to wound the heart because a wounded heart can create an excellent environment for justifying unrighteousness.
The condition of the believer's heart matters to God. Here are a few verses that speak to that truth; Matthew 12:34, Matthew 5:8, Proverbs 4:23, Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 119:11, 2 Corinthians 9:7, Luke 6:45
Spiritual leading involves the heart.
When it comes to being led spiritually and living by faith, we need three essential things: the Holy Bible, the Body of Christ (a community of believers), and a healthy soul life (which includes our thoughts and emotions). If we do not stay in balance with either one of these, we will find ourselves in trouble. We can not ignore Scripture, we can not disconnect from the community, and we can not ignore what is going on in our own hearts.
In Matthew chapter 5 Jesus says, "So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." Empathy, which occurs in the heart, has much to do with being led to live righteously before God. For example, here, Jesus implores us to live sensitively and be aware of others' offense towards us to such a degree that we influence how we interact with the Father. To ignore this call is to live hardhearted toward our neighbor and unrighteously before God.
Jeremiah 17:9 was never meant to be an extortion to ignore the condition of our heart, to dismiss other people's emotions, or to disregard the heart as being irrelevant to their spiritual condition.
God cares about the condition of your heart. He does not desire for you and me to live brokenhearted, ignoring your emotions, or act in a way that breaks others, ignoring their emotions. As a born-again, regenerated believer in Jesus, your heart and emotions can be a valuable tool for the glory of God, allowing you to fully experience life and fellowship with God and others.
