#293 Kingdom: Christ – The Authority on the Human Heart

Mat 15:15] And Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain the parable to us.” [16] And He said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also? [17] “Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? [18] “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. [19] “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. [20] “These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

Mark 7: 17] And when leaving the multitude, He had entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. [18] And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him; [19] because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) [20] And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. [21] “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, [22] deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. [23] “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”

Mat 12: 33] “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. [34] “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. [35] “The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil.

Gen 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. [6] And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

Heb 10: 22] let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

It seems to be great offence in the church to speak about Christians who have been “born-again” and “justified in the sight of God” and had “their sins forgiven” but out of their heart and mouth comes strange things. The highest authority upon the earth or in heaven tells us that the problem comes out of the heart of man. To deny that these things are too often in the church is to stick our head in the sand and refuse to see the reality of how things really are. We are not being critical because we have already seen these same things coming out of our mouth.

James 3: 8] But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. [9] With it we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; [10] from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. [11] Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? [12] Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Neither can salt water produce fresh.

James 3:14] But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. [15] This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. [16] For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. [17] But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. [18] And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

This might seem like a strange statement when written to the church that has these two fountains within that is giving out two opposite kinds of manifestations. Peter said “These things ought not be this way” but obviously they still are that way in every generation.. If we didn’t see these two fountains regularly in the church we might dismiss this problem as “solved by the blood.” We even see immorality in the church and in the pulpit among churches that preach holiness. It might be time that somebody asked “why is this true even in spirit baptized people?” Some have even confessed the sin and claimed that the blood of Jesus has cleaned them from all sin. Therefore, they stand in the pulpit as forgiven sinners, even though the heart has not been changed!

Now Jesus said that the problem has its source in the heart of man. It is out of the heart that proceeds fornications, and a whole series of other things that reflect the same things seen in the world. Therefore, if man does not have a “exchanged heart” the fallen problems will be carried over right into the church as we often see.

Eze 36: 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] “And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

The problem is NOT that the sins are not forgiven but that the old heart of stone has not been removed and a new heart of flesh been installed. This problem is handled by the New Covenant and not by the blood. Some one has said when confronted with “sleeping around” that it is easier to receive forgiveness from God than it is to get permission from God to “sleep around”, therefore, I sleep around and then ask for forgiveness..

The “religious response” is but I never did those things after I was saved so I must have received a new heart. It may be that you were afraid you would get caught or never had the right opportunity but that does NOT mean that these things are NOT in our hearts.

One of the great eternal values of conflicts and trials is that in these times the condition of

the heart is revealed and that inner corruption that we were unaware of is exposed. If we don’t know it is there we will not be desperate to get rid of it. The message in Matthew 5-6 &7 is that we must not only be delivered of “sin” that is recognized as “sin” in our eyes but we must be delivered of “sin” that “is sin” in the sight of God and from the Kingdom viewpoint. If our life is beyond the censure of God and is approved by Him in our inner life, we could say we are “pure in heart.” The fact that we are not there yet or even if we don’t know anyone who is “pure in heart” the message of the Kingdom is that God CAN make us that way. Otherwise no one would ever see God.. Still, in Revelation 22 we see a group who do see God so we know it is possible to make us pure in heart.

Rev 22:3] And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him; [4] and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.

Unfortunately, the casual seeker will not seek God for the inner change necessary. God’s plan is not to reshape, correct and adjust “the heart” that we were born with but to completely change our heart by removing our former “heart of stone” and to replace it with a heart of “flesh.” The “heart” is defined by Vines Dictionary as “the hidden springs of our personal life.” Human depravity is said to be in the heart or the inner man. “Sin” then is the principle established in the unredeemed “heart of stone.” Within the New Covenant the “heart” speaks of the sphere of Divine influence within the redeemed saint. The “heart” represents” the true character of the person within but conceals it from us but is a realm that is visible to God. Therefore, man is incapable of knowing his own heart, consequently we must accept God’s evaluation of the “heart” when He says it is desperately wicked. To speak of a literal “heart transplant”in the spiritual realm as it would be in the natural realm is not the message of the “new heart” which speaks of a complete change within the inner man.

We may prefer to remain in “ignorant bliss” so we are not confronted by the corruption within and many take that path. However, sometime soon those who will make the transition to the next restoration within the Holy Place Life and ministry will have to deal with this serious internal problem. We will have to come to some degree of assurance that God has no controversy with our “heart” or inner man. That means the motives, the thoughts and the intensions of the heart. This is not a matter of “forgiveness of sins” committed by us but of the source of “sin” that is in my members (heart). Purity or impurity within the inner man then is a major problem. If we recognize that there is impurity in our heart the next major problem is how to get rid of it.

First we need to recognize that no man can make his heart pure any more than he can perfect himself. This is God’s work alone. However, because of the free will of man God will not force us into purity or into perfection. Still, man can fully surrender to God and ask Him to work His purity into our hearts and to perfect us for the day of Christ. He “works His purity into our hearts” by creating in us a clean, new spiritual heart. God has no plan to purify our old fallen heart of stone but just to remove it all together and replace it with a new heart and a right spirit.. The responsibility to keep the new heart clean and pure then is our responsibility.

Psalms 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

[6] Behold, Thou dost desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part Thou wilt make me know wisdom. [7] Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. [8] Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which Thou hast broken rejoice. [9] Hide Thy face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. [11] Do not cast me away from Thy presence, And do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. [12] Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, And sustain me with a willing spirit. [13] Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, And sinners will be converted to Thee.

Since the conscience is part of this new inner man [heart and spirit] it must be kept active, pure and undefiled or our faith will fail during the race set before us!.

2Cor 1:12 For our proud confidence is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.

1 Tim 1: 5] But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. [6] For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,

1 Tim 1;19] keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.

1 Tim 3: 8] Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to

much wine or fond of sordid gain, [9] but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

1 Tim 4: 2] by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron.

Titus 1:15] To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. [16] They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed.

Heb 9:14] how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Heb 10:22] let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

1 Pet 3:21] And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Even a short study on the importance of an active and clean conscience reveals the

devastating effect of a defiled conscience upon the Christian life. It appears that it is the sprinkled blood that cleanses a defiled conscience so we can draw near to God. If our conscience gets defiled it destroys our faith and our access to God. It seems that a defiled conscience will affect our heart condition. Paul attached so much importance upon the purity of conscience that he said the testimony of his conscience was that he had conducted himself in holiness and Godly sincerity toward them.

It certainly appears that an clean, undefiled conscience and a pure heart are essential for any “ministry” and evidently will be essential for this next restoration. If we said that “innocence of sins” [forgiven] does not make us pure in heart it would upset many. Some who have let their conscience get defiled and shipwrecked their faith still insist they are “pure in heart” because their “sins” have been forgiven. Some Adulterers claim that their conscience doesn’t bother them so they are still pure in heart and God understands their weakness. They say He loves them anyway! Many homosexuals today testify to being pure in heart and having a good conscience.

The problems revealed by the highest authority on the human heart is that until the heart is replaced with a new one from God, out of it will come all kinds of abominations. Faith will fail and deception will be the rule of the day. Jesus also said that a bad heart condition will make us unteachable and unable to understand spiritual things.

Mat 13:13] “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. [14] “And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, `YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; [15] FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES LEST THEY SHOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I SHOULD HEAL THEM.’

Mark 7:17] And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart?

In the past when a breach in fellowship came because of misunderstanding or arrogance or

criticism, I felt confident that I was right and others were immature and pig headed. For that reason “I have a right to feel like I do.” In the natural it seemed reasonable to stand my ground for “truth.” I have a right to my convictions! Then I discovered that I was insisting upon my right to be “myself.” This controversy was the result of “my right to be an individual.”

Eventually it became clear that “consecration is continuous” and in full consecration I give up the right to “myself and my hurt feelings and ego.” In another “absolute surrender” [after so many previous surrenders] God gradually solved the problem until one day I suddenly realized there was no problem. The real problem was “myself.”

It is my opinion that this problem of “myself” was solved at Calvary when Christ carried me into death and burial. The controversy exposed a truth that even though the problem was solved at Calvary it had not become my experience and “myself” was still on the throne. My theory is that each one of these 7 Outer Court experiences is designed to deal with one or more of these multitude of hidden problems and failures that must be dealt with before we are able to fully participate in the next spiritual realm. For example; Water baptism should deal with nearly 20 of these problems when we finally experience the fulness of baptism. After we have died and been buried in baptism we still must “reckon ourselves dead” and the new conscience that we received must be kept pure. The Old man must be crucified when he rises up to insist upon being “himself.”

One of the old “gospel cliches” says that no barrier between us and God can be higher than Calvary. In other words Calvary will overrule every controversy between us and God. We could ask “but what about unforgiveness?” Another cliche is “if we are sincere God will understand.” The fact is that God must make us pure, undefiled, real, transparent and Christ-like and not just sincere. Another one is “Well, brother, all God requires of us is to fulfill the “law of love.” That may be true but that is surely too abstract to judge our daily life. For example; A lot of the effects of old Adam upon our life must be removed and at least some of Christ-likeness must be real before we can even think about fulfilling the law of love.

Rom 5: 3] And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; [4] and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; [5] and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

While it is true that the Holy Spirit IS the Love of God and He is in us, there are a lot of barriers to His Love being manifested through us. The trials, sufferings and tribulations develop our character and a “proven character”will develop into hope while they are dealing with the effects of the fall so the love of God can be manifested. The problem is that these “fallen attributes” are part of our “inner man or heart” and they don’t automatically get resolved as we go to church. It is possible to go to church for 20 years and still have iniquity [lawlessness] in our hearts.

It is the trials, difficulties and testings, in practical everyday ways, that reveal the defects, deficiencies and nasty attitudes that are still part of our “heart.” If we are “pure in heart” no garbage floats to the surface during these times of testings and a new hope is revealed. People invent “abstract tests” for themselves but what is real and unreal is not revealed and the people imagine themselves as overcomers.

Those who are “pure in heart” will have no reason to be concerned that some hidden thing will be exposed during the trial and be a great embarrassment. Those of us who are not “pure in heart” will most like be embarrassed when the residual effects of the fall are manifested. Still, those who have understanding will be grateful that it is exposed so it can be confessed and we can ask God to remove it. Confessing the defect and trying harder to overcome it will not work.

Some “in the church” who have never been outwardly immoral may still be immoral in their heart. Jesus’ evaluation of the heart includes a lot of things we may not expect to be there. However, He is the foremost authority on the heart and we can accept His evaluation.

Heb 12:10] For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. [11] All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Generally we think about God’s discipline as being outward as it was with our earthly fathers but the revelation is that God disciplines us so that we may share His Holiness. It is for that reason that His discipline must be inward and deal with the things of the heart. Those that only hold to “imputed righteousness” will have difficulty with the “righteousness that is the result of discipline.” This righteousness is the fruit of holiness or after holiness comes righteousness.

When we do something stupid outwardly we expect outward discipline but God knows the outward action was just the result of an inward impurity so He deals with the source which is the Heart. When the heart is rid of its impurities we could say we are beginning to share His holiness and that the result of that is experiential righteousness.

Another dimension of this inner conflict is that this “new heart” is still in a “old shell” that represents another aspect of flesh. There is both the outer shell and the inner shell. It is debatable which “flesh” gives us the most problems. My theory is that the “inner flesh” is what is always justifying “myself” and “my opinion” and “my will” and “my actions” as being “led by the Spirit.” The inner flesh insists that “God told me.”

The very best good in the natural man is still not “good enough” for the Kingdom. The New Jerusalem is NOT made up of those natural men who have become better and qualify as “good. enough! Many who are “spiritual” in their own sight may be wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked in God’s sight. If we accept our evaluation over His evaluation we know we need eye salve and are blind to eternal truth.

When all our thoughts, ambitions, goals, intentions of the heart, outward actions, attitudes, disposition and our vision is evaluated against the Kingdom of God and the divine requirements we will see how far short we have come. Every time we try harder and with more zeal to fix it we soon discover the Oh, wretched man that I am! Full consecration and total surrender is the only way I have discovered that changes the inner man and his perfection is a continuous process. Most people are repulsed by any mention of the perfection of the outward man but have no concept that the outward guy will be “left behind.” The “perfection of the inward man” is what we carry out of this life and which becomes eternal in the heavens. It is this inner man that is being prepared to reign with Christ and not the outer man. We may not be too beautiful in the outer man but we may become a raving beauty in the inner man. Perfecting the outer man to become the bride of Christ is a big waste of time if the inner man is unchanged.

Psalms 45:13 The King’s daughter is all glorious within; Her clothing is interwoven with gold. [14] She will be led to the King in embroidered work; The virgins, her companions who follow her, Will be brought to Thee. [15] They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing; They will enter into the King’s palace.

Christian piety is sometimes just the natural man trying harder to succeed in looking holy on the outside by some religious activity. Part of the transformation necessary today is in giving up our right to the natural man and all his activities and to permit the inner man to be exposed.