1.) The heart is the
center
of man.
The Bible describes man as having a central aspect to
his being where all things converge and are influenced. This is the heart or
the inner-most seat of self. The real you. The deepest aspect of
your personality.
That which means most to you. That which has made the
deepest impression on you. What has captivated
you. What orients
your perspective and influences all of your thoughts. This aspect of our
being is what we are to believe with—with the heart. Is what
means the most to you the reality that the Lord Jesus, God
your Maker, has come in the flesh to
die for sinners, arise again, and call them to himself to live
with Him and for Him now and forever? Then having believed it,
confess it. Then this will continue to revive you, refresh
you, renew you.
All of this flows from what you deeply believe and this
is what you
confess.
2.) The heart of
man is fallen. We must not trust in the desires for self
that we think will make us happy apart from God. This is
trusting in your own heart. It is fickle and
deceived and idolatrous and ignorant of the true God. It is active toward
many things but not God.
Your heart is seen in the things
that you turn to when lonely, sad, or excited. However, the
heart is really not opened up to its depth until we know God
savingly and experientially.
3.) To believe with the heart seems
impossible.
To believe with the heart is to
change yourself at the very center of your being. It is to have a new
birth. It is to
begin a “resurrection” life. So we can see why it
is a miracle of
grace.
If someone says I have tried this. We must say, 1) “you
have not yet touched the hem of Christ’s garment or virtue
would come forth.”
You have not yet believed with the heart. 2) God may be showing
you it is just not words but it must be God at work. Cry out
for Him to reveal himself to you in power. Then it will be a
miracle of grace.
3) Are you constantly reading his word and praying in
you seeking of God?
An attempt here and there is not seeking God with all
your heart. You
shall find me when you seek me with all of your heart
(Jeremiah 29).
4) Learn more of God’s law and majesty; of sin; of
Christ’s life and death and present glory; of repentance; then
you will understand more of faith for faith embraces all of
these truths from God’s word. 5) Continue in this
for this pursuit of God and God will meet you in His appointed
ways.
4.) The Heart must believe. There is a true
believing with the heart that all who are ever saved will
know. Let
us explain it more fully. And seek it or discern
it. Each sermon
we come before God and find one of three things 1) assurance
that we are reconciled to God and welcome and a fresh meeting
with Him and find renewal or 2) that we are slipping away and
be warned and repent or 3) that we do not know him. Each soul should
recognize the state he is in.
Let us look note the
different elements of it. Faith is a fourfold response to
God: It is a
1)
response to God
personally, 2) a response to His word, 3) a response of
dealing with sin in repentant-faith, 4) a response to Christ—a
response of trusting His work on the cross and embracing his
divine person and Lordship and coming to His present calling
to you.
This is believing with the
heart: Let us
describe it.
With a
consciousness of being summoned into God’s presence and
standing before him, aware of his infinite majesty and
greatness, hearing Him speak to me He says, “Receive my
mercy.” With a
deep sense of my sin and sorrow of heart and a belief in the
merciful heart of God the Father, I say, “I receive it.” God says, “Honor my
Son.” I must respond by saying “I do honor Him.” Without his
death on the cross I could not be pardoned.” The Son says to me,
“Come to me and cast yourself upon me” My heart says,
“Blessed Redeemer I cast myself at your feet and
rest my soul’s salivation, pardon, and cleansing only upon
you.” The Spirit
says, “Embrace Him as your Savior, Lord, and
Intercessor.” I
reply, “I do.
Heartily, I do.”
This receptive embrace of God’s welcome is faith. This active clinging
and casting of the soul upon Him is faith. This is hearing and
coming and receiving and resting. This is the beginning
of life in His presence.
This is person to person dealing with God. Learning to recognize
His voice and bowing, believing, and worshipping and honoring
Him. This is the
deepest reality and experience of your life. This is the fountain
of all of your motives and delights. Here is the formative
influence of all your attitudes and the check and channel of
all your actions.
Here is the contact and connection with God by His
sacred means of His word and prayer attended by the Spirit’s
power and presence.
This is union and communion with God. This is the beginning
of walking with God that must be renewed daily and shall never
be taken from me.
Though it may wax and wane in my foolish departures it
will be strengthened in the renewals that come with
chastenings, admonitions, and continued wooings of God who has
set his love on me.
Go ahead and venture upon
expressing your desire for salvation through Christ in
prayer. God will
assure you it is real by the ongoing change in your life or
the fruits of the Holy Spirit which Christ will send. –And it will
continue.
”If you confess with your
mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has
raised Him form the dead you will be saved. For with the heart
one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession
is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10.
Let us hear and obey God
by believing in His Son with all our
heart!
