Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

2. That the heart is the centre of the inner life of man and the source or seat of all the forces and functions of soul and spirit is attested in many different ways in the NT. Thus the heart is supremely the one centre in man to which God turns, in which the religious life is rooted, which determines moral conduct. (TDNT)

3. Heart is a very comprehensive concept in both Old and New Testaments. Used about 955 times it stands for the center and seat of life, both physical and psychical. Only a relatively few occurrences refer to the physical organ (2 Sam. 18:14; 2 Kings 9:24). The greater number use heart to denote the inner man, the essence of the many facets of his personality…the seat of intellectual, emotional, volitional, and spiritual life. (Ryrie, Basic Theology).

A. Overview of Usages in Scripture (from NASB)

1. The heart can be glad, merry, joyful, pleased, delighted, melodious, touched, stirred, moved, and thrilled.

2. The heart can also be sad, heavy, melted, anxious, troubled, fearful, dreadful, and can tremble. It can groan and be grieved. It can be afflicted, broken, pierced, and in anguish.

3. The heart can be taught, inclined, willing, tested, prepared, prompted, and lifted up. It can plan, resolve, be steadfast, and stand firm.

4. The heart can be obstinate, arrogant, insolent, stubborn, despondent, embittered, angry, enticed, darkened, wicked, and evil. It can go astray, turn away from God, and be far from God.

5. On the other hand, the heart can be good, clean, upright, blameless, honest, sincere, and revived. It can have integrity, understanding, and discernment. It can pray and follow after God.

6. It can be undivided or double, humble or proud, godly or godless, made of flesh or hard as stone, pure or perverse, enlarged or wounded, courageous or fainthearted, wise or foolish, right with God or unrepentant, veiled or enlightened, loving or hateful, and hardened or opened. It can take something to heart or be slow to believe. It can search or be searched. It can assure us or condemn us.

7. Scripture says that God can put wisdom in the heart, but Satan can put temptation in it. Finally and most importantly, it can love God entirely.

II. THE ASPECTS OF TREASURES, INTENTS, AND PURPOSES

A. Love God with the Treasures of the Heart

1. While the heart can be viewed from many different facets, this study will focus on loving God with all the heart through its treasures, intentions, and purposes.

2. To Love God Man Must Receive a New Heart

a) Man’s heart is deceitful and wicked (Jer 17:9).

b) The fool in his heart has said, “There is no God.” (Ps 14:1)

c) A man believes with the heart (Ro 10:10 cf. Lk 24:25).

d) Man receives a new heart when he trusts in Christ (2Co 5:17; Eze 11:19; 36:26).

e) We love because God first loved us (1Jn 4:19).

f) The Holy Spirit pours God’s love into our hearts (Ro 5:5).

3. To Love God a Believer Treasures Christ and His Word

a) The treasures of the heart are those things which are inwardly held as value and worth.

b) The heart contains the desires of man (Dt 14:26; 1Sa 14:7; Pr 13:12; Ps 37:4).

c) A good treasure comes from a good heart (Lk 6:45).

d) The heart is directed toward its treasure (Mt 6:21; Lk 12:34)

e) Christ is to be the treasure of the heart (1Pe 3:15; Col 1:18)

f) Christ’s Word is to be treasured in the heart (Ps 119:11; Pr 2:1; Col 3:16).

g) Loving God involves hating the things that God hates (Ps 97:10; Zec 8:17).

B. Love God with the Intentions of the Heart

1. To Love God a Believer Must Guard the Intentions of the Heart

a) The intentions of the heart are the inward motives and plans with which we think and act.

b) The heart contains intentions (ennoia - mental processing) (Heb 4:12).

c) The intent of sinful man’s heart is evil (Ge 6:5; 8:21; Ac 8:22).

d) Believers are to watch over the intentions of their hearts (Pr 4:23).

e) Believers are to direct the intentions of their hearts (Pr 23:19; Pr 2:2).

2. To Love God a Believer Must Allow God to Search the Heart

a) The Lord searches the intents of the heart (Ps 139:23-24; 1Ch 28:9).

b) The Word reveals the intents of our hearts (Ps 19:12).

c) Believers are to set their hearts to study, practice, and teach the Word (Ezra 7:10).

d) Believers are to do everything out of a heart of love for God (Ex 20:6; Jn 14:15, 24).

C. Love God with the Purposes of the Heart

1. To Love God a Believer Must Pursue the Purposes of God

a) The purposes of the heart are the goals and objectives that internally drive us.

b) The Lord has His own purpose in His heart (Jer 23:20).

c) The believer follows after God’s heart, not his own (Nu 15:33-40; 1Sa 13:14 cf. Ac 13:22).

2. To Love God a Believer Must Seek to Glorify God

a) A purpose of the believer is to walk in His ways (Dt 10:12a).

b) A purpose of the believer is to serve the Lord (Dt 10:12b).

c) A purpose of the believer is to have a pure heart (1Ti 1:5).

d) A purpose of the believer is to give his heart completely to the Lord (2Ch 16:9).

e) A purpose of the believer is to glorify God (1Co 10:31).

f) The believer’s heart is the abode the Son (Eph. 3:17), the Spirit (2Co 1:22), and the Father (2Co 6:16).

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516