AUGUST 6, 2024
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
“Keep thy heart.” By heart is, of course, not meant that principal organ of the body upon which man’s whole physical being depends, but is analogous to it, in that it intends the whole soul, or “the inner man,” out of which are the issues of spiritual life. As the whole state of one’s physical being depends on the heart, so the everlasting state of the whole man depends upon the welfare of the soul.
The heart is man’s worst part before regeneration; and the heart is man’s best part after regeneration. Jesus said, “That which is born of flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” This explains why He insisted, “Ye must be born again.” (John 3:6, 7) The natural man’s heart is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” (Jer. 17:9) Thus, it is the unregenerate man’s worst part, because, as Jesus said, out of its “evil treasure,” issues a life of evil. (Luke 6:45)
The renewed heart, on the other hand, is the born-again man’s best part. The Lord said, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you…” (Ezek. 36:26, 27) He said, “I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.” It is this regenerate heart that knows the Lord. “I will give them an heart to know me.” (Jer. 24:7) It is this regenerate heart that “believeth unto righteousness.” (Rom. 10:10) It is the foundation of all holy actions, for Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things.”
The heart is the seat of principles, and therefore must be kept with all diligence. “For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:6) Therefore the eye of God is fixed principally upon the heart. “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (I Sam. 16:7) God sees our motives; He sees our inward character. Outward appearances establish reputation – what people think us to be; but the heart reveals character – who and what we really are. God is not deceived by outward appearances when the heart’s motives aren’t pure.
The greatest difficulty in conversion is to win the heart. There can be outward reform without internal change. “The heart still loves what it loves.” God looks through the whitewashed exterior and sees the inward corruption still there. Likewise, the greatest difficulty after conversion is to keep the heart right with God. It must be kept; it will not keep itself. It requires diligence. “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end.” The heart is the enemy’s target. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” But rather, as Jesus says, “Keep yourselves in the love of God.”
Herein lies the real difficulty in true religion. This very thing is what makes the way of life a narrow way; and this is what makes the gate of heaven a strait gate.
The text teaches us that to diligently keep and rightly manage the heart is the Christian’s most important duty. The word “keep” means to guard; it means to maintain and manage. We are to “keep the heart with all diligence.” Interestingly, the word “diligence” also means guard. Thus, we are to post a double guard upon the heart. If the heart is not right, then nothing else can be right. This is the preeminent responsibility. Therefore Christian, be very jealous for your heart, and be doubly diligent in guarding it. As the text literally rendered reads, “Keep thy heart with all keeping, for out of it are the issues of life.”
Speak Your Mind