The heart
is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (
Jeremiah 17:9)
Ephesians 4:22-24 KJV
22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24) And that ye put on the new man,
which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 KJV
17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18) And
all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
We are made new. We can choose to walk in the deceiptful lusts of our flesh, or we can put on the new man, being renewed in the spirit of our minds.
We believe not with the mind but with the heart.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (
Romans 10:9)
Matthew 12:33-37 KJV
33) Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
34) O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?
for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35)
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36) But I say unto you,
That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37) For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
This is not merely speaking of feelings.
The heart is considered the core of our being and not the seat of our emotions. Saying that we believe in our heart is not to say we have an emotional experience. It's anything but an emotional experience. If it's only emotion, it's not going to last, see the parable of the sower. Emotions generally follow decisions, but then again that depends on the individual person's affect. Not everyone is the same.
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10) This is where revival starts.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 KJV
17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
Ephesians 2:4-6 KJV
4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)
6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Much love!
