One of the biggest killers in our world is heart disease; not only physically but especially spiritually. We read in Isaiah 1:5, “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.” This was the spiritual condition of Old Israel. For this reason the Lord said, “Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.” Isaiah 1:7

Their religious ceremonies and services were not accepted by the Lord, when there was a spiritual sickness among them.

“To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts: and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread My courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto Me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hateth: they are a trouble unto Me: I am weary to bear them.” Isaiah 1:11–14

Every sin that people do begins in the heart. If our hearts are pure, then our lives are blameless and sinless. Again, if our hearts are polluted by the world, then our thoughts, words, and actions will be evil.

What can come out of the human heart, we read in Mark 7:21–23.  “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders. Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

Jeremiah writes, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9. If our heart is not clean, we don’t need Satan to tempt us; our own heart will lead us into sin.

Yet people trust their foolish hearts. They follow the dictates of their hearts rather than the word of God. Their hearts go against their brains, even their better knowledge.

Of every person who is outside of heaven it can be said: his own heart deceived him.

The heart is the seat of affections, it is the symbol of love, and love is stronger than death. Millions of martyrs proved it. They loved God and His word more than their own lives.

Love to sin is also stronger than death. A person knows that he will suffer eternal death because of his sin, and he commits sin anyway.  He continues to disobey God at the cost of heaven and eternal life.

Often love to sin and to the world is so strong that all the promises of heaven and the threatenings of hell fire will not turn a person away from it. Many times children and young people who have been brought up in the church, knowing salvation and the judgment upon the sinner, still choose a life in sin, a life away from God. They tell Satan, give us a moment of pleasure in sin, and we give you our souls in return. This proves that our hearts are stronger than our brains and knowledge.

How many people consult the Bible when they decide which church to go to? Did Judas consult the Bible when he decided to betray Jesus, or did he consult his own heart only? Did David consult the Bible when he wanted Bathsheba? So often the Bible is put away and the human’s deceitful heart tells him what to do.

Paul writes to us, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” Romans 1:21–22

Now, what can we expect next? “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.” Romans 1:24

Satan hypnotizes such persons and we can do very little for them to save them. Millions of Christians are only brain converted, their hearts are not in it. They are still in the old covenant and Romans chapter 7 applies to them. What they want to do, they do not. They do not love God, they only love themselves and want to give to themselves heaven and eternal life.

To save a person from perishing in sin, the heart must be converted. Brain conversion is not enough, and God has promised to change this deceitful heart. “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 11:19

A new heart means new birth. We start our life all over. As we behold the scenes of Calvary, the suffering and death of Jesus, our hearts are changed. When Jesus spoke about watching and praying, He meant especially watching our hearts.

When Satan saw Jesus and His Father in a conference, he thought, “why not me? Why was I not invited to this meeting?”

Satan himself did not notice anything wrong in his feelings, but it was the beginning of his rebellion and war. There was just a little feeling of dissatisfaction and jealousy. The next step was to find fault in God the Father and Jesus, and then he had to tell the other angels about it. There was turmoil in his heart that he could hardly contain. The heart of Satan deceived him. All his knowledge and wisdom did not save him.

In Old Israel there was a man called Achan. He knew the commandment, not to take anything from Jericho. But his heart deceived him.  When he saw a wedge of gold and a Babylonish garment, he decided to take them and hid them in his tent. When a lot was cast to find who had committed sin, he remained silent, until the lot pointed to him; then he confessed, but it was too late.

Do not trust your own heart. Do not listen to the voice of the wicked, deceitful heart that can be full of jealousy, pride, hatred, covetousness, and easily offended. Can your heart guide you to heaven? Never, never. It is out to destroy you; it is your greatest enemy.

The only reliable guide is the word of God. God tells us, “My son, give Me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe My ways. “ Proverbs 23:26. God can cleanse it and then a special blessing will come upon you. “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8.

“And if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” 1 John 3:20. He can expel Satan out of your heart and fill it with His own Spirit. Then you will not die from spiritual heart disease, but live—eternally. Your brain and your heart will become united, be friends, and work together. You will receive power to move mountains and nothing will be impossible to you. A continuous miracle will happen; you can live a sinless life. You can walk on water and not sink like Peter. Let us all go to our divine Healer, and have our hearts purified. AMEN.

Timo Martin