The heart is simply a muscle that pumps blood, but it is extremely essential to our physical lives. How long can you live without a heart? When your heart stops beating, no oxygen gets to the brain; and it is not long before the brain dies and life ceases to exist in a person. Without a heart the body simply shuts down. The heart is essential to life.
We use the word “heart” as a metaphor for many things that have nothing to do with the muscle. We have a saying in English, The heart of the matter. You can also say The crux of the matter. They basically have a similar meaning. The heart of the matter is the basic, central or critical point of an issue. Crux is Latin for ‘cross,’ but in English it means ‘difficulty’ or ‘puzzle,’ and it is from this expression that the “heart of the matter” is be derived. The heart would indicate a vital part of the matter or problem. A
A problem arises, which may cause other smaller problems, but what is the major problem “at the heart of the matter”? If the major problem was addressed, the smaller ones would fall into place. For example, you decide to do renovations for the church. At the church meeting many people come up with great ideas and they keep talking and talking about these great plans, but then you get to the heart of the matter, “who will pay for it?”
Or then, a person may be overweight and have a heart condition, but what is the heart of the matter? The person does not exercise, spends most days sitting in front of the TV, eating an extremely unhealthy diet. Quite naturally the heart will not function efficiently. If the person would change their lifestyle, which is at the heart of the matter, then the heart condition would improve and the weight would go down.
So “the heart of the matter” is the central and most important part of the problem—the core of the matter that is more important than anything else. It is the one thing that is indispensable and, if removed, would likely cause everything else to stop. No money? Then the church renovations cannot be completed. No lifestyle change? Then the heart condition and weight will likely not improve.
What is heart of the matter in the Christian life?
When it comes to religion, there are many different Christian churches, all claiming to base their differing teachings on one book—the Bible. Some churches have few teachings, besides just to love Jesus and no need to change one’s lifestyle. It will change when you get to heaven. Enjoy life here on earth. Jesus wants you to be happy and if that means you enjoy some of the pleasures of this world, well then enjoy them. While there are other churches that have many doctrines and teachings in varying degrees of strictness. Although doctrine and teaching is important in understanding the will and ways of God, when they become like the Ancient Jewish leaders in the time of Christ, who had over 600 laws on how to keep the Sabbath, then this is clearly too much. The true rest of the Sabbath is lost sight of in the midst of the stress of having to worry about the 600 laws. Sabbath becomes a burden. Today, you can find a Christian church to suit any lifestyle and each promise eternal life. But, what is the true heart of the matter as far as salvation is concerned? Yes, doctrine, the keeping of the commandments is important, but are they at the heart of the matter?
Jesus came to this earth to show us the heart of the matter. He taught and demonstrated the simple truths of Sabbath keeping and salvation. It is not founded on outward ceremonies. He healed on the Sabbath on occasion (Matthew 12:10–13) and did not concern Himself with all the unnecessary and cumbersome outward ceremonies and extra rules. It was within the keeping of the law for the disciples to pick grain on the Sabbath and eat when they were hungry (Matthew 12:1–8).
Jesus showed the heart of the matter also when He was seen eating with sinners. People started to whisper and gossip. Perhaps He is a sinner also. Many times they accused Him of blasphemy (John 10:33) and they said that He cast out devils in the name of Beelzebub (Luke 11:15–19).
They clearly had no understanding of the heart of the matter. It is not in outward ceremonies or a formal obedience to the commandments with no love for others. The life of Christ showed that His mission was “to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10
Jesus also explained the heart of the matter to a scribe who came to ask Him. “And one of the scribes came, and . . . asked Him, Which is the first commandment of all?” Mark 12:28
Jesus spelled it out briefly. “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He.” Mark 12:29–32. Here Jesus summarized the 10 Commandments with the word, “love”.
Jesus goes on to add: “And to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:33. The reality is that deeds done in love are of more value to Jesus than the greatest offerings given with no love. Yes, we may have heard this many times, but how many of us practice and perform deeds of love as Jesus did? Isaiah speaks of Sabbath keeping and genuine love. Love is to, “loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him.” Isaiah 58:6–7. “God’s cause embraces every needy, suffering saint. We are not selfishly to single out a few relatives and friends and help them, letting our work end here. All the needy who come to our notice are to be helped, but especially those who are suffering for the truth’s sake. If we neglect this work, God will hold us accountable. Shall we not as a people who work righteousness, follow the conditions God has laid down, and be doers of His Word?” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1151
Isaiah ends this chapter with the words, “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.” Isaiah 58:13. This is the true meaning of the Sabbath rest—at the heart of the matter regarding Sabbath keeping.
Jesus said of the redeemed, “For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.” Matthew 25:35–36. If we have the true love of God in our hearts, our hearts will naturally be drawn to help the needy, as did Jesus when on this earth. We will be keeping the commandments, but it will come from the heart.
The Pharisees had a different mind frame. “Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.” These unfaithful leaders are “a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.” Isaiah 65:5. Genuine love shown in deeds and actions done from the heart is what is necessary for salvation.
Salvation is not just faith plus works. Matthew Henry wrote. “No man’s faith justifies that which does not work by love.” True religion should be all pervading, in every aspect of our lives. It is to show love and compassion to
all—even our enemies. “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” Luke 6:35. Who are our enemies? Not only those who outwardly oppose us, but also loved ones and friends who do not love Jesus might turn into our enemies. Jesus said that it is possible that, “a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” Matthew 10:36. Even though they show no remorse, our duty before God is to love them and forgive them. They may never repent, but we cannot harbour any ill feelings towards them, or then self is on the throne of our heart.
Again, quoting Matthew Henry: “Men may go far towards heaven, yet come up short and there will be many that go to hell with a good reputation.” Why would I add this quote here? How does it relate? Think about what this means. When you talk about reputation, it is what others think of you. It is what they see of your outward condition. They see your actions and hear your words and make judgements according to their standards. Therefore, people will sometimes do things against their conscience to preserve their reputation. The heart of their existence is to look good on the outside, to a make a good impression. Self is on the throne of their earth rather than Jesus. They only love themselves. What is most important for them is others’ perception of them.
Many years ago, I had Bible studies with a lovely Pentecostal woman. One time she told me that, “God had no choice but to save the Pharisees because they kept the law so perfectly.” Is this really true? Jesus called them a “generation of vipers” (Matthew 3:7) because He could read their hearts. Many of them came far short of heaven. Your outward “faithfulness” will never excuse inward corruption—an evil heart. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7. Sooner or later, the condition of the heart will be revealed outwardly.
Many go far towards heaven, but only God reads the heart. Outwardly they may be seen to be keeping all the commandments, but they come up short because their heart was in the wrong place.
1 Corinthians 13:1–13 spells it out clearly.
- If we speak with the tongues of men and of angels .
- If we have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge. . .
- If we have all faith, so that we could remove mountains . . .
- If we bestow all our goods to feed the poor . . .
- If we give our body to be burned, . . .
- But have no love—it profits us nothing in the scope of eternity and heaven.
You may profit a little on this earth by lying, stealing and deception, or even false love. Satan can provide means for people who are not living in accordance with the will of God. But, “what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36
Love is the heart of the matter as far as God is concerned. We can do many things, even good things without love, for selfish purposes, to be seen of men and preserve our reputation, as did the Pharisees when they gave their offerings in the synagogues. They made an outward show and display of their “faithfulness”. Some people do good things to try to buy God off—to try to purchase heaven, but their heart is not in it.
If the heart of the matter is to serve Jesus through love, we have little hope it seems because, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9. Thankfully, the Lord is willing to give us a heart transplant, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26. He will perform heart surgery. “Ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God.” Colossians 2:12
King David wrote to his son, “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever.” 2 Chronicles 28:9. It is one or the other. Either found of Jesus or cast off by Jesus. You choose. Your eternal destiny is your own choice.
Paul wrote, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14. He is saying that the most vital part of salvation is not our works, but Christ. This is where we must put our faith—in the heart of Jesus Christ, and the works will follow automatically if we have true love to Jesus in our hearts. This is the heart of the matter.
The greatest love shown was on Calvary. Jesus went to the cross because of love. In Gethsemane His human nature shrank from the impending ordeal, but it was love and only love that got Him through the trial. Love for you and for me. “Three times has He uttered that prayer. Three times has humanity shrunk from the last, crowning sacrifice. But now the history of the human race comes up before the world’s Redeemer. He sees that the transgressors of the law, if left to themselves, must perish. He sees the helplessness of man. He sees the power of sin. The woes and lamentations of a doomed world rise before Him. He beholds its impending fate, and His decision is made. He will save man at any cost to Himself. He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him perishing millions may gain everlasting life. He has left the courts of heaven, where all is purity, happiness, and glory, to save the one lost sheep, the one world that has fallen by transgression. And He will not turn from His mission. He will become the propitiation of a race that has willed to sin. His prayer now breathes only submission: ‘If this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.’” –The Desire of Ages, p. 690, 693
Ralph Larson wrote: “Every Doctrine of the Bible, properly understood, is simply an answer to the question, ‘How does the love of God relate to this particular problem?’ Thus every doctrine is a further evidence that —God is love.” (written on the cover page if the book, His Mighty Love, by Ralph Larson)
So, to say that the cross of Jesus Christ is the heart of the gospel means that removing that central truth makes the gospel void. Jesus came into the world to die on a cross for the sins of mankind—take that fact away and the sinner is hopeless. The cross is at the core of the message of grace, and we cannot experience salvation and the forgiveness of sins without the cross. It is the heart of God’s plan. “It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 83
“The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light which streams from the cross of Calvary, and in connection with the wondrous, central truth of the Saviour’s atonement. Those who study the Redeemer’s wonderful sacrifice grow in grace and knowledge.
“I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption–the Son of God uplifted on the cross of Calvary. This is to be the theme of every discourse. Christ declares, ‘And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.’” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1137
Yes, even the doctrine of hell fire is a doctrine of the love of God. The sinner cuts himself off from the love of God and would live in misery, if a life of crime, evil, and corruption were permitted to continue. God in His mercy and love puts an end to it all.
The counsel is: “Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”1 Kings 8:61. Can we say like David? “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt Thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” Psalm 101:2
What is the heart of the matter in your life? Who is on the throne? Are you like Martha, with the burden of the cares of this life weighing most heavily on the throne of your heart? (Luke 10:40–42). Or is it the words and deeds of Jesus? To be like Jesus. The heart of the matter is simply this: It is your heart that matters. The condition of the heart is what Jesus is concerned about. What our life looks like every day says a lot about the condition of our heart and the direction of our life.
“But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29. “Put your heart into it.” When we say this in English, we mean doing something with maximum effort and passion. You put your sincere efforts into it. Jesus is asking us to put our heart into the issues of salvation. Our heart is the heart of the matter. “The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary is our only hope in this world, and it will be our theme in the world to come. Oh, we do not comprehend the value of the atonement! If we did, we would talk more about it. The gift of God in His beloved Son was the expression of an incomprehensible love. It was the utmost that God could do to preserve the honor of His law, and still save the transgressor. Why should man not study the theme of redemption? It is the greatest subject that can engage the human mind.” –The Signs of the Times, December 30, 1889
God is a God of love, and that love He has promised to give to us for the asking. If Jesus and love are on the throne of your heart—at the heart of the matter in your life, you will keep all the commandments with a pure motive and you will make sacrifices for the salvation of sinners and the less fortunate. You will live the life of Christ—it will be automatic. “To love as Christ loved means to manifest unselfishness at all times and in all places, by kind words and pleasant looks. . . . Genuine love is a precious attribute of heavenly origin, which increases in fragrance in proportion as it is dispensed to others.” –Our High Calling, p. 231
“When Jesus speaks of the new heart, He means the mind, the life, the whole being. To have a change of heart is to withdraw the affections from the world, and fasten them upon Christ. To have a new heart is to have a new mind, new purposes, new motives. What is the sign of a new heart?–a changed life. There is a daily, hourly dying to selfishness and pride.” –The Youth’s Instructor, September 26, 1901. The heart of the matter is a changed life—a new heart.
“The definition of heaven is the presence of Christ.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol., 7, p. 989. “Christ alone can help us and give us the victory. Christ must be all in all to us, He must dwell in the heart, His life must circulate through us as the blood circulates through the veins. His spirit must be a vitalizing power that will cause us to influence others to become Christlike and holy.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1144. The heart of the matter is, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27) and in this manner you will be able to influence others to become Christlike. May this be the central purpose of your life—the heart of your matter; put your heart into it. Amen.
Wendy Eaton