A. For a number of years it has been common to hear of someone
having a heart transplant, and lately there has been talk of artificial
hearts.
B. No doubt some people need a new heart.
1. Their old blood pump is diseased or worn out.
2. But many more need new hearts of a spiritual
nature - they need a "change of heart".
C. That all who are genuinely converted to Christ must
be changed in heart is a fact admitted by all
professing Christians.
D. Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they
shall see God" (Matt. 5:8)
1. In this statement he excludes all whose hearts
are impure, and makes it plain that only the pure
in heart can see God.
2. The promise of the Lord that the "pure in heart"
shall see God should cause a serious consideration of:
1) What the heart is; 2) What it does, and 3) How it is
changed; and it should provoke all who are thoughtful
to an earnest endeavor to have a pure heart - a changed
heart.
Body
I. What some believe regarding the phrase "change of Heart".
A. Even though it is agreed that a change of heart
is necessary to conversion, still there is considerable
confusion as to what is meant by the phrase itself.
1. Among many in denoninations, "Change of Heart" has long
been regarded as designating a mysterious and unexplainable
something - a great emotional feeling which is interpreted as
an operation of the Holy Spirit upon the human soul.
2. Sinners are exhorted to pray and wait for these
"supernatural experiences", which are regarded
as special manifestations of divine grace,
absolutely essential to conversion and salvation.
B. This idea that the Holy Spirit works directly upon the heart
of the sinner in this way (Calvinism) explains why
so many people speak of Christianity as something
to be gotten, rather than as something to be believed,
and practiced.
1. It has been demonstrated that these alleged
"special experiences" (trances, visions, ecstasies,
etc.) may be induced under circumstances where
there is no religion involved - that they are
actually psychic rather than religious.
2. The Bible teaches clearly that the Christian faith
is intelligently exercised in loving obedience
to Christ, it Author and Perfector.
a. We do not have two sets of faculties, one for
religious matters and the other for secular
affairs, as many persons seem to think.
b. The same faculties that we use in math, science,
business, and other ordinary activities of life are to be
used in matters of religious faith and practice.
c. If the Christianity of the N.T. is anything,
it is sane, rational, and practical.
II. In our effort to determine how the heart is
changed, we must know what the heart is.
A. The heart is not something that can be seen,
felt, smelt, heard, or tasted.
1. It is something that God has given every person
but it is totally invisible.
2. Everyone has a heart - some good, some bad, but
just what is this thing.
B. The scriptures do not give us a precise definition
of the word, but we can find out from the word what
it is by what the scriptures teach that it does.
C. From the scriptures we learn that the heart does a
number of things which can be placed into 4 categories:
1. It thinks (Mt. 9:4; Heb. 4:12); reasons (Mk 2:8);
understands (Mt. 13:15); believes (Rom. 10:9-10);
All of these are processes of the INTELLECT.
2. It loves (Mt. 22:37); despises (2 Sam. 6:11);
rejoices (Ps. 105:25); and desires (Rom. 10:1).
These are processes of the EMOTIONS.
3. It purposes (2 Cor. 9:7); decrees (l Cor. 7:37);
and intends (Heb. 4:12).
These are processes of the WILL.
4. It may be pricked (Acts 2:47); may be cut (5:33);
and it condemns or approves (l Jn. 3:20,21).
These are processes of the CONSCIENCE.
D. It should be clear that when we speak of a change
of heart, we mean that the INTELLECT, the EMOTIONS,
the WILL, and the CONSCIENCE, must be changed or
purified before God will accept its service.
E. Obviously the spiritual heart is not the blood pump.
1. Since the day of heart transplants and artificial hearts of
our day, it is not really nec. to make this point.
2. The scriptural heart is the entire "inner man".
a. It is everything not included in the phrase "flesh and
blood" (1 Cor. 15:50).
b. It is that "inward man" which Paul speaks of as being
"renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4:16, Rom. 7:22).
III. This leads us to consider the natural condition of the heart.
A. It is evil (Gen. 8:21) "...For the imagination of man's heart is
evil from his youth:"; deceitful and corrupt (Jer. 17:9; "The
heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:
who can know it?"; and those possessing such a heart are
called "Children of wrath" (Eph. 2:3)
B. As we've said, God doesn't accept service rendered
from the natural heart.
1. A change must be made and the change under consideration
is that which will make the heart pure and acceptable to God.
2. It has often been stated that if one's heart is right, he is all
right with God.
a. I believed that at one time - then ceased to believe it for a
time; now, after having studied it I believe it whole-heartedly.
b. When one says, "If one's heart is right he is all right with God",
he is right, IF the WHOLE heart is meant, but not if only the
emotions are meant.
c. Only when the INTELLECT, the EMOTIONS, the WILL,
and the CONSCIENCE are right is the heart right.
1) One must think, reason, understand, and believe that
Jesus is the Son of God; he must love, purpose to obey,
and then purify his conscience in the divinely prescribed way.
2) If the intellect is right he will have the knowledge to do what
God wants and requires.
IV. How the scriptural heart is changed.
A. A general answer is given in Acts 15:9: "And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith"
1. This passage tells what is done, but only in
a general way as to how it is done.
2. We might say that a man knows the needs of
his family and supplies them by working.
a. Thus, only in a general way does this statement tell what
he does, but it does not indicate the particular kind of
work that he does.
b. "Faith" is a general word and we need to get it down to
specifics as to how the heart is changed.
B. First, the INTELLECT is changed by testimony.
1. Citizens are sometimes asked to serve on a jury.
a. Just suppose you are on a jury and the prosecuting attorney
presented evidence that led
you to conclude that the fellow on trial was guilty.
1) But the defense attorneys' job is to change
your mind so that you will believe he is
innocent. HOW DOES HE PROCEED?
2) He submits testimony to support his case, and
he asks you to examine it.
a) This is the only reasonable and honorable
way for him to proceed isn't it?
b) Then, in view of the fact that man has but
one set of mental faculties, is it reasonable to
expect God to proceed in a different way when
He sets out to change the sinners mind?
b. Suppose the defense attorney should command you to
believe his client is innocent, without furnishing any proof:
1) Or suppose that he should earnestly pray, have others to
pray, and should urge you to pray, earnestly, until you
experience a change of heart about his client's guilt,
what would you think about him.
2) You would think that the man is deceived, does not
know human nature, or that he thinks you do not and
hence is trying to deceive you.
3) You would probably want to tell that man, "You must
present testimony, provide me with evidence, proof,
that your client is innocent; I cannot believe your client
is innocent until you do that".
4) Neither can men believe in God, or Jesus as the Son of
God, without testimony: hence, God has provided an
abundance of evidence for all who will study it honestly
and accept it.
2. It is a fact that where there is no preaching and hearing of the
gospel, no knowledge of the gospel message, there is no faith,
no repentance, no conversion, and no church of the living God.
3. The first activity necessary to initiate a change of heart is the
preaching and hearing of the facts of the gospel of Christ.
a. That Jesus lived, died, was buried, and raised up from the
dead, and now sits at the right hand of God, and is king of all
who will yield their wills in loving obedience to his will.
b. We sing, "Tell me the Old Old Story" etc.
1) This is it.
2) Included in the story is the apostolic testimony concerning
the type character that he was - the great love that He had
and showed - offering his life as an atonement for the
redemption of mankind from the guilt and consequence
of sin.
i. Also included in this story is the apostolic testimony
concerning the miracles, touching nature at almost, if
not every point, proving His claims to being the Christ.
(Jn. 20:30,31) "And many other signs truly did Jesus in
the presence of His disciples which were not written in
this book. But these were written that you might believe
and believing you might have life through His name."
4. And so it is that by hearing the Old Story, one is moved to serious
thinking; thinking leads to reasoning; reasoning to understanding;
understanding to believing; and believing to turning to God.
a. Thus it is that the person so taught and moved by this Great
Story is made ready and eager to confess with his mouth the
faith that is in his heart, that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt. 16:16)
B. The affections or Emotions are changed by the loveliness of Christ.
1. When a young man seeks to win the affections of
a young woman he does good things for her -
opening doors, flowers, tells her nice things, etc.
2. God has done so much for us - Jesus....
3. Divine love, when properly considered, will change
the sinner's feelings toward God (2 Cor. 8:9;
Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 4:19; Jn. 12:32; 1 Cor. 2:2).
C. The will is changed by motives.
1. To illustrate how God seeks to change our will let us consider
how a parent seeks to change the will of a disobedient child.
a. Parents encourage their children to do right,
and they assure them of their love.
1) The child's recognition and awareness of parents love
leads them to do right.
2) They want to please their parents who love them.
b. Also, the parents promise things which help to motivate
the child.
1) Promise rewards if they are good.
2) Promise of punishment if not obedient.
2. The hardest thing for man to do, that is nec. to bring him into
a right relation to God, is to change the will.
a. There must first be a change of Intellect - that is, the mind
must know what the body needs to do or quit doing.
b. Then there must be a change of Emotions.
1) If no feelings of love for God, or fear of Him, no motive
to change heart to where acceptable.
c. God seeks to change our will to bring us to repentance by
His "precious and exceeding great promises": (2 Pet. 1:4).
d. He also seeks to change our will by the promise
or threat of eternal punishment (2 Thes.1:8-9).
e. The promises that He has made are sufficient to prompt
any man with an honest heart, and who knows what to do,
to repentance and obedience to the gospel, and faithfulness
thereafter as a Christian.
D. Lastly, the Conscience is changed by right doing.
1. What makes conscience hurt? One of two things:
a. Realization that one has disobeyed God outright;
b. Or, realization that one has failed to measure
up to what god would have him to do and to be
(l Jn. 3:4; Jas. 4:17).
1) Awareness of personal sin is that which makes
one's conscience hurt - it pricks the heart (Acts 2:37).
2) This being true, the opposite must also be true, namely,
that right-doing, obedience to God's law, will purify
the conscience and set it at rest.
2. It takes "will power" to do that which we know
we must do to have a changed conscience or heart.
a. For some to become a Christian there are a
great number of things that must be given up - a
major change in life's habits is nec.
1) While with others there are few habits...
2) Obedience to gospel is much easier.
b. Many of us who are Christians need to use our
will power to do that which we know to do so
that we might have a right conscience.
3. Everyone has sinned against God, and obedience to
the gospel is the only thing that will change the
sinner's conscience (when he learns...)
a. Note what is said about Noah and his family.
"There is also an antitype which now saves us,
namely baptism (not the removal of the filth
of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience
toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ" (1 Pet. 3:21; NKJB).
b. When one understands and believes what the N.T. teaches,
he can never have a clear conscience until he does it.
1) But, if he does not understand nor believe what the
Bible says, then he may have a clear conscience without
doing what the Bible teaches, provided of course, he
does what he believes to be right.
2) However, a clear conscience alone will not suffice, as
is clearly shown in Paul's case before his conversion.
Conclusion
I. I want to conclude the lesson by reading an experience related
by C.C. Crawford in his book First Principles (from which this lesson
was derived).
While I was minister in the city of Pulaski, VA., a union evangelist dropped into town.
He visited the preachers and asked them to cooperate in a union meeting.
When he came to me I said, "Yes, I will work with you just as long as you are in harmony
with the word of God; I will follow you so long as you are on the main track, but I will not
follow you off on any side track."
He secured the opera house and began his meeting. Large audiences attended. Much interest
was manifested. One night he preached a strong sermon in which he said, "God is ready to save
anybody that wants to be saved."
I said; "That sounds all right."
At the close of the sermon he gave an invitation to people to come forward to the
anxious-seat. An intelligent young woman came forward and knelt to pray. The meeting adjourned for
the night, and she was not saved. I went to one of the preachers, and said: "Do you believe that
God will save anybody that wants to be saved?"
He said, "I do."
"That woman wants to be saved, or she would not be where she is tonight. But she is not
saved. Why not? Whose fault is it?"
He said: "My brother, there are some things that just can not be explained."
I thought so, too. I then went to the evangelist. I said, "Did you not say that God would
save anybody that wants to be saved?"
"Yes."
"That woman wants to be saved, or she would not be where she is tonight. Why is she not
saved? Why don't you tell her what Ananias told Saul of Tarsus, the man who believed and confessed
and was praying, only waiting to be baptized?"
He said, "I can not do that; that would break up the meeting."
"Then, if quoting Scripture will break up your meeting, the sooner it breaks, the better.
Can you find in the bible where any man ever preached the gospel and a sinner wanted to be saved,
that the meeting adjourned and the sinner was not told what to do?"
He said he could not.
"Why is it not so in this meeting?"
He insisted that to preach as did Peter and the
apostles, he could not continue in a union meeting. I became very much concerned about that
young woman, and the next day I went to her home. I asked her, "Why are you not a Christian?"
She said: "I am waiting for a change of heart."
"Do you believe, with all your heart, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?"
She said: "I do."
Do you love God and God's people?"
"Yes, sir."
"Do you hate the world, and are you tired of sin?"
"Yes."
"Do you want to be a Christian?"
"Yes," was her answer.
"When?"
"Right now."
"Then why do you wait?"
"For a change of heart."
"But I would not ask God to change your heart for anything?"
"Why not?"
"You said that you believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; if he were to change your
heart, you would not believe that. You said you wanted to be a Christian; if he changed your
heart, you would not want to be. You said you were tired of sin and hated the world; if he were to
change your heart, this would not be the case. It is not a change of heart, ..., you need; that
has come already. The thing you need is to "arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins,
calling on the name of the Lord."
She understood. She obeyed, and rejoiced in the liberty of the gospel".
II. If you are not a Christian and you understand what you
need to do, we will be glad to assist you in your obedience to
the gospel.