THE SCARLET PATH

    BIBLE STUDIES

                                                      "IF GOD HAS YOUR HEART"   

                                                       1ST SAMUEL 16:7

 INTRODUCTION:

           THE WORD "HEART" IS DEFINED AS "THE INNER SELF THAT THINKS, FEELS, AND DECIDES.     IN THE KJV BIBLE, THE WORD "HEART" HAS A MUCH BROADER MEANING THAN IT DOES TO THE MODERN MIND.                                                                                                                                  THE "HEART" IS THAT WHICH IS CENTRAL TO MAN.     NEARLY ALL THE REFERENCES TO THE "HEART" IN THE KJV BIBLE REFER TO SOME ASPECT OF HUMAN PERSONALITY.                                                                                                                                                                                                             IN THE BIBLE, ALL EMOTIONS ARE EXPERIENCED BY THE HEART:

          1. LOVE AND HATE - PSALM 105:25; 1ST PETER 1:22,

          2. JOY AND SORROW - ECCLESIASTES 2:19; JOHN 16:6,

          3. PEACE AND BITTERNESS - EZEKIEL 27:31; COLOSSIANS 3:15,

          4. COURAGE AND FEAR - GENESIS 42:28; AMOS 2:16.

           THE THINKING PROCESSES OF MAN ARE SAID TO BE CARRIED OUT BY THE "HEART".     THIS INTELLECTUAL ACTIVITY CORRESPONDS TO WHAT WOULD BE CALLED "MIND" IN ENGLISH.

           THUS, THE HEART MAY: THINK - ESTHER 6:6;   UNDERSTAND - JOB 38:36;   IMAGINE - JEREMIAH 9:14;   REMEMBER - DEUTERONOMY 4:9;   BE WISE - PROVERBS 2:10;    AND SPEAK TO ITSELF - DEUTERONOMY 7:17.

            DECISION-MAKING IS ALSO CARRIED OUT BY THE "HEART": PURPOSE - ACTS 11:23;   INTENTION - HEBREWS 4:12;   AND WILL - EPHESIANS 6:6 ARE ALL ACTIVITIES OF THE HEART.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              FINALLY, "HEART" OFTEN MEANS SOMEONE'S TRUE CHARACTER OR PERSONALITY:

 PURITY OR EVIL - JEREMIAH 3:17; MATTHEW 5:8;   SINCERITY OR HARDNESS - EXODUS 4:21; COLOSSIANS 3:22;   AND MATURITY OR REBELLIOUSNESS - PSALM 101:2; JEREMIAH 5:23.     ALL THESE DESCRIBE THE "HEART" OR TRUE CHARACTER OF INDIVIDUALS.

          1.  GOD KNOWS THE "HEART" OF EACH PERSON.

 1ST SAMUEL 16:7 "BUT THE LORD SAID UNTO SAMUEL, LOOK NOT ON HIS COUNTENANCE, OR ON THE HEIGHT OF HIS STATURE, BECAUSE I HAVE REFUSED HIM: FOR THE LORD SEETH NOT AS MAN SEETH; FOR MAN LOOKETH ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKETH ON THE HEART."                                           "HIS COUNTENANCE . . . . HEIGHT OF HIS STATURE": GOD'S ANOINTED ARE NOT CHOSEN JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES.

           "THE LORD LOOKETH ON THE HEART": THE HEBREW CONCEPT OF "HEART" EMBODIES EMOTIONS, WILL, INTELLECT, AND DESIRES.                                                                           THE LIFE OF A PERSON WILL REFLECT THEIR HEART, MATTHEW 12:34-35.                                                                           

           THE LORD TOLD SAMUEL NOT TO LOOK AT THE OUTWARD MAN.     BECAUSE, SOMETIMES, THOSE WHO LOOK STRONG, ARE THE WEAKEST ONES, WHEN IT COMES TO LIVING IN SIN.

           THE LORD IS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO WOULD LOVE HIM WITH ALL THEIR "HEART".

           SINCE A PERSON SPEAKS AND ACTS FROM HIS "HEART", HE OR SHE IS TO GUARD IT WELL - PROVERBS 4:23; MATTHEW 15:18-19.

           THE MOST IMPORTANT DUTY OF MAN OR WOMAN, IS TO LOVE GOD WITH THE WHOLE "HEART" - MATTHEW 22:37.       

           WITH THE "HEART" MAN OR WOMAN BELIEVES IN CHRIST AND SO EXPERIENCES BOTH LOVE FROM GOD AND THE PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST IN THEIR "HEART" - ROMANS 5:5; ROMANS 10:9-10; EPHESIANS 3:17.

           2.  IF GOD HAS YOUR HEART:   

               1. HE HAS YOUR EYES -PROVERBS 23:26 "MY SON, GIVE ME THINE HEART AND LET THINE EYES OBSERVE MY WAYS."

                  WISDOM COMES FROM KEEPING YOUR EYES ON THE THINGS OF GOD.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         2.  HE HAS YOUR EARS - PROVERBS 22:17 "BOW DOWN THINE EAR, AND HEAR THE WORDS OF THE WISE, AND APPLY THINE HEART UNTO MY KNOWLEDGE."                                  LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF THE WISE FOR EXCELLENT COUNSEL.

               3. HE HAS YOUR MOUTH - MATTHEW 12:34-35a, (34) "O GENERATION OF VIPERS, HOW CAN YE, BEING EVIL, SPEAK GOOD THINGS? FOR OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKETH."

 (35a) "A GOOD MAN OUT OF THE GOOD TREASURE OF THE HEART BRINGETH FORTH GOOD THINGS:"

          "OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART": THE "ABUNDANCE" OR FULLNESS OF THE "HEART" PRODUCE THE WORDS OF THE LIPS.                                                                                             BY THE WORDS THAT A PERSON SPEAKS IS THE BASIS TO THE EVIDENCE OF THE INWARD ATTITUDE OF THE HEART,

               4. HE HAS YOUR HANDS - PSALM 24:3-4a, (3) "WHO SHALL ASCEND INTO THE HILL OF THE LORD? OR WHO SHALL STAND IN HIS HOLY PLACE?"

 (4a) "HE THAT HATH CLEAN HANDS, AND A PURE HEART;"

               5. HE HAS YOUR FEET - PROVERBS 7:25 "LET NOT THINE HEART DECLINE TO HER WAYS, GO NOT ASTRAY IN HER PATHS."

            PROTECT YOUR HEART (OR MIND) AND DO NOT WALK IN THE PATH OF THE WICKED.

               6. HE HAS YOUR MIND - 1ST CHRONICLES 28:9 "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."

           A WELL-TENDED INNER LIFE IS A PERSON'S STRENGTH.     THE WAY TO KNOW GOD IS TO KNOW HIM IN HIS WORD, THE KJV BIBLE.

           FEAR OF GOD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM.

           GOD IS MORE INTERESTED IN THE HEART OF MAN OR WOMAN THAN ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THEM.     THE HEART IS WHAT YOU ARE!

 NOTE: WE CANNOT SERVE GOD FAITHFULLY IS WE DO NOT KNOW HIM.                                       WE SERVE GOD IN VAIN IF WE DO NOT KNOW HIM.

 WE MUST SERVE GOD WITH A RIGHTEOUS SINCERITY OF HEART AND WITH A WILLING MIND, FROM A PRINCIPLE OF LOVE, CHEERFULLY AND WITH PLEASURE.

          GOD WILL NEVER CAST ANY OFF TILL THEY HAVE FIRST CAST HIM OFF!     IF WE FORSAKE HIM, DESERT HIS SERVICE AND TURN FROM FOLLOWING HIM, HE WILL CAST US OFF FOR EVER, AND THAT IS ENOUGH TO MAKE US MOST MISERABLE.

          CONCLUSION:

          FOR THE CHRISTIAN, PURITY OF HEART OUGHT TO BE MORE PRECIOUS THAN LIFE, FOR WITHOUT IT WE CAN NEVER REALLY HAVE LIFE.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               SERVING FROM THE HEART IS THE ONLY SERVICE GOD RECOGNIZES.

         CHRISTIANS SHOULD DO ALL THINGS WHOLEHEARTEDLY, NOT JUST THOSE ACTIONS THAT CAN BE SEEN.                                                                                                                                                           

          CLOSING:

 COLOSSIANS 3:16 "LET THE WORD OF CHRIST DWELL IN YOU RICHLY IN ALL WISDOM, TEACHING AND ADMONISHING ONE ANOTHER IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING WITH GRACE IN YOUR HEARTS TO THE LORD."

           "WORD OF CHRIST": THIS IS SCRIPTURE.     THE HOLY SPIRIT INSPIRED SCRIPTURE!   THE WORD OF REVELATION THAT HE BROUGHT INTO THE WORLD, THE KING JAMES VERSION BIBLE!           

           "DWELL IN YOU RICHLY": "RICHLY" MEANS MORE ABUNDANTLY OR EXTRAVAGANTLY RICH, AND "DWELL" MEANS TO LIVE IN OR TO BE HOME IN.

           SCRIPTURE SHOULD PERMEATE EVERY ASPECT OF THE BELIEVER'S LIFE AND CONTROL EVERY THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED, PSALM 119:11; MATTHEW 13:9; PHILIPPIANS 2:16; 2ND TIMOTHY 2:15.

           THE HOLY SPIRIT FILLS THE LIFE CONTROLLED BY HIS WORD.     THE KJV BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD!     IF YOU HIDE THIS WORD OF GOD IN YOUR HEART, NO ONE CAN TAKE IT AWAY FROM YOU.

          THE WORLD MAY TAKE THE WRITTEN WORD AWAY FROM YOU, BUT THEY CANNOT TAKE THE WORD YOU HAVE HIDDEN IN YOUR HEART.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               WHEN BELIEVER'S (FRIENDS) GET TOGETHER AND STUDY THE WORD OF GOD, IT BUILDS THEM UP, AND BRINGS HARMONY AND PEACE TO THEM.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               WHEN BELIEVERS ARE FORBEARING, FORGIVING, AND LOVING TOWARD ONE ANOTHER; WHEN PEACE REIGNS AMONG GOD'S PEOPLE, THEN THE CHURCH IS FERTILE SOIL FOR THE BLESSINGS PRODUCED BY "THE WORD OF CHRIST".

           AMEN!