15 Minutes
God Does Know Your Heart, But You Don’t...
Okay...lest we be foolish beyond reason, let’s begin with this foundational truth concerning man’s wisdom that we not allow “self” to get in the way.
I Corinthians 8:2 And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
There is no evidence of ignorance more common than a conceit of knowledge. Any person who is vested by God with a semblance of intelligence knows most best that in most things they are ignorant, and they understand that its implication implies only that at this point they are unlearned and the imperfection of human knowledge is a consequence of sin. Any that imagines themself a knowing person, and is vain and conceited on this imagination, has reason to suspect that they know nothing properly. It is one thing to know truth, and another to know it as we ought, so as fittingly to improve our knowledge. Those that love God are most likely to be taught of God, and be made by Him to know as they ought. In response to what you think is an unfair assessment about your intent, you clarify others mistake. You say (or think) “Well, God knows my heart in the matter.” While this is an accurate statement – God does know your heart – I’m not sure it’s the right response. Why? Because you say it to imply that your intentions are good. But God knows you better than you know yourself and God knows that you could do a lot better. Here are reasons why we should stop trying to find solace in the fact that God knows our heart. Instead we should find solace in the fact that God can change our heart to be like the heart of Jesus.
God Knows Your Heart... Yes, God knows your heart. There’s no doubt about that. He understands it completely.
Psalms 33:15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.
I Kings 8:39
Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men.
Not to mention, He knows absolutely everything about absolutely everything. He is omniscient: all-knowing.
Psalms 147:5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
He knows everything you’ve ever done, thought, spoken, or contemplated, and everything you will do, speak, think, or contemplate.
Psalms 139:4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
He knows your secrets. He knows about those horrid and despicable things that come across your mind at times. Yes, He knows about them too.
Psalms 44:21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
There is no part of your being (your mind, will, intellect, conscience, thinking, emotions, actions, motives) that is concealed from His sight. Your heart is laid bare before your Maker, and there’s not a fig leaf big enough or adequate to cover it up.
Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
God’s omniscience should be a sobering thought. So before you declare that God knows your heart, you might want first to consider its true condition.
You Have a Heart Condition... The Bible has a lot to say about your heart, and the conclusion of the matter is not good! Look at what Jesus thought about the human heart.
Matthew 15:18, 19 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
Jesus didn’t entrust Himself to man because He knew what was truly in them.
John 2:24
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men. No matter how well they cleaned up on the outside, He had the inside scoop. In the book of Jeremiah, it says there is one thing more untrustworthy than anything else. Wanna guess what it is? Your heart!
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
In fact, there was even a point in history where the human race had become so corrupted, the Bible says that all of the people’s thoughts were evil, all of the time.
Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Our hearts can become hardened, dull, blind, darkened, foolish, rebellious, and unrepentant.
Romans 1:21; 2:5 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.
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.
Acts 28: 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Hebrews 3:8
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.
Even the good things we do are stained and soiled with sin before a holy and righteous God.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Hmm...not such a great track record for the human heart so far. Let’s review. The heart left to itself is: 1. Unclean. 2. Capable of conceiving and carrying out all sorts of evil thoughts and deeds.
3. The most deceitful (sly, insidious) thing about ourselves. 4. Untrustworthy. 5. Stubborn. 6. Unrighteous. So to say that God knows your heart should not cause assurance, but alarm! Why? Because nobody has an accurate view of themselves. We tend to think we’re a little more unique than we are.
You’re Under the Influence... While God knows your heart in every way imaginable, the truth is that you do not, at least not fully. You do not have perfect clarity and objectivity when you think about yourself. The eyes with which you use to evaluate yourself are somewhat blurred; self is standing in the way of clear vision. Your estimation about the intent and motives of your heart are under the influence of sin. When you say God knows my heart, you are saying that you have confidence that you are just in the matter. Your confidence is based on self. Self confidence is...
SOP – Peter’s fall was not instantaneous, but gradual. Self-confidence led him to the belief that he was saved, and step after step was taken in the downward path, until he could deny his Master. Never can we safely put confidence in self or feel, this side of heaven, that we are secure against temptation. Those who accept the Saviour, however sincere their conversion, should never be taught to say or to feel that they are saved. This is misleading. Every one should be taught to cherish hope and faith; but even when we give ourselves to Christ and know that He accepts us, we are not beyond the reach of temptation. God’s word declares, “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried.” Daniel 12:10. Only he who endures the trial will receive the crown of life. (James 1:12.) {COL 155.1}
SOP - Now all eyes turned toward the woman in question, a Mrs. Alcott. What would be her reaction to this plain delineation of her strange witness and her adultery? “What did she do?” asked Loughborough as he told the story. After sitting about one minute, she slowly arose to her feet, put on a sanctimonious look, and said, “God—knows—my—heart.” That was all she said, and sat down. Here was just what the Lord showed (May 28) that the woman would say. On June 11 she did just as it was said she would do, and said the identical words predicted she would say when reproved, and no more.—Ibid. {1BIO 281.2,3}
Your depravity is why Paul says to be sober in self-assessments and warns not to elevate the view you have of yourself.
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Let’s look at a parable Jesus tells about two very different people and the perspective they had of themselves. The first, was a person of prestige and position. He was a Pharisee. The other, a lowly tax collector, not the most reputable of jobs at the time. Both of these men went to the temple to pray one day. The Pharisee bragged about his righteousness and thanked God that he was better than everyone else. He jabbered on and on about his good works and what a great guy he was. You know...kinda sounded like you when you think you’re something, kind of sounds like blah, blah, blah. The tax collector, on the other hand, had an entirely different approach. He had a humble, not prideful attitude, as he approached the Lord. He physically kept himself at a distance in the temple, and his countenance was contrite. There was no mention of his good heart or any of his accomplishments. Instead, he hit himself on his chest and pleaded for God to have mercy on him because he knew what a mess he was.
Luke 18:9-13 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Jesus tells us the moral of the story: when you exalt yourself, God will humble you. But, if you humble yourself, you will be exalted.
Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The tax collector humbled himself, and because of that, he went home justified before God. The other man, the Pharisee, thought he was God’s right-hand man. In his heart, he was an asset to God’s kingdom. Because of this, he remained under God’s judgment. These two men had a perceived view of themselves. One was distorted and elevated, leading him not to exalt God, but himself. The other was a sober and accurate perception of his condition that resulted in humility and dependency on God, not himself. When you proclaim that God knows your heart, it makes you sound a lot more like the Pharisee than the tax collector. It’s like you are saying, ‘I’m something...”!
Righteousness Comes From Above... If you were to take a survey asking people if there was anyone perfect in this world, I think the answer would be a unanimous and resounding "no!". Not only do life experiences attest to this, the Bible clearly affirms this truth. In Romans 3 for example, Paul says nobody is righteous. Not you. Not me. Not one single person.
Romans 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
For you to obtain righteousness, you would have to be perfect in every way, completely in line with God’s will. Here are some biblical definitions of what it means to be righteous: innocence, faultless, and guiltless are used of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is conformed completely to the will of God, and needs no rectification in the heart or life. I don’t know how you feel after reading that, but for me, it knocks me down a few gazillion pegs. Even as I grow in my obedience and conformity to Christ, my thoughts, feelings, and actions are nowhere near being totally in-line with God’s will. To say that God knows your heart implies a certain air of self-confidence. In essence, you’re declaring your complete innocence and faultlessness in the matter. You believe you have an accurate assessment of what’s going on in your heart and as far as you’re concerned, your motives are pure. Better watch out friend, because self-righteousness is knocking at your door and self-deception is waiting to answer. There’s only one way to obtain righteousness, and it’s from Christ. He alone perfectly fulfilled the requirements of the definition of righteousness and even he said there is none good but one.
Mark 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
Jesus is the only one ever throughout history that lived a life completely conformed to the will of God. He was obedient in every way at every time, even to the point of death on a cross.
Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Only when you place your faith and trust in His sacrifice can you obtain a righteous standing before God.
II Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.
In Christ only, can you become righteous in your position before God, but not in your practice. While you still live in an earthly body, your deceitful heart will need ongoing correction. If you come to know anything, you come to know that is the work of the Holy Spirit and the word of God. Because of that, there is no place for self-confidence in the heart of the believer. Paul talked about this in Philippians 3 where he had quite an impressive list of things he could brag about – practices, pedigrees, and a Pharisee, hmmm! But after he was converted? He considered the totality of those things as a complete loss in comparison to what he had received in his union with Christ. He knew that none of those accomplishments or standings could make him righteous before God. His confidence was no longer in his flesh, but in his faith in Christ.
Philippians 3:4-9 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
Any boasting was now credited to His Savior and His work, instead of his own.
I Corinthians 1:30, 31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
How tight is truth... Now, I don’t want to neglect here the fact that you may have been judged unfairly by another person or by me. This study is not to dismiss what happened to you or imply that you should ignore it either. No one enjoys an accusation for doing, saying, or thinking something you didn’t do, say, or think. But, why not ask the reason for the assessment before you dismiss it. You might come into a knowledge of the truth. Even though the title is, God does know your heart, but you don’t, the truth is, no other person knows your heart either. So here are just a few thoughts about this:
Do your part – God does know your heart and whether or not you sinned in this particular situation. More times than not, when someone sins against us, we tend to sin back in response. Reason together, asking the Lord to show you if what is said is true and what you are responsible for in the situation. You are told to live at peace with everyone, as far as it depends on you. Take responsibility where accountability is your answerability.
Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
You are in good company – All throughout Scripture we see people being treated unfairly by others. Joseph by his brothers, David by Saul, Jesus by the Pharisees. If you are suffering for doing good, the Bible says this is commendable before God.
I Peter 2:19-21 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.
It is an opportunity for you to follow in the steps of your Savior and to show how awesome He is, not you, in the matter.
Remember God is just – After you have asked the Spirit to reveal your real thoughts and attitudes, and you have done all you can to be at peace, entrust yourself to God. He will judge the situation with justice.
I Peter 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not;
but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.
Seek help – Look for someone to bring clarity to your perceptions, not confirmation of your position. What I mean by this is, don’t just find people that will agree with your stance. You want to be selective about those you go to for counsel and advice. Look for someone that will not just tell you what you want to hear, but will bring a more insightful view to your thinking. Speak with someone that will refer only to the law and to the testimony. A person like this will be wise in Christ, inquisitive while asking specific questions, seeking godliness, mature in their faith and relationships, peaceable, have solid biblical theology, and boldness to speak the truth and bring correction, rebuke, instruction, and doctrine to you when and if needed. If you don’t know anyone like this in your life, you may have been associating with the wrong people. God has a people. When we are in conflict with an issue, not necessarily with someone, our habitual reaction is usually to defend ourselves, or excuse what has happened. It’s easy to point out the faults in others or to think that you are accused, when someone simply makes a statement of concern. Move yourself out of the way, Christ is the way, what saith the word. Self makes it much harder to see what’s truly in your heart.
Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
Is that true about us??? But God is the one that weighs our hearts, and as He does, we can believe it will be with complete and thorough accuracy. There is no need to put any confidence in ourself. Any righteousness we may have comes from our righteous Redeemer.
I John 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
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