THE WORLD SAYS YOU SHOULD FOLLOW YOUR HEART

Throughout history, as it is found in the Bible, man has wanted "to do his own thing."  Adam and Eve did not have a troubled childhood; they did not associate with "the wrong crowd" (they had no "peer pressure" because there were no peers; there was no crowd!); they did not come from a "bad neighborhood" or go to "bad schools"; there weren't too many rules to follow:  they had one single "Thou shalt not!"  They didn't even have a "sin nature," for unlike man today, they were sinless!  But like you and me, they had free will; they could choose to obey or disobey God.  We all, not only know what they chose to do, we all have suffered the consequences of that choice, because as they say, "the acorn does not fall far from the tree" (Rom. 5:12)!  No, their problem, like ours, is that they followed their hearts - huge mistake!  For the heart cannot be trusted!  Here is what God's Word tells us about our hearts:

*  Genesis 6:5-6 - "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.  And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart."

*  Ecclesiastes 8:11 - "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil."

*  Ecclesiastes 9:3 - "This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all:  yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead."

*  Jeremiah 17:9 - "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:  who can know it?"

*  Matthew 15:18-20 - "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:  these are the things which defile a man...."

*  Mark 7:20-23 - "And He said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.  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."

[Note:  Even the born-again believer is warned against "grieving the Spirit" (Eph. 4:30) and "quenching the Spirit" (1 Th. 5:19).  We grieve the Holy Spirit when we fail to follow His guidance (Jn. 16:13); that is, when we fail to "walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16-25).  We "quench the Spirit" by "throwing cold water" on those who are "on fire for the Lord" (Lev. 6:12; Deut. 1:21;  2 Sam. 21:17; Isa. 62:1; Lk. 24:32; etc.)].

 

Be careful; do not listen to Oprah, Dr. Phil, Joel Osteen, or even your own heart!  Study God's Word so that you can discern whose spirit is leading you:  God's Spirit or Satan!  Psalm 119:11 has the answer:  "Thy Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee!"