The Heart of Christian Living

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The Christian Heart

Not our works, but rather God at work in our hearts by the holy spirit given to us is the heart of true Christian living.

Romans 1:21
   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.

   The Epistle of Romans is the foundational doctrine written to the Church.   Romans begins by showing how all Jews and Gentiles fall short of God's requirements for living and are in need of God's grace to rescue them. The Jews needed to keep the law in order to be saved. The Gentiles needed to do by nature that which is right before God. Yet, no man by his own works can do right before God. Man is vain in his thoughts and his foolish heart is in darkness.

   Christian living begins when the Word of God regarding salvation is heard and believed in the heart.

Romans 10:6 - 10
   But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
   Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
   But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
   That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
   For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

    God's righteous requirement for salvation then is to hear this word of belief which we preach. It is to believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and that God has raised him from the dead. Jesus Christ took our place. He was our substitute because we could not accomplish, by the works of our own heart, that which was needed. We are identified with the risen Christ in God's eyes. When we confess Jesus Christ as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead, God gives us salvation. God gives us eternal life. God gives us a Christian heart by placing His gift of holy spirit in us. We are born again and we become NEW people. We are no longer Jew or Gentile. We belong to Him and are now identified in God's Word as "the Church of God."

2 Corinthians 1:21-22
   Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
   Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

2 Corinthians 3:3
   Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
   And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
   Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

2 Corinthians 4:6-7
   For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
   But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Galatians 4:6
   And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

   It is God's gift of holy spirit in the fleshy tables of our heart that makes us the epistle of Christ. We are born again of God's Spirit having holy spirit shining in our hearts. We are God's sons and daughters by birth. We are no longer Jews or Gentiles. We are NEW creations. We are the Church of God. Christian living is defined for the believer in the the Epistles written to the Church of God.

   There can be no definition of Christian living in the Gospels or the "Sermon on the Mount" for there were no Christians at the time Jesus Christ spoke those words. Jesus Christ's ministry was to Israel and his admonitions for living a life pleasing to God were addressed to the Jews. Now, there are a lot of good words in the Gospels and things that all men would do well to practice. But none of them are standards for being a Christian believer in the Church of God. Our sufficiency is not of our works. God is our sufficiency. The power is of God - not of us. It is the spirit of God born in a believer that gives him a Christian heart.

1 Corinthians 2:9-16
   But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
   But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
   For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
   Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
   Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
   But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
   But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
   For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Colossians 2:2-3
   That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

   God kept secret that which He had planned for the Christian believer. No man, prophet, or even Jesus Christ himself, knew the things which God had prepared for us. These things NEVER entered into the heart of man. Yet now, with the spirit of God in us, we can know the deep things of God. Now we are comforted by a full understanding and acknowledgment of that which God kept secret until He revealed it to the Church.

   The natural man of body and soul, Jew and Gentile, cannot understand or receive the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned. The heart of Christian living is spiritual. It is not based on the works of man. We have the spirit of God born within us and we live a spiritual life. We speak spiritual words. We compare spiritual things with spiritual. We judge with spiritual judgment. We have the mind of Christ. That is the heart of Christian living!

Romans 5:1-5
   Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
   By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
   And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
   And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
   And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

   Justification, peace with God, access into grace, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God - all these things and more are energized by the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the gift of holy spirit in us. Not our works, but rather God at work in our hearts by the holy spirit given to us is the heart of true Christian living.

Ephesians 5:17-20
   Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
   And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
   Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
   Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

1 Corinthians 14:14-15
   For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
   What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

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.

   Living a full spiritual life is the will of the Lord for the Christian believer. We make spiritual melody in our heart to the Lord as we sing spiritual songs (sing in tongues.) It is our operation of the spirit of God in us that is the heart of Christian living.   The walk of the Christian believer is a spiritual walk with God. We are to speak to ourselves and pray and sing with the spirit making melody in our hearts to the Lord.

Romans 8:26-28
   Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
   And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
   And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

   God searches the hearts of men. In the heart of the Christian believer God finds His gift of holy spirit making spiritual intercession for other saints of God with groanings which cannot be uttered. Our operation of the gift of holy spirit from the heart is very powerful because we are in direct spiritual communication with God. We make spiritual intercession for one another. We may not know the needs and infirmities of another - but God does. Our prayer in the spirit makes intercession according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by God's gift of holy spirit operated from our Christian heart. This is the true heart of Christian living.

Ephesians 3:16-21
   That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
   That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
   May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
   And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
   Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
   Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

   God's gift of holy spirit in the inner man produces spiritual strength.   It is God's gift of holy spirit at work in us that allows us to be rooted and grounded in love. It is God's gift of holy spirit at work in us that allows God to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think.   The Church of God is called to glorify God by Christ Jesus THROUGHOUT ALL AGES, world without end. AMEN!

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
   Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
   Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

2 Thessalonians 3:5
   And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

    God's gift of holy spirit at work within our hearts can be known by its fruit. EVERLASTING consolation. GOOD hope through grace. The love of God. Patient waiting for Christ. The Church of God shall be gathered together to meet the Lord in the air. We have a good hope through grace. We have an everlasting consolation. Our wholeness is eternal. The heart of the Christian is spiritually directed by the Lord into the love of God and patient waiting for Christ. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.