Danger Lies in the Heart

Deception is a word that is often used, but almost always about someone else. We rarely apply the term to our own life. But the HEART of man is actually the root or base of deception. The MIND thinks that it knows the truth, but the mind can be deceived and will follow the HEART. Deception is very deceptive, because if you are deceived, you do not know it. This fact makes it absolutely necessary that salvation begins with a desire in the heart for change, then a miracle takes place in the heart and changes its course and desires. After this, the renewed, clean heart will long to please God, which will give direction toward purity, etc.

The great danger begins when the cleansed heart fails to make further progress. The heart may decide that enough changes have taken place and no others are needed. Maybe the Spirit seeks to direct in an area that the heart does not want. Or the heart is busy with normal or worldly things. It seems that Satan immediately attacks every newly saved believer, and tries to take away their faith or to do as much damage as possible. Yet the Bible says we are "drawn away of our own lust and enticed". So what is the problem and what is the danger?

The heart is deceitful above ALL things! More deceitful than a false prophet! More than television, your family, your spouse, your friend, everything! Yes! Your own heart! Yet we do not want to believe this or admit it. Why do some people encounter a false prophet and fall prey to his/her deception and another believer encounters the same ideas at the same time and escapes? The condition of the heart is the difference. Why do I see the truth while another has no concept of what I say? The heart! If the heart has the slightest wrong feeling, emotion or desire, you can be deceived into taking the wrong turn or choice. This is a great danger! We meet people constantly who have become deceived in an area and cannot see the wrong regardless of how detailed we catalog their deceit.

Many believers have grown to a certain point and stopped growing for many years. Yet they have convinced themselves that they are OK with God.

Calvinists and eternal security fans have been convinced in their heart that they are following truth, and many or most of them may be lost. Their heart convinced itself that they are OK. Each of us has had small, less critical areas where we convinced ourselves that we were right about a spiritual idea, only to have God shake us up and we then realize we were wrong all those weeks or years. It is scary to realize that the greatest care must be taken with our heart or we will deceive our own self. Our greatest enemy is not always Satan or the false prophet, who would have no hope to deceive us, but for our own heart. Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

We must carefully make Jesus the center of our life. Matt 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The parable of the sower talks of those who receive and keep the word of God. It is all based on the condition of the heart. (Luke 8) Matt 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. Oh how careful we must be to have a right spirit and a clean heart. The spirit of man and his heart seem to be closely related. Jesus had many things to say about the heart. Matt 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

The heart that will never know any major deceit is the heart that Jesus proclaimed we should possess. Matt 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This area is critical to be able to keep a pure heart and thereby "see God".

Millions of things exist that will take our time and thought life and keep us from using ALL of our heart to love God. The cares of life can cause us to be unaware of the time of His coming. That little prick in your heart is the Spirit leading your heart in the right direction or warning your heart of an ungodly direction. Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? All wrong acts that displease God are conceived in the heart. Look at Ananias. Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. Oh, the danger in an unguarded heart!

Millions of well-meaning folks will be upset on the Day of the Lord when they realize they were deceived. Millions follow false prophets as if blind. Millions fund "Christian" projects hoping to please God. And all of the evil works, false works, and unspiritual works will be burned up and many souls lost because of men whose hearts deceived them. Lost forever because you did not take care of your own heart! Placing blame on others when it was your own heart! But I’m a Christian! Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. He was talking to brethren! But I rarely spoke harsh or evil! James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

Psalm 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Ps 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Ps 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. Ps 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. Ps 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. King David knew a lot about the heart. Psalms and Proverbs are great books to study when being careful with your heart.

These last days are Biblically predicted to be so deceptive that the elect could be deceived if possible. Guard your heart more than ever. Pray as never before that God will guide your heart. Depend on the Spirit to help you and PLEASE RESPOND to every nudge He gives your heart. Compare your heart feelings to the Bible on a daily basis. If you think this guarding the heart is not very important and your heart is not a big problem, read this! Proverbs 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. Danger could lie in your own heart! Please be careful!