Sins Of The Heart

There is a huge problem going on in Christianity. There are many people who claim to be Christian, but yet they are sinless perfectionists. That is heresy! I heard a man this week say, “I am not sinning now and I plan on not sinning in the future.”

What does the Bible say about sins of the heart?

1 John 1:8, “if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” If you claim to be living a perfect life you are in danger of Hell fire!

I heard a woman say,”why can’t you live in perfection like me?” She didn’t understand how arrogant and how prideful she was.

Quotes of sins of the heart

“The seed of every sin known to man is in my heart.” ― Robert Murray McCheyne

“Sin destroys the heart the same way poison destroys the body.”

“Sin is what you do when your heart is not satisfied with God. No one sins out of duty. We sin because it holds out some promise of happiness. That promise enslaves us until we believe that God is more to be desired than life itself (Psalm 63:3). Which means that the power of sin’s promise is broken by the power of God’s.” John Piper

It is true! Believers no longer live in sin.

Christians are saved by the blood of Christ alone and yes we were made new. We have a new relationship with sin. We have a new desire for Christ and His Word. There are people who profess to be Christian, but they live in rebellion and 1 John 3:8-10 and Matthew 7:21-23 tells us they are not Christians.

However, we must understand that these verses are talking about living in sin, practicing sin, willful sins, habitual sins, etc. We are saved by grace. Grace is so powerful that we won’t desire to fornicate, commit adultery, murder, indulge in drug use, live like the world, etc. Only unregenerate people use God’s grace as a way to indulge in sin. Believers are regenerate!

We forget about the sins of the heart!

We all struggle with sinful thoughts, desires, and habits. We always think about the outward sins or what we call the big sins, but how about the sins of the heart. The sins that no one, but God and you know about. I believe I sin every day. I might not be living like the world, but how about my inward sins.

I wake up and I don’t give God the glory He deserves. Sin! I have pride and arrogance. Sin! I can be so self-centered. Sin! I can do things without love sometimes. Sin! Lust and covetousness seek to battle with me. Sin! God have mercy upon me. Before lunch, we sin 100 times! I am shocked when I hear people say, “I have no sin in my life. I don’t remember the last time when I sinned.” Lies, lies, lies from Hell! God help us.

Do you love God with all your heart?

God deserves our full attention. There is no one on the planet who has ever loved the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength except Jesus. We should be thrown into Hell for this alone.

We talk so much about God’s love that we forget about His holiness! We forget that He deserves all the glory and all the praise! Every day when you wake up and you don’t love God with everything that is in you that is sin.

Is your heart cold for the Lord? Repent. In worship does your heart align with your words? Have you lost the love you once had? If so check out this article to (renew your love for God.)

Luke 10:27 He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”

We all struggle with pride, but some might not know it.

Why do you do the things that you do? Why do you say the things that you do? Why do we tell people extra details about our life or our job? Why do we dress the way we do? Why do we stand the way that we do?

Many of the smallest things that we do in this life are done out of pride. God sees those prideful and arrogant thoughts that you think about in your mind. He sees your self-righteous attitude. He sees those arrogant thoughts you have toward others.

When you pray in groups do you try to pray louder than others to be seen as spiritual? Do you debate with an arrogant heart? I believe the smarter you are in an area or the more blessed and talented you are in a certain area the more prideful that you may become. We can show humility on the outside, but still be prideful on the inside. We always want to be the best, we all want to be the man, we all want the best position, we all want to be recognized, etc.

Do you teach to show off your wisdom? Do you dress immodestly to show off your body? Do you seek to impress people with your riches? Do you go to church to show off your new dress? Do you go out of your way to be noticed? We have to recognize every single prideful act in our lives because there are many.

Lately, I’ve been recognizing and asking for help about more and more acts of pride in my life. Hezekiah was very godly, but he gave the Babylonians a tour of all of his treasures out of pride. The little things we do might seem innocent to ourselves and others, but God knows the motives and we must repent.

2 Chronicles 32:25-26 But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the LORD’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah. – (What does the Bible say about pride?)

Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.

Are you covetous in your heart?

In John 12 notice that Judas seemed to care about the poor. He said, “why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?” God knew his heart. He didn’t say it because he cared about the poor. He said it because his covetousness turned him into a thief.

Do you always covet the newest things? Do you picture and dream about having more this and more that? Do you secretly covet what your friends have? Do you covet their car, house, relationship, talents, status, etc. That is sin before the Lord. We rarely talk about envy, but we have all envied before. We have to make war with covetousness!

John 12:5-6 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Luke 16:14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and scoffing at Him.

Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Do you seek to glorify yourself?

God says to do everything for His glory. Everything! Do you breath for the glory of God? We always battle with our motives in our heart. Why do you give? Do you give for God’s glory, do you give to honor the Lord with your wealth, do you give out of your love for others? Do you give to make yourself feel better, to give yourself a personal pat on the back, to boost your ego, so you can boast, etc.

Even our greatest works are tainted by sin. Even the godliest person can do things for God, but because of our sinful hearts maybe 10% of it is to glorify ourselves in our hearts. Are you struggling to fully glorify God in every area of your life? Is there a battle within you? If there is don’t worry you are not alone.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory.

Are you selfish at times?

The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. When you give or offer things to people do you do it just to be nice hoping they say no? God sees the self-centeredness is our heart. He sees through our words. He knows when our words don’t align with our heart. He knows when we make excuses not to do more for people. Instead of witnessing to someone we are in a hurry to do something that benefits us.

How can we neglect so great a salvation? We can be so selfish at times, but a believer does not let selfishness control their life. Are you valuing others more than yourself? Are you a person that is always thinking about the cost? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you examine this sin and to help you with this sin.

Proverbs 23:7 for he is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

Anger in the heart!

God sees the unrighteous anger in our heart. He sees the evil thoughts we have against our closest friends and family members.

Genesis 4:4-5 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Luke 15:27-28 Your brother has come, he replied, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound. The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.

Lust in the heart!

I believe everyone struggles with lust to some degree. Lust is where Satan seeks to attack us the most. We have to discipline ourselves with what we watch, where we go, what we listen to, etc. When this sin is not controlled in the heart it leads to watching pornography, fornicating, masturbating, rape, adultery, etc.

This is serious and we must take every step possible when we are struggling with this. Fight with those thoughts that seek to take over your mind. Don’t dwell on them. Cry out for strength from the Holy Spirit. Fast, pray, and run from temptation!

Matthew 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian who struggles with sins of the heart!

When it comes to sins of the heart there is a difference between a regenerate man and an unregenerate man. Unregenerate people are dead in their sins. They don’t seek help. They don’t want help. They don’t think they need help. They aren’t affected by it. Their pride stops them from seeing their struggles with different sins of the heart. Their hearts are hard because of pride. Regenerate people confess their sins.

The regenerate heart is burdened by the sins they commit in their heart. The regenerate person has a greater sense of their sinfulness as they grow in Christ and they will see their desperate need for a Savior. The regenerate persons asks for help with their struggles with the sins of the heart. The unregenerate heart doesn’t care, but the regenerate heart desires to be more.

The heart is the root of all evil!

The answer to those struggles within the heart is trusting in the perfect merit of Christ. Paul said, “who will rescue me from this body of death?” Then he says, “thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” The heart is desperately sick! If my salvation was based on my performance, then I would have no hope. I sin in my heart daily! Where would I be without the grace of God? My only hope is Jesus Christ my Lord!

Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin?”

Mark 7:21-23 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come–sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Romans 7:17-20 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

Make every effort to control the heart!

Guard your heart! Remove anything from your life that triggers sin such as bad music, TV, friends, etc. Readjust your thought life. Think about Christ! Be clothe with Christ! Store God’s Word in your heart so you do not sin. Don’t put yourself in a position to be tempted. Examine yourself daily! Examine your heart in every action. Lastly, confess your sins daily.

Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Psalm 119:9-11 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

Psalm 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.