May 21, 2020
FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
HEART IDOLS OF CARNALLY-MINDED BELIEVERS.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jer.17:9,10, NKJV.
See Rom. 8:6-8,13. It is from the heart and mind that all forms and manner of idolatry—physical, material, philosophical, religious and spiritual—must be expelled from, not merely from the externals. “The Lord does not see as a man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart.” 1 Sam. 16:7.
“HEART comes from the Hebrew leb, “feeling, will, intellect,” and from the Greek katsina (root word for cardiac), “thoughts, feelings.”
MIND is the Hebrew metalepsis, “participate, accept, partake, receive,” and three Greek words,namely (1) phroneo, “entertain, sentiment, opinion, set affection, be the same.” (2) nous, “intellect (divine, human), thoughts, feeling, will, understanding” (3) dianoia, “deep thought, faculty, disposition; its exercise through imagination/understanding.” (Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Lexicons).
“If we would be spiritual worshippers in Jesus Christ, we must sacrifice every idol and fully obey the first 4 commandments. Matt. 22:37,38: ‘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 is the first and great commandment.’”
“The first 4 commandments allow NO separation of the affections from God. Nor is anything allowed to divide, or share, our SUPREME delight in Him. Whatever divides the affections, and takes away from the soul the supreme love to God, assumes the FORM OF AN IDOL.”
“Our CARNAL HEARTS would cling to our idols and seek to carry them along; but we CANNOT advance [in overcoming sin and character perfection] until we put them away, for they separate us from God. The great Head of the church has chosen His people out of the world and requires them to be separate.”
“He designs that the spirit of His commandments shall draw them to Himself and separate them from the elements of the world. To love and keep His commandments is FAR from loving the world’s pleasures and friendships [see 1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4]. There is no concord [agreement, harmony] between Christ and Belial (Satan). The people of God may safely trust in Him alone and WITHOUT FEAR, press on in the way of OBEDIENCE.” E.G. White, Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 289. More on this tomorrow. 2 Cor. 13:8, 11-14. NMF