Heart problems are the number-one killer in the physical world; problems of the heart may also be the number-one killer in the spiritual world.
The Natural State of Our Hearts
"The Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not strive with men forever because he is also flesh...' Then the Lord saw... that the intent of the thoughts of his heart was evil continually..."
Genesis 6:3, 5
Being born again renews our spirit, but it does not change the condition or state of our hearts.
"...give attention to My words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart, for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their whole body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life."
Proverbs 4:23
We need God's help with our hearts, even His first two commandments seem impossible.
"You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."
(This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it.)
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Matthew 22:37-39
In fact we need a heart transplant! But first consider:
"...man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7
"...the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever."
1 Chronicles 28:9
"But Thou knowest me, O Lord, Thou seest me; And Thou dost examine my heart's attitude toward Thee."
Jeremiah 12:3
Checking Out the Attitudes of Our Hearts
A Distant Heart:
"You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah say of you , 'This people honor Me with their lips but there heart is far from Me, in vain do they worship Me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.'"
Matthew 15:7-9
An Unprepared Heart:
"...A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that did not prepare its heart,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God."
Psalm 78:8
A Hardened Heart:
"They refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. And they made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit... And it came about that just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen, says the Lord of hosts; but I scattered them with a storm wind..."
Zechariah 7:11-14
An Unbelieving Heart:
"Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God... lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin... And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it."
Hebrews 3:12-18, 4:1
Again:
"But Thou knowest me, O Lord, Thou seest me; And Thou dost examine my heart's attitude toward Thee."
Jeremiah 12:3
A Contrite Heart:
"Jesus said, 'Come to Me... take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart...'"
Matthew 11:28-30
"O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
Thou are not pleased with burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise."
Psalm 51:15-17
"For thus says the High and Exalted One who dwells in eternity, whose name is holy: 'I dwell on a high and lofty place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'"
Isaiah 57:15
An Obedient Heart:
"Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them..."
Deuteronomy 5:29
"But thanks be to God, you became obedient from the heart."
Romans 6:17
A Willing Heart:
"...as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart."
Ephesians 6:6
"Therefore, when He comes into the world He says, 'Behold I have come, (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) to do Thy will, O Lord.'"
Hebrews 10:7
"May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ."
2 Thessalonians 3:5
"God raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My wills.'"
Acts 13:22
A Devoted Heart:
"Solomon's heart was not complete with devotion to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father, David..."
1 Kings 15:3
"For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His."
2 Chronicles 16:9
A Listening Heart:
"...Take into your heart all My words which I shall speak to you, and listen with your ears."
Ezekiel 3:10
"Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, as in the days in the wilderness ... They always went astray in their heart; and they did not know My ways ... Therefore they shall not enter My rest.'"
Hebrews 3:7-11
A Seeking Heart:
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."
Jeremiah 29:11-13
A Cleansed Heart:
"Create in (Lit. for) me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me."
Psalm 51:10
David prayed:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts,
And see if there be any way of pain in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way."
Psalm 139:23, 24
"Moreover The Lord your God will cleanse your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live."
Deuteronomy 30:2, 3, 6
A Pure Heart:
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Matthew 5:8
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart..." (Handbook 2, Article 26)
Psalm 24:3, 4
A New Heart:
"O Lord God of Israel, there is no god like Thee in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing kindness to Thy servants who walk before Thee with all their hearts."
2 Chronicles 6:14
"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My laws upon their heart, and upon their minds I will write them. And their lawless deeds I will remember no more..."
Hebrews 10:16-23
"I shall gather you from the people... when they come there, they will remove all detestable things and abominations. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh that they may walk in My statutes and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God."
Ezekiel 11:17-20