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The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, you can’t truly know it’s true attribute, behavior, character and nature. Your old heart, the innate nature of your heart is wick until it’s been regenerated, rejuvenated and renewed. The heart inward motivations, which controls a person’s worlds and deeds are absolutely uncontrollable without the spirit of God: the Holy Spirit. According to the prophet Jeremiah, the spiritual heart is so innately wicked and deceptive that one cannot even understand it’s will, but God does. This is why one urgently must receive a new heart, which will give you a new perspective on life. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” Ezekiel 36:26 (NKJV). The heart was created to be a living organ that has feelings and emotions, with attitude. In the third Chapter of Hebrews Paul describes this old heart, he explains that this heart has an attitude that is bent toward evil thoughts, words and deeds. First, the heart becomes hardened through the lack of gratitude. “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years” Hebrews 3:8–9 (NKJV). Second, the heart becomes erring or a stumblingblock for others. “Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways” Hebrews 3:10. Finally, it becomes evil and vex toward others, because of your past hurts and pains. “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” Hebrews 3:12–13 (NKJV). Now the old heart will repeatedly refuse to receive and believe the Word of God, and is inevitably generating wicked ways and evil doings. However, Christ will create a new heart for all who will believe on Him and confess Him as Lord and Savior.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” Romans 10:9–10 (NKJV). The work on your heart is daily work that can only be done by the Spirit, it is a work that will never be done, because you are unperfect human. We are still in a daily battle, a warfare against our spirit man. Since, we are at war with sin, therefore, our deeds and motives will always remain suspect and must be interrogated and investigated constantly. As we war, we must remember that Jesus graciously came to die a death, which paid the penalty for our sinful actions or motives. So, if we love and follow after His will for our lives, we are now resurrected with Him with a new heart through His death and the promise of a resurrected life through this great gift that comes from the Spirit. This now gives us the possibility of being motivated out of the love and glory of God; rather the love and glory of self. Daily you must remind yourself the importance of checking your heart condition, especially when you are facing opposition and persecution for doing God’s will. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting” Psalm 139:23–24 (NKJV). The indwelling Holy Spirit gives believers the ability to purge and purify their motives through dependency on Him in every decision and consistent observance in discerning of unconditional love that should radiate from the new heart.
Sometimes sin and selfishness will be evident as soon as we begin, it will be more subtle in the beginning as it works its way to become more ungodly. This subtilty resonate from fear or self –preservation, which may drive away forgiveness, longsuffering and love. In beginning our attentions were motivated from pure actions or deeds, yet when doubt crept in, it can cause all kinds of confusion. Keep in mind that everything we do should reflect the heart of Christ, because this is what allows the Holy Spirit to direct our paths. There will always be temptation, but this new heart will always remind us to seek Christ in everything that we do. Therefore, if we wait for our minds and hearts to be fully clear before we follow where our will is trying to take us, we will not risk walking down the path of unrighteousness. Christ power is made perfect in our moments of weakness, in times of indecisiveness and our hours of confusion. These are times when the Scripture warns us to flee temptation and stand strong against the desires of our heart. regardless of our feelings or fears, we are called to flee the immoral and ungodly temptations because we have a free will to put aside all sinful motivations. This will allow us to act in confidence that is drive by our conviction from our Lord and Savior who gave Himself for our freedom.