There’s one question I often ask couples. They flood me with questions. Is the beach okay? Are video games? Movies? Rated-R movies? What about X-Rated if look away during bad parts? Can we go to Target? Should we hang out with people who constantly talk about other women and men like it’s no big deal? There are endless questions when it comes to this stuff. But my one question to you is … what kind of heart do you have?
Right now we’ll talk about two different hearts. One is a heart that makes other people feel comfortable at home. People who curse God don’t even feel the slightest bit unwelcome. It’s soothing heart to those who don’t love God. This heart can tell you about the latest TV shows and video games, the weather, the latest celebrities, and will laugh at all your dirty jokes. It’s a heart that is tainted by the world. A heart that welcomes the world and shuns Jesus Christ.
It’s not that Jesus doesn’t want to dwell in this heart, but He has no room there. He’s tried to creep in, but He gets pushed aside for the latest news. Even if He did creep in, He couldn’t stay long. This kind of heart is too dirty for Him. It isn’t clean or pure. It’s entertained by movies that use His name in vain. Entertained by lust, lies, and murder–things He doesn’t love. Things He died to clean. This heart feels moments of pleasure and fulfillment. Sometimes even gets the best “lot” in life. The best cars, looks, jobs. Tons of money and popularity. But this heart is lacking something that is crucial. And yet, you can tell this heart all you want, but it would rather stay the way it is than have Jesus dwell inside.
There’s another kind of heart. A heart that makes people feel uncomfortable in their sin. People who praise and worship God’s holiness feel welcome. People who hunger and thirst for righteousness yearn to be around heart’s like this. It’s soothing to those who love God. This heart doesn’t know much about the latest TV shows and celebrity gossip (yes, gossip), but this heart could tell you so much about the love of God, the wisdom of God, and the beauty of God. This heart knows more Bible verses than music lyrics. It’s a heart that has been tainted by the world, but desires purification and is willing to do whatever it takes to be cleansed of the stains. This heart shuns the world and welcomes Jesus Christ.
It’s not that the world doesn’t want to dwell in this heart, it just can’t for long. Every time the world tries to creep in, it gets pushed aside for Christ. This heart is too pure for the world. People living in sin are attracted to this heart and often desire God in this heart’s presence, but some people living in sin cannot bear the brightness of this heart, so they run to the prior heart, the heart that makes them feel comfortable. This heart makes sin run. It would tear up if a movie happened to use the Lord’s name in vain. It would rather fill itself with things that are pure, things that Jesus loves. Things He died to restore. This heart suffers many lost relationships, persecution, and ridicule. It’s a humble heart, though. And through humility this heart experiences true and lasting pleasure and fulfillment. It’s not momentary and doesn’t depend on circumstances. Sometimes this heart gets the worst “lot” in life, but it would never know because it’s too concerned with serving others. This heart is lacking the world, but it has gained Jesus Christ. You can tempt this heart all you want, with any pleasure of the world, any status, popularity, or entertainment, but this heart would rather stay the way it is … filled with Jesus Christ.
What kind of heart do you have? Do you fill your heart with things that are pure and lovely? Things that Jesus would cling to? Or do you fill your heart with things that Jesus would mourn? Who resides in your heart? The world? Or Jesus Christ? Maybe it’s a little of Jesus and a lot of the world, maybe it’s a little of the world and a lot of Jesus. Either way, our ultimate desire should be to have a heart that pleases Christ. A heart that He would happily reside in. Not a heart that is filled with things He died to cleanse.
“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” –James 1:27
