The heart of man is the core of his being. It is like a seed being the core of a plant. In the same way a mango seed develops into a mango fruit, a clean and pure heart leads to holy living. You can’t grow a tomato seed and harvest okro. Whatever the heart is made of is what is seen outwardly. Every man expresses the characteristics of his heart.
A tree is known by its fruit, and whether the fruit is good or corrupt is determined by the nature of the tree. A corrupt tree yields corrupt fruit, and a good tree yields good fruit. That is exactly how the heart works. If the heart is good, then the deeds and character of the man will be good. If the heart is corrupt, then the man will be evil and wicked. That is why God decided to erase man completely from the face of the earth, because the heart was corrupt, and everything man did was evil continuously.
By the actions of a man, you can tell what his heart is made of. Man cannot see the heart of another man—only God can. But what man can see are the deeds, the fruit. If you can identify the fruit, then you will know what the heart is made of.
Matthew 12:33: “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit.”
Jesus, knowing the heart of man, asked a rhetorical question: “How can you, being evil, speak good things?” He knew how the heart works. An evil heart produces no good thing.
Matthew 12:34: “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
In verse 35 He continues: “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”
In Mark 7:21-23, Jesus also said, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within and defile the man.”
All these come from a corrupted heart, and that is the natural state of every man. Since Adam, the heart of man has been desperately wicked and knows no good.
The natural state of man without Christ is a deplorable one. It is a state in enmity with God because of the stony heart. This is the reason Christ came: so that our hearts would be changed by being born again and given a heart of flesh—a heart obedient to God. Once God changes your heart, everything else you do changes.
Ezekiel 36:26: “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
You can pray to stop the fornication, the adultery, the lies, and whatever you do that you can’t stop… but if the heart is not changed first, you will continue to live in your sin. That is why David said in Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” David knew that whatever he did flowed from the heart. So instead of changing the fruit, he prayed to God to change the seed.
Ecclesiastes 9:3: “This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.”
Proverbs 23:7: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
When you touch the heart of a man, you touch the whole being. The deeds of a man are a result of what the heart is made of.
Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” This analogy illustrates how God may guide the heart of man, not his deeds. In moving a river, one does not need to carry each drop of water and place it where it is desired; if one can shape the banks and guide the direction of the river, the water will go where desired. So once God touches the heart, man automatically follows.
God intentionally hardened Pharaoh’s heart so he wouldn’t listen to Moses and Aaron. God just touched the heart, and as a result, Pharaoh did not heed Moses despite the many plagues. Exodus 9:12: “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.”
What you see on the outside is a result of what is inside—not the other way around. You can’t give what is not in the heart. A mango tree brings forth mango fruit; you will not find okro on it. All the sinful nature of man comes from within, and it is what comes from within that makes man unholy.
Matthew 15:18-20: “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man.”
Romans 10:10: “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” You see the order: the heart first, then the mouth. Just like Jesus said in Matthew 12:34: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
Proverbs 27:19: “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart of man reflects the man.”
Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Let our walk be in the Spirit and not in the world. Let our eyes be on things above and not here. Let our focus be on Jesus, so we can bring others to know the life, love, and peace that only He can give.
We are called by God to follow the steps of Jesus, who lived a holy life, without sin or deceit. We are not called to follow anyone else or use anyone as a standard. We are called to follow Jesus.
1 Peter 2:21: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.'”
If we are going to follow the steps of Jesus, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him daily. Deny worldly pleasures and let your focus be on Jesus alone.
Luke 9:23: “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.'”
God is holy, and everything that is of God is holy. His name is holy, His Spirit is holy, His angels are holy, His Word is holy, and His people must be holy.
1 Peter 1:15: “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”
Leviticus 20:26: “You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.”
1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
Romans 12:1: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
1 Corinthians 6:19: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”
If you are a woman, let your dressing be decent. That long skirt with a high slit that shows your thighs—set it aside. A man somewhere may see it, lust in his heart, and commit adultery.
Matthew 5:28: “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Help men get to heaven by dressing decently. Don’t help the devil populate hell. Be a holy vessel God can use.
Modest dressing is not just for church; it is for every day. Take care of your looks, yes, but don’t cross the line into inviting lust.
1 Timothy 2:9-10: “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”
1 Peter 3:2-5: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.”
Holiness should be at the center of everything we do—in dressing, in conversation, and in conduct.
Hebrews 12:14: “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Be holy in everything, so the devil has no access to you. Let your heart be pure, and your life will follow.
