Bible Study by Glen Dawursk, Jr.www.yuthguy.com

““The Heart of A The Heart of A Christian”Christian”

The Heart of a ChristianThe Heart of a Christian

When God created us, He created us with one purpose; He desired a relationship with us.

Sin Ruined Our Relationship But God’s

heart became broken when sin ruined that relationship.

““The LORD saw how great man's The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth-men created, from the face of the earth-men and animals, and creatures that move and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air-for along the ground, and birds of the air-for I am grieved that I have made them." But I am grieved that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”LORD.”

Genesis 6:5-8Genesis 6:5-8

God was hurting and had decided God was hurting and had decided to start over, yet because of the to start over, yet because of the righteous righteous heartheart of just one man of just one man and his family, God changed His and his family, God changed His

mind.mind.

““The LORD smelled the The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, the ground because of man, even though every inclination even though every inclination of his heart is evil from of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again childhood. And never again will I destroy all living will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”creatures, as I have done.”

Genesis 8:21Genesis 8:21

The Children of The Children of Israel were Israel were allowed by God to allowed by God to become slaves in become slaves in Egypt because Egypt because their heart had not their heart had not remained remained committedcommitted to a to a relationship with relationship with God.God.

Exodus 7:13Exodus 7:13

““Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not

listen to them, just as the LORD had saidlisten to them, just as the LORD had said.”.”

The only sin that is NOT forgiven by The only sin that is NOT forgiven by God when we die is the “hardening” God when we die is the “hardening” of our heart toward God; the of our heart toward God; the rejectionrejection of His love of His love relationship with us.relationship with us.

The Unforgivable Sin

Like a love letter, He Like a love letter, He wrote on the hearts of wrote on the hearts of His people His desires His people His desires and His wants. We call and His wants. We call this our “this our “conscienceconscience.”.”

““Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending now accusing, now even defending them.”them.”

Romans 2:14-15

Ignored His LettersIgnored His Letters But just like many

people do today, the Children of Israel suppressed their conscience many times throughout the Old Testament.

““The Spirit clearly says that in later times The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.”been seared as with a hot iron.” “To the pure, all things are pure, but to To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.”consciences are corrupted.”

1 Timothy 4:1-2

Titus 1:15

The Israelites couldn’t The Israelites couldn’t keep their keep their commitment to God. commitment to God. But God still But God still wantedwanted a a relationship with His relationship with His people. He wanted people. He wanted them for His own.them for His own.

““These are the commands, decrees and laws the These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to LORD your God directed me to teach you to

observe… so that you, your children and their observe… so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as children after them may fear the LORD your God as

long as you live by keeping all his decrees and long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy

long life… Love the LORD your God with all your long life… Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your

strength. These commandments that I give you today strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your

children. Talk about them when you sit at home and children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down when you walk along the road, when you lie down

and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them

on the doorframes of your houses and on your on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”gates.”

Deuteronomy 6:1-9Deuteronomy 6:1-9

This relationship was based upon an expectation that we had to This relationship was based upon an expectation that we had to follow God’s commandments to gain His favor.follow God’s commandments to gain His favor.

We had to be not just good – We had to be not just good – He wanted us to be He wanted us to be perfectperfect. . He wanted our hearts He wanted our hearts to be pure again. to be pure again. This was the This was the OldOld Covenant. Covenant.

““But be very careful to But be very careful to keep the commandment keep the commandment and the law that Moses and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve fast to him and to serve him with all your heart him with all your heart and all your soul."and all your soul." Joshua 22:5Joshua 22:5

His WorkHis Work

God renewed our

relationship – we could

NOT do it on our own.

The Curtain & Our Hearts

Holy of Holies High Priests prayed on the behalf of

the people Surrounded by a one foot thick

curtain. The priest had to be “clean” God expected perfection. “It is finished” No longer a “requirement”.

““How much more, then, will How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that consciences from acts that lead to death or from useless lead to death or from useless ritual so that we may serve ritual so that we may serve the living God!”the living God!”

Hebrews 9:14Hebrews 9:14

Why Follow Why Follow the Rules?the Rules?

But if the rules But if the rules are no longer a are no longer a requirement for requirement for us to have a us to have a relationship relationship with God – then with God – then why follow why follow them?them?

““Heart of a Christian”Heart of a Christian”

It is all about our response to what God has done for us.

We are to be “madly in love” and desire to praise & serve Him

It starts with “It starts with “respectrespect for God.” for God.”

This is the head knowledge we This is the head knowledge we learn in catechism classes. We learn in catechism classes. We believe the creeds, we trust the believe the creeds, we trust the scriptures and we desire to be scriptures and we desire to be different.different.

“Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.”

Deuteronomy 4:39

“Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied:

"'Love the Lord your God "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your soul and with all your mind.‘with all your mind.‘

This is the first and

greatest commandment.

Matthew 22:34-40

And the second is like it:

'Love your neighbor 'Love your neighbor as yourself.‘as yourself.‘

All the Law and the Prophets hang on

these two commandments.”

We are to be “We are to be “humbledhumbled” and ” and repentant repentant We seek His forgiveness through the We seek His forgiveness through the perfect life, death and resurrection perfect life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.of Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 4:29“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul.“heart and with all your soul.“

2 Chronicles 34:27“Because your heart was responsive and you Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD .”you, declares the LORD .”

Psalm 149:4“For the LORD takes delight in his people; he “For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.”crowns the humble with salvation.”

Change to a life of ”Change to a life of ”integrityintegrity”” As a response to what He has done. As a response to what He has done.

Just like King Josiah purified the life of Just like King Josiah purified the life of himself and his people.himself and his people.

““Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the LORD . Neither before nor temple of the LORD . Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did-with all his turned to the LORD as he did-with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.” Moses.”

2 Kings 23 24-252 Kings 23 24-25

““So I strive always to keep my So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God conscience clear before God and man.” and man.”

““Only be careful, and watch Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as slip from your heart as long as you live.”you live.”

Acts 24:16Acts 24:16

Deuteronomy 4:9Deuteronomy 4:9

We must have “We must have “perseveranceperseverance.”.”

We maintain our conviction to God’s We maintain our conviction to God’s renewed relationship with us no matter renewed relationship with us no matter the temptation or hardship. the temptation or hardship.

““Love does not delight in evil but rejoices Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

““Blessed is the man who perseveres under Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”has promised to those who love him.”

1 Corinthians 13:6-71 Corinthians 13:6-7

James 1:2James 1:2

The Heart of a Christian has the Qualities of Jesus

Respect Respect Humble Humble Integrity Integrity PerseverancePerseverance

One HeartOne Heart

The Heart of a Christian is having Jesus Christ living, beating, and circulating His life blood in the lives of His people.

Jesus is the Jesus is the Heart of a Christian.Heart of a Christian.

Bible Study by Glen Dawursk, Jr.www.yuthguy.com

““The Heart of A The Heart of A Christian”Christian”