Jeramiah 17:19
The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?
Ephesians 4:18
Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart.
Matthew 15:8
The people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Ezekiel 36:26
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put in you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh
Proverbs 28:14
Happy is the man that feareth always, but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
Hebrew 3:8
Harden not your heart as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness
Proverbs 4:23
Keep (guard) your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life-Our hearts the inner spiritual, moral character, therefore we must protect/guard it.
Some characteristics of a hard heart.
- Unfeeling, unmoved by spiritual matters
- Arrogance/Pride- Pharaoh/Nebuchadnezzar.
- Alienation from God Rebellion and give in to the desires of a wicked heart
- Stubborn-stiff neck
- Unforgiveness-unresolved sin-allowing unconfessed sin to remain in our lives
- Sin can deceived and harden our hearts
- Superficial worship-going through the motions
- Outward religious performance but no genuine inner devotion.
- A heart rooted in sin & deceit
- Lack of empathy for fellow human being
- Resisting the truth of God’s word- feeling the pull of God’s calling on life but stubbornly resisting a choosing own way.
- Our hearts become hard when we supress the truth of Gods word
- Living life ‘my way’ independent of God
- Preoccupied with the things of this world but pay no attention to the things of God.
- Deliberately closing one’s eyes & ears to spiritual truth.
- Justifying our own sinful conduct
SOFT HEART
David was a man after Gods own heart- 15T Samuel 13:14
- A soft heart is spiritually sensitive & receptive to God’s word, guidance and leading by the Holy Spirit.
- A soft heart is a transformed heart-living according to the spirit and not the flesh. A soft heart yields to the holy spirit allowing him to lead, guide and transforms our lives
- A soft heart loves people
- A soft heart obeys God’s word
- A soft heart has an internal desire to do things God’s way
- A soft hard is compassionate, shows empathy, shows grace & mercy
- A soft heart is kind and tender-hearted to their fellow man
- A soft heart agrees and accepts with what says about us in the scriptures-no we are not good people-starting point
- A soft heart is marked by humility- quick to repent and willing to acknowledge our failures-willing to say sorry.
- A soft heart is loving and forgiving because these are the keys of life.
- A soft heart stays focus on spiritual things pertaining to the word of God
- A soft heart trust in God’s goodness and God’s plan for their lives