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DO YOU KNOW JESUS WITH YOUR MIND OR WITH YOUR HEART?

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DO YOU KNOW JESUS WITH YOUR MIND OR WITH YOUR HEART?

The first thing I have to say about this blog is that it is not about the vital organ that pumps blood through our bodies nor does it refer to romantic, philosophical, or literary definitions.

I must ask, who is this Jesus to you? When you hear the name Jesus, what does it mean to you? With today’s technology, almost everyone has heard His name. Sadly, it may have been used in vain.

Would you say you know Jesus in your mind or in your heart? Many people look towards God with a self-salvation through good works and moral behavior. If they were honest, they are miserable most of the time. They are never sure they are good enough or compare themselves to other people. I would have to say that they know Jesus with their mind. They need a transformation by the renewing of the mind.

Look at what the following verse says: Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding (mind). In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.

Have you ever thought about how much information you put into your brain (mind) each day? Some of it stays and some of it goes away. Some of what stays, we will apply to our heart. It can easily become a god and become very real to you. Whatever that something or someone is can take over our mind, emotions, and affections. A person needs to be aware of what the heart stays fixed upon.

“Jonathan Edwards from his sermon Divine and Supernatural Light has a great illustration to make this point using honey. He says, “your mind can know honey is sweet, people can tell you it’s sweet, you’ve read books about it, etc. but if you haven’t actually tasted it, you know with your head, but not with your heart. When you actually taste it, you experience it for yourself, you know it in a full way, and you can know it in your heart.”

God has given us His Word, the Bible, so that we can learn what we should or must do in order to receive His blessings. The following verse is another reference to the word “heart.”

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” – Psalm 139:23-24.

The human heart is mentioned about 300 times in the Bible. We need to understand that the heart is the spiritual part of us where our emotions and desires dwell. Because of the fall of Adam and Eve, every human being is born into sin. Our heart is naturally evil and deceitful above all things, who can understand it? As stated in Jeremiah 17:9. Although we may not understand, God does and He knows our every thoughts.

In order for you understand your heart, you must learn what God teaches in His Word. It is not enough just to hear teachings on the subject. The Bible teaches us that we must feed on the scriptures so they speak to us through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Then you must exercise your faith and believe for it to grow strong. Your faith will become stronger the more you feed it regarding any subject.

In order for you to receive the gift of salvation from God, your heart must be changed. This only happens by the power of God in response to faith. Romans 10:10 (NIV). 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and in Psalm 51:10 (NIV). 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God. Salvation is by the grace of God.

I can say through my own experiences that God will test your heart in order to keep you on course. He will fill you with new ideas, new desires, new wisdom, and new hope if you follow Him with your heart and not with your mind. As you continue in your new life, God places a high importance on keeping our hearts pure. Everyone must work at keeping their heart from evil. I must say that God’s way is the best way. Love to all.

Do You Understand The Covenants?

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Do You Understand The Covenants?

There are two covenants in the Bible, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. What is important is that you understand that the Old Testament is not exactly the same as the Old Covenant. The same is true in that the New Testament is not exactly the same as the New Covenant.

In the Old Testament it is recorded that the Old Covenant was an agreement between God and the people of Israel. In the New Testament it is recorded that the New Covenant is an agreement between God and Jesus Christ.  This means that in order for you and me to have salvation, we must be united with Jesus Christ. As the Book of Ephesians says many times: “all those who are in Christ have salvation.”

Hebrews 8:13 NKJ 13 In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The New Testament reveals and explains the New Covenant very well. The New Covenant did not begin until after the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. The New Covenant was not sealed until the precious blood of Jesus Christ was shed and He paid the price for the remission of sins for all who confess and believe in Him. Jesus said that the New Covenant involved His blood being shed on the Cross of Calvary.

MATTHEW 26:28 NKJ 28 “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

HEBREWS 9:14-17 NASB 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.

You may ask why this is so important.  Because the Bible says that we need to rightly divide the Word of God. 2 Timothy 2:15 NIV 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

How can you have a clear understanding of the New Covenant and what the New Covenant is about if it is confusing to you? One of the main problems is that many teach different things regarding what is in good standing with God. One of the trends today is to preach and teach a feel good way of life. In these types of messages, the message of Jesus Christ is seldom emphasized. I must ask why the core of our salvation is taken away from the truth.

I believe that one of the best explanations of the New Covenant is found in the Book of Ephesians. The phrase “in Christ” is found 28 times. You must ask, why the Apostle Paul brought this to our attention so many times. A person must realize that Jesus is the Truth.

Let us look in Matthew 19:16 the rich young ruler asked Jesus what to do so he could have eternal life. Jesus’ answer in Matthew 19:17 to “keep the commandments” is much different than the answer in Acts 16:31 which says simply to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” or 1 John 5:13 which says those who believe in the Son of God may know they have eternal life. In Matthew Jesus is speaking under the Old Covenant. In Acts and 1 John Jesus is speaking under the New Covenant. Although we must not ignore what Jesus said under the Old Covenant, we must realize that we live under Grace and not under the Law.

Under the Old Covenant, keeping the commandments was required as the way to have good standing with God. Under the New Covenant, good standing with God is a gift which comes with believing in Jesus Christ  (Romans 5:17-18, 2 Corinthians 5:21).

In Hebrews 8:6 it says that the New Covenant was established on better promises through Jesus. ROMANS 6:23 NKJ 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If a person is not careful, they can misunderstand the true message of Jesus Christ. We need to realize that there was a dramatic change due to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His teaching changed between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

After Jesus ascended into Heaven, He continued to speak to us through His apostles by the leadership of the Holy Spirit, mainly by the recordings of the letters to the church, Romans through Revelation in the New Testament. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are about the life of Jesus. Acts is the history of the beginning of the Church.

The truth of understanding only comes through the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit only comes to those who have confessed their sins and received and believed in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior according to John 3:3 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Don’t be misled by thinking that Jesus is done speaking. If that were so then there would be no need for the Holy Spirit who speaks to those who have come to know Jesus as their Savior. What a promise God has given to them who know Jesus as their Savior in Hebrews 10:16-17 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Praise the Lord for the New Covenant. Love to all.