Introduction
- The heart
- how to treat it
- why.
The keeping of the soul/heart. Only Bible teaches us this properly.
THE HEART
- What:
- special part: "hidden man" (outward/inward)
- soul = spirit (TWO not THREE)
- called 'heart'. Far more important than body. The very SELF: "I".
OBSERVE: To value soul: "gain the whole world."
APPLICATION: Only Christ enables us to see its importance.
- The heart needs attention - must not be neglected:
Its faculties:- mind
- will
- affections
- conscience
- memory
OBSERVE: Of course, we need to keep our body too as we keep our soul/heart. Because ear/eye are the gates through which temptation and evil may come.
APPLICATION: SOUL = the most valuable treasure you have.
HOW TO TREAT OUR OWN HEART:
"Keep" = Guard/Watch, Lock and Key.
- "Keep" = look very carefully to it.
ILLUSTRATION: body, hair, face, weight; medicine, diet, etc.
So the soul to be attended to. But how?
- The manner of this keeping:
- MIND: Intelligence Officer. Our thoughts very important - "As a man thinketh". "Carnal mind/spiritually-minded".
- WILL: The Door-Keeper of the soul: What he lets in or not.
ILLUSTRATION: RAF Base - SENTRY. - AFFECTIONS: What we allow ourselves to love/hate. This affects character. "Set your affections..."
- CONSCIENCE: Policeman of the soul. "Void of offence".
- MEMORY: Librarian of the soul. Store it well.
ILLUSTRATION: a garden: "God's acre": weeds - feed - water - watch - fence.
APPLICATION: "with all diligence": DAILY/HOURLY
THE REASON FOR THIS
- "the issues of life"
(World - issues of death = where death will find us.)
The rest of our life from now to death will be profoundly influenced by how we keep our soul.
- In more detail:
- happy life or sad?
We need to be careful how we put this: We may have outward happiness but God's love will give us joy? But if we do not keep our soul and heart we shall have sorrow. - blessed or not so blessed?
Certainly: "As we sow, we reap."
The thing we mean is: much grace in our soul/much joy in our heart/much wisdom too. - serviceable to God or not?
"man's chief end", i.e. shall you and I have brought glory to God or not?
Q. Is not this your greatest desire?
Q. Do you not wish to be commended in the end: "This man...kept his soul".
OBSERVE: The way to keep our soul will affect all our life and even our eternity (reward).
APPLICATION: "lay up - treasure - in heaven".
APPLICATION:
Illustration:
"OUTREACH" - yes, but "INREACH".
- Outward usefulness begins with inward care for our own heart. Don't neglect it!
- God is sovereign but we can only blame ourselves in the end if we have neglected our soul: "How have I hated..." (Proverbs 5:12)
FOR:
"Herein is my Father glorified...much fruit".