Are Your Head and Your Heart in Tune?
Posted on August 7, 2020 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters
Romans 7: 24,25 “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”
The dilemma: my mind tells me one thing and my heart another. Which do I follow?
Here are three fictitious scenarios to illustrate:
- I have a dear friend who, in a fit of rage, murdered a co-worker. He is clearly guilty and deserves the maximum punishment, but I would like him to get off as easily as possible. While I know a serious judgment is just and what my desire is for him do not match.
- A ministry associate clearly was discovered stealing large sums from the church treasury. Do I want to extend him grace and another opportunity or should he be released from his position? He’s a great associate and the people love him. The Bible teaches forgiveness. If I release him I may ruin his future ministry if other ministries know why he was terminated. My heart tells me to be as easy as possible but my conscience tells me that he can no longer minister effectively, at least here. Regardless of the decision I make, I will be criticized. What do I do?
- I, personally, am guilty of a disgusting sin, whatever that might be. I want grace and forgiveness. I argue with God about how well I serve Him and He should extend grace to But the scripture demands consequences, penalty for sin, justice for all, even me, His servant.
The responses to those events reveal a good deal about my commitment to God’s Word.
The best plan is to not sin at all. Moses taught the Israelites that they must follow through on their promises to God, if not, their sin would find them out and they would be punished more severely. So, what makes the sin even worse is to conceal it and lie about it. Better to confess sooner than later!
These scenarios talk about my friends and myself. How do I feel about the same scenarios if there are total strangers involved? Quite honestly, I feel they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. Common sense says that until we really begin to penalize people for their criminalities and the punishment is just a “slap on the wrist”, the more inclined they are to continue their corrupt behavior.
“The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9). And we are to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds”. (Rom. 12:2) Quite honestly, in many cases my mind and heart are at odds. If the apostle Paul can admit it, so can I. How about you?
Written By Neil Fichthorn: Rev. Neil Fichthorn is a seasoned conference and camping servant having served at Gull Lake Bible Conference, Sandy Cove Ministries as President, and an interim Executive Director at Pinebrook Bible Conference. He also served in church music for decades as a choir director and arranger. He has been Bill Welte’s mentor and friend for over 45 years.
Think About This: “Lower your expectations of earth. This isn’t heaven, so don’t expect it to be.” – Max Lucado
The Daily Bible Reading: Jeremiah 37-40| You can download our 2020 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. -1 Peter 2:9-10
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.