It's a Matter of the Heart

In my previous article, Fred Smith left the following comment:

Is there a better way to save a selfish world than to show the world how to love? Yes, Bud there is. The problem isn't that people don't know how--they don't want to! Many (Moses, Buddha, etc.) have taught about love, and have lived it for centuries. We need, not just another demonstration of love--we need new hearts. This is where Jesus Christ comes in. He taught--and lived--a life of love--but he also made it possible for us to love, by dying for us. This makes it possible for God to give us new hearts. We are like cars that don't run--we don't need new paint, we need a new engine. We don't need to learn how to love, we need an inner change so we will want to love and be able to. This is what Jesus Christ offers. Few take Him up on the offer for as Jesus said "few there are that find it." So, the best way to save a selfish world is to point them to the one who can give the a new heart of love--Jesus Christ, the only hope we have.

I love comments like this. They are passionate and bring up excellent points for discussion.

Part 1 Is there a better way to save a selfish world than to show the world how to love? Yes, Bud there is. The problem isn't that people don't know how--they don't want to!

The belief that people who are not "saved" don't want to love is a common teaching in some of the more conservative denominations of the Christian church. My experience indicates that this is not true. There are people who have been knocked around so hard by life that the desire to love is gone. However, this is not the "norm." I have known many non-Christians who are very good a loving those around them. I mean through action not just lip-service. I believe that if Fred really thinks about it, he can remember someone in his life that made him think, how do they do that without Christ? I used to believe this over-generalized teaching, but, after asking about how non-Christians can be so loving; God showed me that it is not a lack of desire to love that is the problem. It is the ability to love. We are born inherently selfish. It takes a lifetime to learn how to get past our selfishness and genuinely learn to love. Without the desire to love genuinely, we probably would not seek help in the first place.

There are scriptures that go along with this line of thought, Romans 2:14-15

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

Remember the law and the prophets are hinged upon the two greatest commandments: Love God with all your mind, all your soul and all your heart, this is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like, love your neighbor as yourself (paraphrase Matthew 23:37-40). Taking these scriptures into consideration, it is very possible for anyone to want to love.

Part 2 Many (Moses, Buddha, etc.) have taught about love, and have lived it for centuries. <--True, no problems with this statement.

We need, not just another demonstration of love<--Whoa, wait a minute, Yeshua's life and death was the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen. His life and ministry were not just another demonstration of love.

Part 3 --we need a new heart. This is where Jesus Christ comes in. He taught--and lived--a life of love--but he also made it possible for us to love, by dying for us. This makes it possible for God to give us new hearts. We are like cars that don't run--we don't need new paint, we need a new engine. We don't need to learn how to love, we need an inner change so we will want to love and be able to. This is what Jesus Christ offers. Few take Him up on the offer for as Jesus said "few there are that find it." So, the best way to save a selfish world is to point them to the one who can give the a new heart of love--Jesus Christ, the only hope we have.

At this point, I must be clear about what is meant by "heart." The best explanation for this that I have come across is in the Ryrie Study Bible, The Doctrine of Man section, part III. The Immaterial Part of Man (Soul and Spirit):

D.3. Heart. Heart is the largest concept of all the facets of man's immaterial nature. It is the seat of intellectual, emotional, volitional, and spiritual life of man (Heb 4:12; Matt.22:37; Heb. 4:7).

Fred's comment may lead someone to believe that you get a new heart the second you choose to believe in Christ. The definition of "heart" above indicates that the heart is much too large a part of who someone is to completely replace instantly. God does not force himself on anyone and our freewill is far too important. Based on my own experience, the change of heart is much more process than event. When I began my relationship with Christ, there was an instant change in my spirit. I experienced peace I had never known before. However, the intellectual, emotional, and volitional parts of my heart still needed a lot of work (still do). It was many, many years later that my heart had changed enough to where I could genuinely show any fruit of these changes. I believe there are many scriptures that are inline with my experience (Romans 12:2-3). The change of heart that is offered by Christ is not limited to a single event. The "new engine" is continually overhauled for a lifetime.

We do need to learn how to love, to get past our mistakes and the mistakes of others, to learn from these events. It is my belief that Yeshua is the only hope we have for doing this. Unfortunately, there are still far too many of us who like selfishness more than love to pursue a relationship with Messiah.

Fred, thank you so much for your wonderful comment. It really threw open the doors for discussion!