Comments on: believe from the heart http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/ Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:18:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Glen Galaxy http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/#comment-101283 Glen Galaxy Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:26:10 +0000 http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/#comment-101283 Hearts and minds are definitely both part of the inner man, yet we are able to see clear distinctions in the New Testament (between kardia and nous). The truth is that neither our human intellect nor our emotions are up to the challenge of truly grasping or experiencing God. Kardia goes way beyond our emotions. God accepts belief from the heart because we receive him totally and completely. When David said "seek Him with a whole heart" he meant that everything in him was passionately chasing after God. It <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1corinthians 2.9-13;&version=50;"target="_blank" rel="nofollow">really</a> comes <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew 13.18-23;&version=50;"target="_blank" rel="nofollow">down</a> to <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john 3.1-12;&version=50;"target="_blank" rel="nofollow">depth</a>, doesn't it? Hearts and minds are definitely both part of the inner man, yet we are able to see clear distinctions in the New Testament (between kardia and nous). The truth is that neither our human intellect nor our emotions are up to the challenge of truly grasping or experiencing God. Kardia goes way beyond our emotions. God accepts belief from the heart because we receive him totally and completely. When David said “seek Him with a whole heart” he meant that everything in him was passionately chasing after God.

It really comes down to depth, doesn’t it?

]]> By: Irma http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/#comment-100395 Irma Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:40:51 +0000 http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/#comment-100395 Yes, I see it that way too. I am emotionally involved with God....He is the center of my life..No matter what I do or where I turn He is always there. Since the day of my first encounter with God I was never the same... His very nature took over me... I couldn't even lie any more... couldn't hate anymore, I did not have a desire for anything of the world... I had found a something so very special I couldn't risk losing Him. Even if it had cost me everything... I was not going to give Him up for any thing the world had to offer me... it wasn't pleasurable any more. All I knew is that I had found a "pearl" of a great price and was not going to lose it. Yes, I see it that way too. I am emotionally involved with God….He is the center of my life..No matter what I do or where I turn He is always there. Since the day of my first encounter with God I was never the same… His very nature took over me… I couldn’t even lie any more… couldn’t hate anymore, I did not have a desire for anything of the world… I had found a something so very special I couldn’t risk losing Him. Even if it had cost me everything… I was not going to give Him up for any thing the world had to offer me… it wasn’t pleasurable any more. All I knew is that I had found a “pearl” of a great price and was not going to lose it.

]]> By: Daniel http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/#comment-100301 Daniel Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:01:27 +0000 http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/#comment-100301 Hearts and minds are metaphors of two aspects of the same thing. You can believe based on precepts, theories, or the sense you've made about life. You can believe based on the emotional reactions of your experiences, but there is belief nonetheless. Our faith can be emotional or logical, but there is belief nonetheless. I think God desires us to have an emotional tie to Him because He desires to have an emotional tie to Him. I don't mean that to imply that belief from the "head" is inferior, but just not as rewarding. We always run the risk of the lukewarm issue Jesus that brings up when our faith wanes whether of our mind or heart. We need to be persistent, sincere, and fervent in our faith and love. Hearts and minds are metaphors of two aspects of the same thing. You can believe based on precepts, theories, or the sense you’ve made about life. You can believe based on the emotional reactions of your experiences, but there is belief nonetheless. Our faith can be emotional or logical, but there is belief nonetheless.

I think God desires us to have an emotional tie to Him because He desires to have an emotional tie to Him. I don’t mean that to imply that belief from the “head” is inferior, but just not as rewarding.

We always run the risk of the lukewarm issue Jesus that brings up when our faith wanes whether of our mind or heart. We need to be persistent, sincere, and fervent in our faith and love.

]]> By: Irma http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/#comment-100187 Irma Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:38:52 +0000 http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/#comment-100187 Believeing from the "head" is more from the mental realm and the heart is mentioned in Ezekiel 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh leb (labe) the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect there is a difference. One is believeing with no faith and the heart is with faith. Believeing from the “head” is more from the mental realm and the heart is mentioned in Ezekiel 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh
leb (labe)
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect
there is a difference. One is believeing with no faith and the heart is with faith.

]]> By: Glen Galaxy http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/#comment-100086 Glen Galaxy Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:07:56 +0000 http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/#comment-100086 Seems like religion would be the "leaven of the Pharisees" that Matthew 23 describes - and there's outright opposition to the move of God there. That kind of ignorantly fortified <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john 5.39-40;&version=50;"target="_blank" rel="nofollow">unbelief</a> definitely springs out of not believing from the heart. Is there a difference between believing from the head and believing from the heart? Seems like religion would be the “leaven of the Pharisees” that Matthew 23 describes - and there’s outright opposition to the move of God there. That kind of ignorantly fortified unbelief definitely springs out of not believing from the heart.

Is there a difference between believing from the head and believing from the heart?

]]> By: Irma http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/#comment-99323 Irma Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:26:13 +0000 http://souljunk.com/2008/07/19/believe-from-the-heart/#comment-99323 Is that what "religion" is all about.... ? Is that what “religion” is all about…. ?

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