SUCH AN HEART
Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
There is no magic in wishes. Not even God can affect change in our hearts with a wish. A wish is simply a deep desire for that which is beyond our control. What kind of God would give power to grant wishes? Only human minds behind the creation and proliferation of false gods would promote a belief in wish fulfillment. There is a theme in the wishes of the Bible which goes against that of the Koran or any other religion which entertains an idea of wish-gain. There may be other wishes of reference besides those of God and Paul but using them as a baseline we find their wishes centered on the well being of others. They both wished for others to follow God’s will of their own free will.
God’s wish is also God’s will. It is God’s will that we all might have such an heart in us just as it is God’s wish. It is simply beyond God’s ability to fashion our hearts to His standards in our present state of being. We must come to a realization that such an heart is good and well for us. Not even the realization can suffice to remedy our situation. Realization is only the beginning of the process which will culminate with such an heart. There will come a time of perfect heart, soul, and spirit. For now we are hampered with carnal, stony, cold hearts. Giving Jesus Christ full reign in our lives will leave our hearts pumping inadequately to meet the wish of our soul and spirit. Though the metaphor is not entirely accurate it conveys our wish for the glorified body to come. There will come a time when God will give us hearts of flesh to replace these hearts of stone. The flesh is not a reference to corruption but of viability, pliability, and charity towards others. One of a Christian’s most fond wishes is for the promised day of change. It is a promise from God. Transformation is an incorrect word for the transfiguration which will take place. Not every Christian has reached a level of maturity which brings about this particular kind of wish. Those who have reached this maturity level are blessed with a readiness for change which will take them by anticipation rather than surprise like many others. Until that day of anticipation, surprise, or an ushering in to the presence of God by death, we must give our hearts into God’s hand to do whatever can be done. That means we must walk, talk, and live as Christ would live in us.
What of those who continue to refuse God’s gift of salvation? Is God’s wishing just as pertinent and demanding of them? God’s wish extends even to the vilest offender. God wishes no one to fall victim to the consequences of sin. Christ extends the invitation of the great gift of everlasting life to all. After all, He suffered and died for all. God did not tempt Eve and cause her to transgress, nor did He force Adam to sin when Adam put Eve first before God. Their disobedience is a disease of conception. We don’t sin to become sinners; we sin because we are sinners. If there is any blame it lies with Adam, not with God. Adam chose to disobey, even though God had given every reason and consequence of such an action. Sin continues because of Adam’s corruption of God’s creation. It is a disease which we don’t choose or necessarily want but which has consequences nonetheless. The consequence and penalty of sin is death and Hell. It was not the wish of Jesus Christ to limit the promise of Paradise to one of the crucified thieves. But, it was the wish of the one thief to remain ignorant and unbelieving. Any person who does not believe on Christ chooses out of ignorance. When a blind man falls to his death from a high bluff it is because he is ignorant of the bluff’s presence. When he falls after not heeding the warning of another it is because he does not believe the other and continues in his blind ignorance. In both cases ignorance plays a part, in the latter unbelief plays the most critical.
There is a saying in man’s court which states, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse”. Where might we have come up with such a principle? If we invoke such a clause in our own laws, why do men expect God to accept a defense of ignorance? The high bluff kills the ignorant blind and unbelieving blind just as dead. Is the fault with the bluff or the blind state of the soon-dead? But why is the man blind? He is blind because he inherited blindness from his father. Our father is Adam. We inherited sin. If there is any blame then it lies with Adam. But, why lay blame when God has made it possible for every blind man, woman, and child to be warned. He heals blind men that have believed and commands them to station themselves between the bluff of death and Hell to warn the approaching blind humanity. They are to warn the ignorant blind.
Can you blame the blind for not believing? They live in darkness and have adapted to their condition. They even find joy and happiness in their dark perception. Why not? Can’t a blind person be happy? They have never experienced a killing bluff. Oh, they have heard rumors of such a thing, but have never experienced it themselves. Perhaps a sighted man yells warning to the blind? What is the response? How would this other man know any more than the blind man? What is sight? What does the sighted man mean when he says he can see the bluff’s edge? How does a person see? The blind has never seen. Why then believe the sighted? Why not?
But first, the blind man must realize he is blind before he can believe. He must move trust from his limited perception and place it on another. He must know he is blind before he can trust to the sighted. The sighted explains the miracle of sight through Jesus Christ. Christ heals the blind and saves from the penalty of sin’s blind end. The sighted implore the blind to place their trust in Christ for sight and life. The blind must accept their blindness and believe in spite of ignorance. For such believers there is deliverance and a new sight.
Only then do we have the beginnings of such an heart. To have such an heart may be out of reach for a time, but an attitude to have such an heart is an attitude to do God’s will. May we be all in Christ to walk with God!
Would you have such an heart?
