How can we ensure our hearts produce "good treasure" as in Matthew 12:35? Opening the Passage “ “The good man brings good things out of his good treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil treasure.” ” (Matthew 12:35) Understanding “Good Treasure” • Treasure is what the heart stores and values. • Jesus divides humanity into “good” and “evil” based on the heart’s contents. • Words and deeds reveal the quality of that inner treasury (see Luke 6:45). The Heart—Source of Our Words and Actions • Proverbs 4:23: “Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” • What nourishes the heart will inevitably overflow into speech, choices, and influence. Steps to Cultivate Good Treasure 1. Receive a New Heart in Christ • Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17—salvation replaces a stony heart with a living one. • Without regeneration, no lasting good treasure can form. 2. Saturate Your Heart with Scripture • Psalm 119:11—“I have hidden Your word in my heart…” • Daily reading, memorization, and meditation supply the raw material of good treasure. • Joshua 1:8 and Colossians 3:16 promise prosperity and wisdom to Scripture-filled hearts. 3. Guard What Enters • Philippians 4:8: choose whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable. • Limit media and relationships that stir covetousness, impurity, or cynicism (2 Timothy 2:22). 4. Nurture Continual Fellowship with God • 1 Thessalonians 5:17—“pray without ceasing.” • Conversational prayer keeps the heart soft, receptive, and aligned with God’s purposes. 5. Keep Short Accounts through Confession • 1 John 1:9: confess sins quickly; cleansing prevents poison from settling in the treasury. 6. Fill Your Mouth with Blessing • Ephesians 4:29—speak only what builds up. • Deliberate, encouraging speech reinforces the heart’s storehouse of goodness. 7. Commit to Obedient Action • James 1:22—be doers, not hearers only. • Obedience engrains truth into character, turning belief into practiced treasure. 8. Partner with the Body of Christ • Hebrews 10:24-25—mutual exhortation stirs love and good works. • Fellowship shields the heart from isolation and drift. 9. Serve Others in Love • Galatians 5:13-14—freedom expresses itself through service, fulfilling the law of love. • Service exercises the heart’s muscles, enlarging its capacity for good. 10. Fix Your Eyes on Eternity • Colossians 3:1-2—set your mind on things above. • An eternal perspective loosens the grip of earthly treasures and heightens zeal for spiritual riches. Producing the Fruit of the Spirit • Galatians 5:22-23 lists love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—evidence that the Spirit governs the heart’s vault. • Regularly ask whether these qualities are increasing; they signal a treasury stocked by God Himself. Measuring the Treasure • Observe patterns of speech—do edifying, truthful, gracious words flow naturally? • Note reactions under pressure—does the heart default to faith, hope, and love? • Track priorities—does time, money, and energy reveal a Christ-centered value system? Persistent attention to these practices, empowered by the Holy Spirit, keeps the heart stocked with good treasure, ensuring that what pours out honors the Lord and blesses others. |
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