In biblical theology, the heart is often seen as the center of human will, emotion, and intellect. It is the seat of moral and spiritual life, reflecting the true nature of a person. The unregenerate heart, in its natural state, is inclined towards evil and rebellion against God. This inclination is a result of the fall of humanity, as described in Genesis, where sin entered the world through Adam and Eve's disobedience.

The prophet Jeremiah provides a stark description of the unregenerate heart: "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). This verse highlights the inherent deceitfulness and corruption of the human heart apart from divine intervention. The unregenerate heart is not only deceitful but also desperately wicked, indicating a profound moral and spiritual sickness.

In the New Testament, Jesus Himself addresses the condition of the unregenerate heart. In the Gospel of Mark, He explains, "For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly" (Mark 7:21-22). This passage underscores that evil actions and thoughts originate from within, revealing the natural state of the human heart without the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on the nature of the unregenerate heart in his letter to the Romans. He writes, "Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery lie in their wake, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Romans 3:15-18). Here, Paul describes a heart that is quick to engage in violence and devoid of the fear of God, leading to a life characterized by chaos and destruction.

The unregenerate heart's love for evil is also evident in its rejection of God's truth. In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul warns, "They perish because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them" (2 Thessalonians 2:10). This refusal to embrace the truth of the Gospel is a hallmark of the unregenerate heart, which prefers darkness over light.

The Psalms provide further insight into the unregenerate heart's disposition towards evil. Psalm 36:1-2 states, "An oracle is in my heart regarding the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For his eyes are too full of conceit to detect or hate his own sin." This passage illustrates the self-deception and pride that blind the unregenerate heart to its own sinfulness.

In summary, the unregenerate heart is characterized by a love for evil, a rejection of God's truth, and a propensity for deceit and wickedness. It is only through the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit that the heart can be transformed, leading to a life that reflects the righteousness and holiness of God.Deuteronomy 29:18
Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turns away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that bears gall and wormwood;
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Psalm 95:10
Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
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Jeremiah 17:5
Thus said the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD.
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On the Free Will of Man and Its Powers
... well as the life itself of an unregenerate man ... perverseness of the affections and
of the heart, according to ... good and pleasing to God; but it loves and pursues ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 11 on the free.htm

A Penitent Heart, the Best New Year's Gift
... Christ loves to show mercy unto sinners, and if you repent ... the soul; there must be
a change in heart and life ... and the unholy nature of carnal and unregenerate men ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/a penitent heart the best.htm

Of the Nature of Regeneration, with Respect to the Change it ...
... him also that is begotten of him.1 John 5:1. He loves the Lord ... Now, as these are
sorrows that seldom do at all affect the heart of an unregenerate man, I ...
/.../doddridge/practical discourses on regeneration/discourse iii of the nature.htm

Of the Incapacity of an Unregenerate Person for Relishing the ...
... to that which he most affectionately loves, before he ... that kingdom is, from which
the unregenerate, or those ... heard, neither have entered into the heart of man ...
/.../practical discourses on regeneration/discourse v of the incapacity.htm

Holy Raiment of One's Own Weaving.
... adopted by the soul, so that the heart's evil manifestations and ... Do not many of the
unregenerate shudder at much ... entire being to love what God loves, not from ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/v holy raiment of ones.htm

Prayerless Christians
... the old juices of the carnal, unregenerate nature have ... God, a life of loyalty in
heart and intellect ... A father loves his children, supplies their needs, hears ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/the weapon of prayer/v prayerless christians.htm

Man's Inability to Keep the Moral Law
... the copy of God's law written on his heart; no sooner ... As the unregenerate cannot
keep the moral law perfectly, so ... cannot keep God's law, yet he loves his law ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/3 1 mans inability to keep.htm

It Shall not be Forgiven.
... by accepting into our intellectual creed that which our heart cannot receive ... "Not
to the unregenerate mind." But ... Jesus; and that part of us which loves him let ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/unspoken sermons/it shall not be forgiven.htm

An Appendix to the Beatitudes
... I confess they are grievous to the unregenerate man ... An heart that loves God counts
nothing tedious but its own ... God winks at infirmities where the heart is right ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/an appendix to the beatitudes.htm

Sin is Spiritual Slavery
... out after anything but the sin which he loves, yet through ... of eternal judgment,"but
you are unregenerate still ... which you love with all your heart, and strength ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/sin is spiritual slavery.htm

What are the causes and solutions for a hardened heart? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible mean when it says that we will receive a new heart? | GotQuestions.org

What is circumcision of the heart? | GotQuestions.org

Heart: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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