The concept of the heart in biblical literature often extends beyond the physical organ to encompass the center of human emotion, thought, and will. In its unregenerate state, the heart is frequently described as deceitful and corrupt, a theme that underscores the need for divine intervention and transformation.

Deceitfulness of the Heart

The prophet Jeremiah provides a poignant 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 inscrutability of the human heart, suggesting that it is prone to self-deception and moral corruption. The rhetorical question "Who can understand it?" implies that the true nature of the heart is beyond human comprehension, necessitating divine insight and revelation.

Moral Corruption

The deceitfulness of the unregenerate heart is often linked to moral corruption and sinfulness. In the book of Genesis, the pre-flood world is described as being filled with wickedness, with every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart being "only evil all the time" (Genesis 6:5). This depiction underscores the pervasive nature of sin and the heart's propensity to lead individuals away from righteousness.

Spiritual Blindness

The unregenerate heart is also associated with spiritual blindness and a lack of understanding. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul speaks of those whose minds have been blinded by the god of this age, preventing them from seeing the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). This spiritual blindness is rooted in the deceitfulness of the heart, which obscures the truth and leads individuals into error.

Need for Regeneration

The deceitful nature of the unregenerate heart underscores the necessity of spiritual regeneration. In the book of Ezekiel, God promises to give His people a new heart and put a new spirit within them, removing their heart of stone and giving them a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). This transformation is essential for overcoming the deceitfulness and corruption inherent in the unregenerate heart.

Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in transforming the deceitful heart. In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of the Spirit of truth who will guide believers into all truth (John 16:13). The indwelling of the Holy Spirit enables individuals to discern truth from deception and to cultivate a heart that is aligned with God's will.

Call to Guard the Heart

Believers are admonished to guard their hearts diligently, recognizing the potential for deceit and corruption. Proverbs 4:23 advises, "Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life" . This exhortation reflects the understanding that the heart is the wellspring of one's actions and character, and thus requires vigilant protection and nurturing through prayer, scripture, and obedience to God.

Conclusion

The biblical portrayal of the unregenerate heart as deceitful serves as a sobering reminder of humanity's fallen nature and the need for divine grace and transformation. Through the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, believers are empowered to overcome the deceitfulness of the heart and to live in accordance with God's truth and righteousness.Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Nave's Topical Index

The Deceitfulness of the Human Heart
... And if it be so difficult to know the heart of a good man, who can know the heart
of a wicked one, which is far more deceitful? No unregenerate man, however ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 123 the deceitfulness of.htm

Of the Character of the Unregenerate.
... their hearers, in the ruins of their deceitful-building. ... iv.7. A heart, thus alienated
from God, was never ... reason to consider itself as in an unregenerate state ...
/.../doddridge/practical discourses on regeneration/discourse i of the character.htm

Moral Depravity.
... 1. In those passages that represent all the unregenerate as possessing one ... that they
go to the dead.""Ecclesiastes 9:3. "The heart is deceitful above all ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxii moral depravity.htm

Sown among Thorns
... States, or the Queen of England, it would be true of you that you were born in sin
and shapen in iniquity, and your unregenerate heart is deceitful above all ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 34 1888/sown among thorns.htm

Be not Deceived; God is not Mocked.
... the truth of the Scripture: "The heart is deceitful above all ... blasphemy, pride,
foolishness." That is Christ's own statement regarding the unregenerate heart. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/moody/sowing and reaping/chapter ii be not deceived.htm

Rejection of Errors
... free will, contrary to the declaration of the prophet: "The heart is deceitful above
all ... PARAGRAPH 4. Who teach: That the unregenerate man is not really nor ...
//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/synod of dort/rejection of errors 3.htm

The Thesis to be Proved
... this passage also as applicable solely to the unregenerate. ... of the law written in
his heart, whose thoughts ... is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and he ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/i the thesis to be.htm

Concerning the Condition of Man in the Fall.
... That which is deceitful above all things, and desperately ... of God, especially as it
is written in the heart. ... carnal, but as he stands in the fall unregenerate? ...
/.../proposition iv concerning the condition.htm

Whitefield -- the Method of Grace
... is to give them over to blind, unregenerate, carnal, lukewarm ... have it so; our hearts
are exceedingly deceitful and desperately ... to be a work of the heart, a work ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/whitefield the method of.htm

Some General Uses from this Useful Truth, that Christ is the Truth ...
... hope for more freedom from errors and deceitful lies, than ... 1. That there are many
more unregenerate persons that ... at by Satan, or questioned by the false heart. ...
/.../brown/christ the way the truth and the life/chapter xii some general uses.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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