Topical Bible: Character of the Renewed Heart: Tender

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The concept of a tender heart is a significant theme throughout the Bible, reflecting the transformative work of God in the life of a believer. A tender heart is one that is sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, responsive to God's Word, and compassionate towards others. This characteristic is a hallmark of the renewed heart, a heart that has been regenerated and sanctified by the grace of God.

Biblical Foundation

The Bible frequently contrasts the tender heart with the hardened heart. A tender heart is open and receptive to God's instruction, while a hardened heart is resistant and rebellious. In Ezekiel 36:26, God promises, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." This passage highlights the divine initiative in transforming a person's heart from one that is unyielding to one that is tender and responsive.

Attributes of a Tender Heart

1. Sensitivity to God's Word: A tender heart is characterized by a deep reverence for Scripture and a willingness to be corrected and guided by it. In Isaiah 66:2, God declares, "But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word." This verse underscores the importance of approaching God's Word with humility and a readiness to obey.

2. Compassion and Mercy: A tender heart is marked by compassion and a desire to extend mercy to others. Colossians 3:12 exhorts believers, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." This passage calls Christians to embody the tender-heartedness that reflects God's own character.

3. Repentance and Contrition: A tender heart is quick to repent and seek forgiveness when it sins. Psalm 51:17 states, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." This verse highlights the value God places on a heart that is genuinely remorseful and eager to be reconciled with Him.

4. Empathy and Understanding: A tender heart is empathetic, seeking to understand and share in the experiences of others. Romans 12:15 encourages believers to "Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep." This command reflects the empathetic nature of a tender heart, which is attuned to the joys and sorrows of others.

Examples in Scripture

Several biblical figures exemplify the tender heart. King David, despite his failings, is often noted for his tender heart towards God. His psalms frequently express a deep longing for God's presence and a sincere repentance for his sins. In 1 Samuel 24:5, David's heart is described as being "stricken" after he cut off a corner of Saul's robe, demonstrating his sensitivity to God's anointed.

Another example is the Apostle Paul, whose letters reveal a heart tender towards the churches he ministered to. In Philippians 1:8, he writes, "God is my witness how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus." Paul's deep love and concern for the spiritual well-being of others is a testament to his tender heart.

Cultivating a Tender Heart

The development of a tender heart is a work of the Holy Spirit, yet believers are called to actively participate in this process. Prayer, meditation on Scripture, and fellowship with other believers are vital practices that nurture a tender heart. Hebrews 3:13 advises, "But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness." Regular encouragement and accountability within the body of Christ help maintain the tenderness of heart that God desires.

In summary, the tender heart is a reflection of God's transformative work in the believer, characterized by sensitivity to His Word, compassion for others, and a readiness to repent. It is a heart that mirrors the love and mercy of Christ, serving as a testament to the renewing power of the Holy Spirit.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 24:5
And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 22:19
Because your heart was tender, and you have humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard what I spoke against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and have rent your clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard you, said the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Prayer Born of Compassion
... compassion, the kind born in a renewed heart, which is ... striking attributes of the
Divine character: "The Lord ... concerned over them, and his heart was strangely ...
/.../bounds/the essentials of prayer/x prayer born of compassion.htm

"The Tender Mercy of Our God"
... purity separate from sinners as to his character, yet he ... Secondly, he shows his tender
mercy in that HE VISITS US ... to the heart, and in the renewed heart to the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/the tender mercy of our.htm

The Character of the Persons for whom this Rest is Designed.
... sufficiency of Christ; their will is renewed; they engage ... As an essential part of
the character of God's ... We should never have felt Christ's tender heart, if we ...
/.../baxter/the saints everlasting rest/chapter iv the character of.htm

Life and Character of John
... extreme old age, when his youth was renewed like the ... Does not the character of John
belong to this ... accumulated till the moment when the heart overflowed, and ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 41 life and character.htm

A Faithful Witness
... Him in the conversation, in the tender, pitiful spirit ... first loved us." In the heart
renewed by divine ... It modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 54 a faithful witness.htm

Love's Logic
... Love to God is as natural to the renewed heart as love to its ... to the guilty, his
holy, just, and righteous character are not ... I will not vex so tender a heart. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/loves logic.htm

Letter xviii. Marriage.
... can be formed between the carnal and the renewed heart. ... be a dark mark against any
one's Christian character. ... if they were fostered in the heart in childhood ...
/.../a practical directory for young christian females/letter xviii marriage.htm

Letter iii. True Religion a Work of Grace in the Heart; but it ...
... planting well represents the fixed state of the renewed soul, as ... It is preeminently
lovely in the female character. ... The latter is the disposition of the heart. ...
/.../letter iii true religion a.htm

Christian Sympathy
... sympathy should ever be of the widest character, because he ... grace into the crystal
pool of a renewed heart it stirs ... Lord"a heart, a heart, a heart, a tender ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 8 1863/christian sympathy.htm

A More Particular view of the Several Branches of the Christian ...
... branches of the Christian temper and character, I shall ... before God, and must occasion
renewed resolution for ... as the Gospel prevails in your heart, "your spirit ...
/.../the rise and progress of religion in the soul/chapter xiv a more particular.htm