Topical Bible: The Heart: should be Perfect With God

◄ The Heart: should be Perfect With God ►

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In biblical theology, the heart is often seen as the center of human emotion, will, and intellect. It is the seat of moral and spiritual life, reflecting one's true character and intentions. The concept of having a heart that is "perfect with God" is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, emphasizing the importance of sincerity, integrity, and wholehearted devotion to the Lord.

Old Testament Insights

The Old Testament frequently addresses the condition of the heart in relation to God. In 1 Kings 8:61, Solomon exhorts the Israelites, "And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day." This call for a perfect heart underscores the necessity of unwavering loyalty and obedience to God's commandments.

King David, a man after God's own heart, serves as a model for this ideal. Despite his failings, David's heart was fundamentally aligned with God, as seen in his prayer in Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." David's plea for a pure heart reflects the desire for a heart that is perfect and aligned with God's will.

The prophet Asa is another example, as noted in 1 Kings 15:14, "But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless, Asa's heart was fully devoted to the LORD all his days." Asa's commitment to God, despite incomplete reforms, highlights the importance of a heart that is steadfast in its devotion.

New Testament Teachings

The New Testament continues this theme, emphasizing the internal condition of the heart over external religious observance. Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." This beatitude underscores the necessity of inner purity and sincerity in one's relationship with God.

In the epistles, the Apostle Paul echoes this sentiment. In Colossians 3:23, he instructs believers, "Whatever you do, work at it with your whole heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." This exhortation to wholehearted service reflects the call for a heart that is perfect and fully committed to God.

James 4:8 further encourages believers to "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." Here, the purification of the heart is linked to a closer relationship with God, emphasizing the need for sincerity and single-minded devotion.

Theological Implications

The biblical call for a heart that is perfect with God involves more than mere external compliance with religious duties. It requires an internal transformation that aligns one's desires, intentions, and actions with God's will. This transformation is often described as a work of the Holy Spirit, who renews and sanctifies the believer's heart.

The heart's perfection with God is not about sinless perfection but rather a sincere and undivided devotion to Him. It involves a continual process of repentance, faith, and obedience, as believers seek to align their hearts with God's purposes. This pursuit of a perfect heart is a lifelong journey, marked by growth in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Practical Application

For believers today, striving for a heart that is perfect with God involves regular self-examination, prayer, and engagement with Scripture. It requires a willingness to submit to God's refining work and a commitment to live in accordance with His commandments. By cultivating a heart that is fully devoted to God, believers can experience a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him, characterized by peace, joy, and spiritual fruitfulness.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 8:61
Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Christian Perfection
... this second work of grace is accomplished in the heart. ... God; he has designed that
his people should all be ... This certainly implies a wonderful and perfect unity ...
/.../byers/sanctification/chapter viii christian perfection.htm

A Means to Discern this Imperfect Love.
... should become so excessive, that we should seem to ... representation of future assaults,
when our heart seems to ... to fight valiantly, and a perfect confidence that ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xi a means to.htm

Excellence of this virtue.
... If we would completely rejoice the heart of God, let us ... To this end we should always
invoke the aid of our ... all, of our mother Mary, the most perfect of all the ...
/.../de liguori/uniformity with gods will/1 excellence of this virtue.htm

Of the Perfect Stripping of the Soul which is United to God's Will ...
... our affection to them nor clothe our heart again with ... when God's will was that she
should be in ... graces and heavenly favours, not because they perfect and adorn ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xvi of the perfect.htm

Christ --Perfect through Sufferings
... black with lust; let villainies infest his heart as innumerable ... or what he was, or
what he should feel, yonder ... never want your help; he is a perfect Savior to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 8 1863/christperfect through sufferings.htm

That the Union of Our Will with the Good-Pleasure of God Takes ...
... receive evil is a work of perfect love, which ... of consolations love scarcely recognizes
God's good-pleasure ... troubles the attention which the heart should pay to ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter ii that the union.htm

Letter xiv. --Explanations and Direction.
... part of your letter which rejoices my heart before God. ... Our own will should be ready
to die, to be ... of God, which is always equally loving, perfect and adorable ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter xiv explanations and direction.htm

Letter viii. --On Dryness and Distractions.
... of grace what is most sensible is least perfect and least ... an injury to the soul,
therefore you should exert all ... that you feel a real pain at heart whenever you ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter viii on dryness and distractions.htm

Letter viii. --violent Temptations.
... to produce in purifying the most secret recesses of your heart, you would ... have a
great deal to do to reach this perfect abandonment, and I should be sorry ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter viii violent temptations.htm

That the Love of God's Will Signified in the Commandments Moves us ...
... place it in the midst of thy heart there to ... highly commend chastity, poverty, obedience
and perfect resignation, the ... he who could win the prize should win it ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter vii that the love.htm