30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 16 14-17 The cross and the kingdom of God 06 God knows our hearts
📖 Luke 16:14-17
09Apr2020 - *God knows our hearts* - _Luke 16:14-17_ - Bible reading: _Jeremiah 17:9-10_
_Luke 16:15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but *God knows your hearts*. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God._
The message of the cross is about the matters of the heart. The work of His kingdom begins with the cleansing of our hearts and this cleansing happens at the cross. We cannot clean up our heart and the motives of our hearts. It is at the cross that Jesus cleanses us.
Like the Pharisses, we can become outwardly in our walk with God and keep ignoring the issues of the heart, even if the Holy Spirit convicts us. After a while, we will not be able to discern the voice of Holy Spirit because we have drowned His voice in all of our activities.
This time of lock down has become a good opportunity for us to slow down from our hectic pace of life and start listening to the still small voice of His Holy Spirit as He convicts us of the issues of the heart. As He convicts us, let us rush to the cross and there experience His cleansing. God cleanses us and clothes us with His righteousness
_I Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." II Chronicles 6:30 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men),_
This cleansing of the heart of man is not only for us as individuals but this is an opportunity that God has given us, during this time of crisis, to repent as the church for all the issues of the heart, where we have gone away from God. We must repent, as the body of Christ, for the sins in our heart, such as, pride, unforgiveness, creation of barriers between us within the family of God, love for money and power, moral unfaithfulness in the heart and many more. Will we as the church repent of all the sins of the heart, at the cross and experiencing His cleansing. Without the cleansing of the heart at the cross, we as the church will not be able to establish His kingdom.
_Psalm 7:9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. Jeremiah 17:10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings._
Today, the nation must repent before the God of heaven and earth for all the wickedness of the heart, beginning with our national leaders. To this end we need to pray. Our leaders are doing their very best and we acknowledge their efforts but they must recognize that they need to reckon with the Creator God and repent before Him
Soon we will all have to stand before this God of heaven and earth and then the issues of the heart will be judged. _I Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God._
*Thought to ponder*
```Are you using this time for the cleansing of the heart?```