HEART

Hebrew:

Greek:

kardia the heart: the word heart stands for one’s entire mental and moral activity; rational, emotional, reason and will.  In the Bible the word heart refers to both the major organ of the body and to the most important part of a person, that is, to man’s innermost being.  The heart is the central part, the very center of a person’s life.  It is the most vital part of a person’s being.

The word for heart is used figuratively in Scripture for the hidden springs of the personal life.  The heart represents the true character of a person, good or bad. It is a person’s inner life, inner self, mind, heart.  The heart lies deep within, containing the hidden self or real self.  The heart contains what a person really is, his true character.  The heart determines what a person does, his behavior, whether good or bad or depraved. 

The heart is the source of a person’s rational being: reasoning (Mark 2:6), understanding (Matthew 13:15) and thinking (Matthew 9:4).  The heart is the source of a person’s emotional being: joy (John 16:22; Ephesians 5:19; affections (Luke 24:32); and desires (Matthew 5:28). The heart is the source of a person’s spiritual being: conscience (Acts 2:37), will (Romans 6:17), faith (Mark 11:23; Romans 10:10) and evil (Matthew 15:18; Mark 7:21-23).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

Matthew 5:27-28 “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

Matthew 6:21 “For where the treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Matthew 9:4 “And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?”

Matthew 12:34-35 “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”

Matthew 13:13—16 “Wherefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.”

Matthew 15:7-8 “Ye hypocrites, well did Isiah prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their life; but their heart is far from me.”

Matthew 15:18-19 “And said unto Peter, Are ye also yet without understanding?  Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart: and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”

Matthew 15:16-20 “Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?  Do not ye yet understand, that those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and defile a person.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a person.”

Matthew 16:15-17 “Jesus saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”

Matthew 18:32-35 “Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

Mark 7:18-23 “And He saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also?  Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?  And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

Mark 11:22-24 “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those thing which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Mark 12:30-32 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  There is none other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 16:14 “Afterward He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen.”

Luke 1:51 “God’s mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.  He hath showed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.”

Luke 24:32 “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?”

Luke 24:38 “And Jesus said unto them, Why are ye troubled?  And why do thoughts arise in your hearts?”

John 12:39-40 “Therefore thy could not believe, because that Isaiah said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”

John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.”

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 16:22 “Ye now therefore have sorrow: but your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man asketh from you.”

Acts 1:24 “And they prayed, and said, Thou Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen.”

Acts 2:36-37 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Acts 11:23 “When Barnabas came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.”

Acts 15:8 “And God knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as He did to us.”

Romans 1:17-22 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them;  for God hath showed it unto them.  For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”

Romans 6:16-18 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”

Romans 10:8-11 “But what saith it?  The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.”

I Corinthians 7:37 “Nevertheless he that standeth steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.”

I Corinthians 14:25 “And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.”

II Corinthians 9:7 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

Ephesians 4:17-19 “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness and greediness.”

Ephesians 4:23-24 “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.  And put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Ephesians 4:30-32 “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Ephesians 5:19 “Speak to yourselves in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord:”

Ephesians 5:20 “Give thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 6:6-7 “Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 3:12-17 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering: forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye, and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.  Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”

Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord.”

I Thessalonians 2:3-4 “For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.”

I Thessalonians 3:12-13 “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.”

II Thessalonians 2:16-17 “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.  Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.”

II Thessalonians 3:4-5 “And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.  And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”

I Timothy 1:4-5 “Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.  Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.”

II Timothy 2:22 “Flee youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth: and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

Hebrews 3:6-19 “Christ as a Son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.  Wherefore as the Holy Spirit saith, Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years.  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart: and they have not known My ways.  So I sware in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest.  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.  But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; While it is said, Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.  For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.  But with whom was He grieved forty years?  Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?  And to whom sware He that they should not enter in His rest, but to them that believed not?  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” 

Hebrews 3:12-13 “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, departing from the living God.  But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

Hebrews 4:9-12 “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.  For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.  Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.  For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Hebrews 10:19-25 “Having therefore brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh: and having an high priest over the house of God: let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering: for He is faithful that promised; and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Hebrews 13:8-9 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines.  For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.”

James 1:26-27 “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

James 3:13-18 “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good conversation his works, with meekness of wisdom.  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

James 4:8 “But He giveth more grace.  Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.  Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify you hearts, ye double minded.  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.”

James 5:8 “Be ye also patient; stablish your heart: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

James 5:10-11 “Take heed, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and patience.  Behold, we count them happy which endure.  Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”

I Peter 1:18-25 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.  The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth forever.  And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

I Peter 3:4, 8-18 “Let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.  For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain  his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:  Let him eschew evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.  And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?  But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.  For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

II Peter 1:19 “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:”

II Peter 2:14-15 “Having eyes, full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices: cursed children: which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;”

I John 3:18-25 “My children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.  For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.  And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment.  And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and he in Him.  And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”

Revelation 2:19, 23, 25 “I know thy works, and love, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.  All the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.  I will put upon you none other burden, but that which ye have already, hold fast till I come.”

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