by Guy Humphries

And God said," Let US make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over..." (Gen 1:26a) With a God given inner man, a spirit, humans were created in the "image" of God who gave us a HEART equipping us with the special ability to think, reason, plan and CHOOSE as the essential difference between humans and other animals.

Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he thinketh in his HEART, so is he ..."

Jesus specified: "For out of the HEART proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Matthew 15:19).

From the HEART which is between your ears, a man thinketh thoughts as he chooses; to trust Jesus and accept His love gift of salvation OR to choose to Reject Jesus, be  a sinner and go to hell.

DEFINITIONS

Greek = kardiva Kardia kar-dee'-ah

Heart: The center and seat of spiritual life. The SOUL or mind: the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors. Strong's Greek Dictionary.

The HEART gives a human the ability to think, plan, will, feel, worship and interact with God and other people. Those who are not living according to God's will have hearts that are hard, darkened, rebellious, callous, unfeeling, or idolatrous. It is within the heart that God works; hence the human heart may be tender and soft or as hard as stone.

In Mark 7, Jesus clearly defined the inward man of the heart of a lost-going-to-hell-Jesus-rejecter that He dad clearly defined in John 3:18. Those who are LOST will naturally do anything that they THINK they can get away with. Jesus said that, From the inward man of the heart come evil THOUGHTS such as sexual sins, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, hate and cheating. So do evil desires, envy, lying, pride and foolishness. Everything evil comes from inside a person's HEART.( Paraphrase of Mark 7:20-23) Until the inner man of the HEART is immediately and permanently INdwelled by God's Holy Spirit at the point of salvation, those who are lost-Jesus-rejecters must expect their HEART to dwell upon evil.

Believers are different. As clearly described by the apostle to us Gentiles in Romans 7, from the time that a human spirit is truly-born-again until physical death, a battle rages between the inner-spiritual-man and outer-physical-man. Even under the constant influence of God's INdwelling Holy Spirit, complete reliance can not be placed upon the HEART to always make the right CHOICES to avoid constantly committing Sins.

A child-of-God for 65 years. Retired except occasional real estate sales. Married 60 years. 2 children.4Grchildren. 3 GRGRchildren. Deacon 50+ years. Daily prayer, "Even so, Come, LORD Jesus."

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS