Intent of the Heart

"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." Heb 4:12

Yesterday we celebrated the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ, the Word of God "made flesh." I have spent the last three weeks trying to unpack what God was doing when he used a little baby in a non-descript manger in a little known town to fulfill prophecy that had been spoken of since the beginning of time. His Word made flesh, Emmanuel (God with Us) a baby? My pastor said on Christmas Eve, "if we had a million years to unpack the story of Christmas we could never fully comprehend everything God did in Bethlehem on that day." I agree!

Jesus came and dwelt among us, and forgave our sins by dying on a cross but, he did something else, he showed us what God was like. Jesus gave us a frame of reference around which we mortals could hope to understand the infinite and in doing so, he altered how we look at our faith and what God really requires from us as believers. Jesus made us look at more than the "rules;" he forced us to look at our hearts (our motives). No longer can we just look at we do outwardly (when others are watching), we must now truly change our motivations because God knows the intents of our hearts even when we don't act upon our desires.

For example, Jesus said to his disciples gathered on the Mount of Olives in Matthew Chapter 5, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: (Ex. 20.14 · Deut. 5.18 ) but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; (Ex. 20.13 · Deut. 5.17) and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."

How can we now possibly be obedient to God, given Jesus' new interpretation? Are we now doomed to a fiery death in hell because "God was made flesh and dwelt among us"? How can this be? Why would God do this?

The answer is quite simple yet extremely complex. Belief in Jesus is the simple answer yet God's choice for redemption is so elegantly complex that a thousand of the world's best minds taking a million lifetimes of thought could not unravel its mysteries. God knew that his Creation could never live up to his standards, so he had to develop and air-tight means to remain true to his Word and yet allow us a way to eternal ("sinless") life. He sent himself in the form of a baby who would grow into a "sinless" mortal man to take our sins upon himself and die so that we maybe sinless in His sight. The only thing now that anyone needs to do is to have faith in what happened and believe that God gives this gift freely to anyone who asks at any time in his or her life! Amazing love!

As I consider the enormous love God has for us and his exacting standards as expressed in Hebrews 4:12, I must constantly fall to my knees and thank Him for his mercy because I know I am doomed without his grace!

My prayer. Father, thank you that your word is quick and powerful and that it gets straight to our sins and exposes them in plain sight. Thank you Lord that we cannot hide from our unclean hearts, because our hearts makes us realize there is no hope except through the blood of Jesus Christ. He is "the Way the truth and the life" and I praise you for it. Forgive me Lord in my sinfulness and lead me back to you. My prayer goes out today to all Christians who are struggling may they return to you and stop their wandering in darkness. I pray Lord, earnestly, for those who have yet to come to know you as their Lord and Savior. Change their hearts Lord and whisper to them through your saints here on earth, that they may hear your call and lay themselves at the foot of the cross and ask you to give them new hearts. All this I pray in the Name above all names, Jesus Christ, Amen!