The Treasure of the Heart
Yesterday morning we had another great study in Luke 6 in our Men's Bible Study. These men are serious about hearing the Word and being doers of the Word. The study is all about applying the Scripture in our lives. I believe it is making a difference in our lives, and it is a great blessing for me to be a part of this group.
We went a little faster than usual yesterday, so we could see the overall message in Luke 6:37-45. We came to the conclusion that Jesus was trying to get all of us to see that we should be harder on ourselves than we are on other people, and we should seek to unselfishly help others. After all, God is a giving God. He gave His only Son, Jesus, for us. He gives us blessings all of the time. He really loves us and cares about our needs, even if we don't love Him back as we should.
Therefore, the end of this passage comes down to good fruit and bad fruit. It comes down to the treasure of the heart. What is the treasure of your heart? Is it good or is it evil? This is very important, because if it is evil, you will do evil things, and if it is good, you will do good things. The same is true for the things you say. The heart is the key. We must find out what is in our hearts, and if it is the wrong thing, we must trust the Lord to change our hearts. Only He can replace the evil with the good, but we have to give Him the permission. We have to cooperate in the process.
No one naturally loves his or her enemies, but it is possible if your heart is full of the good treasure from the Lord. The same is true for judging others, forgiving people, and giving abundantly. We must have a change of treasure in our hearts to do the will of God sincerely. That is what Jesus wants to do for each of us by saving us and growing us in the power of the Spirit. It is the only way to have real life.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 24-26 and I Peter 2.
We went a little faster than usual yesterday, so we could see the overall message in Luke 6:37-45. We came to the conclusion that Jesus was trying to get all of us to see that we should be harder on ourselves than we are on other people, and we should seek to unselfishly help others. After all, God is a giving God. He gave His only Son, Jesus, for us. He gives us blessings all of the time. He really loves us and cares about our needs, even if we don't love Him back as we should.
Therefore, the end of this passage comes down to good fruit and bad fruit. It comes down to the treasure of the heart. What is the treasure of your heart? Is it good or is it evil? This is very important, because if it is evil, you will do evil things, and if it is good, you will do good things. The same is true for the things you say. The heart is the key. We must find out what is in our hearts, and if it is the wrong thing, we must trust the Lord to change our hearts. Only He can replace the evil with the good, but we have to give Him the permission. We have to cooperate in the process.
No one naturally loves his or her enemies, but it is possible if your heart is full of the good treasure from the Lord. The same is true for judging others, forgiving people, and giving abundantly. We must have a change of treasure in our hearts to do the will of God sincerely. That is what Jesus wants to do for each of us by saving us and growing us in the power of the Spirit. It is the only way to have real life.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 24-26 and I Peter 2.