The Integrity of the Heart
Each of us can make meaningful decisions because we were created in God's image. He gave us the ability to reason and to choose. The reasoning goes on in our minds, and the choosing goes on in our hearts. However, the Lord looks at the heart primarily, because He is looking for our motives in addition to our reasons for what we choose to do. He knows if we make a choice in the integrity of our hearts or if we are knowingly making a wrong decision.(Genesis 20:6) Let me try to explain using this example of king Abimelech.
Abraham told Abimelech that his wife Sarah was his sister, when they journeyed to Gerar, because he was afraid of being killed for his beautiful wife, and she was his half-sister. The king took Sarah to become one of his wives very innocently, because he believed what he was told. He acted in a way that he thought was right. He was not trying to deceive God or any person, and he did not think he was making an immoral decision. Therefore, God told Abimelech in a dream that Sarah was really Abraham's wife, and He warned him to put her away, so he would not be punished. He even stopped him from touching her in the meantime, because He saw the integrity of his heart. That shows us how God looks at our hearts, and He is looking for our integrity, first.
However, God had already made the wife and female servants of Abimelech barren, because of his wrong choice. This is what we need to see. Sin has consequences, even if we think we are doing the right thing. God does not remove the wages of sin just because we think we are doing right. What He does is respond to the integrity of our hearts to keep us from further sin until He has shown us that what we are doing is wrong. Then, we have to change our minds and hearts, so that we repent of our sin and change our choice like Abimelech did. Then, God removes the punishment.
We live in a culture that does not believe in absolute truth, so people think they can do whatever seems right to them, and everything will be fine. That is not true. If they choose to sin, there will be bad consequences. However, if they are honestly seeking to do the right things, God will see the integrity of their hearts, and He will make the truth clear, so they can follow the right way. This comes into play every time each of us make a decision. We know if we are choosing to do what we think is right or if we are going against what we have been shown to be the truth. If we go ahead and do the wrong thing, we condemn ourselves. If we do what we think is right, God will be merciful and lead us to choose the right thing before He fully punishes our sin.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 21-23.
Abraham told Abimelech that his wife Sarah was his sister, when they journeyed to Gerar, because he was afraid of being killed for his beautiful wife, and she was his half-sister. The king took Sarah to become one of his wives very innocently, because he believed what he was told. He acted in a way that he thought was right. He was not trying to deceive God or any person, and he did not think he was making an immoral decision. Therefore, God told Abimelech in a dream that Sarah was really Abraham's wife, and He warned him to put her away, so he would not be punished. He even stopped him from touching her in the meantime, because He saw the integrity of his heart. That shows us how God looks at our hearts, and He is looking for our integrity, first.
However, God had already made the wife and female servants of Abimelech barren, because of his wrong choice. This is what we need to see. Sin has consequences, even if we think we are doing the right thing. God does not remove the wages of sin just because we think we are doing right. What He does is respond to the integrity of our hearts to keep us from further sin until He has shown us that what we are doing is wrong. Then, we have to change our minds and hearts, so that we repent of our sin and change our choice like Abimelech did. Then, God removes the punishment.
We live in a culture that does not believe in absolute truth, so people think they can do whatever seems right to them, and everything will be fine. That is not true. If they choose to sin, there will be bad consequences. However, if they are honestly seeking to do the right things, God will see the integrity of their hearts, and He will make the truth clear, so they can follow the right way. This comes into play every time each of us make a decision. We know if we are choosing to do what we think is right or if we are going against what we have been shown to be the truth. If we go ahead and do the wrong thing, we condemn ourselves. If we do what we think is right, God will be merciful and lead us to choose the right thing before He fully punishes our sin.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 21-23.