p. 86 | Our Heart Treasures by D. J. C. BARRETT

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 17, 1914

Our Heart Treasures

By D. J. C. BARRETT

What Is Their Character?—They May Be Exchanged—Eternal Happiness the Fruitage of One Class, Eternal Death the Other

THE heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9) is the divine depiction of every soul in his carnal state. This is the full measurement of all who know not Jesus as a personal Saviour. This simple pronouncement reveals the true status, before their redemption by the blood of Christ, of all who have ever lived or ever will live on the earth.

As we look at the text, it reveals to us the hidden purposes, motives, desires, contrary to divine suggestion. It lays bare the hypocrisies, deceits, false profession, of all the self-righteous, as well as the guilt of the most openly avowed sinner. It places all the human family on the same basis—"alienated from the life of God"—and Scripturally indicted—"All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23.

TENDERNESS TO THE MOST DEGRADED

But God, addressing in tender pathos the most degraded sinner, makes the comforting announcement, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Eze. 36:26.

The Lord takes away the unimpressionable, and gives us the impressionable. He takes away the rock constituents of sin, and gives us flesh tables. He takes away the dross, and gives us the incorruptible, with its enduring transformation.

A NEW HEART BY DIVINE DECREE

This operation of the Spirit receives beautiful expression in the following text, involving new covenant relation:

"After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people." Jer. 31:33.

What a transformation! What hath God wrought! He says of the wicked, deceitful, diseased heart, with its attendant symptoms: "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." Mark 7:21, 22. The fruitage of the law-breaking propaganda is superseded by the superscription of the divine: "The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide." Ps. 37:31.

And Matthew, speaking feelingly, enforces the thought: "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." Matt. 12:34, 35.

COMPLETE SURRENDER, ELSE DEATH

These texts forcibly set before us the absolute claim of God upon us. Our heart must be wholly surrendered to Him, completely dedicated to His cause, or a disordered heart, revealing any of the above terrible symptoms, will surely drag us down to perdition, eternal death.

The good treasure is obedience, is the law in action, revealing in the life the fruits of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Gal. 5:22, 23.

Let God create in us a clean heart, let Him write on the tablets of the soul His holy law, let us enter into covenant relation with Him, and the positive message concerning our souls is, "None of his steps shall slide."

The evil treasure is "unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful." Rom. 1:29-31. And God, speaking with these in mind, says, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?" 1 Cor. 6:9.

WHAT ARE YOUR SYMPTOMS?

Dear reader, what are your symptoms? Are you a candidate for heaven? Have you the superscription of the divine upon your heart? Are you actuated by the power and Spirit of God? Is your life bearing fruit to the honor and glory of God? Are you so walking that should God reveal Himself in full power, glory, and majesty, you would give expression to the triumphant experience, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us"? Isa. 25:9.

Or are you walking at cross purposes with God? Does your heart show signs of disorder, thus giving evidence of unregeneration? Do you not possess the complete satisfaction of a consecrated life? Does your life betray a divine confidence? Instead of the sweet influences of a Spirit-filled life, is your experience darkened, sickened by the miasma of a corrupt heart? If so, the admonitory voice of God is heard in this tenor: "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Prov. 4:23.

THE REGENERATE TREASURE AND MORAL TRANSFORMATION

The treasure of the regenerate heart is the law of God, transforming the life, until we are perfect in Christ Jesus. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." Ps. 19:7. But the treasure of the unregenerate heart is the law of sin, which, if not superseded, means eternal separation from the face of Jesus Christ. The law of God upon the heart restores the moral image, marred, effaced by sin. "We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Cor. 3:18. The law of sin upon the heart stamps the character of Satan, and the sad objective of such an experience is, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Matt. 25:41.

Let the prayer of the psalmist be the burden of your soul: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Ps. 51:10. And when the Good Shepherd appears in glory and power, we will see Him as He is. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Matt. 5:8.