Heartfelt Religion

by A. Adams

Scripture can put you on the spot when it makes it obvious that your beliefs, actions, or choices are wrong. The simple solution to such conflict is to change and only believe what comes by “hearing...the word” (Romans 10:17); or, said another way, stop doing what you’ve been doing, and start being a “doer...of the word” (James 1:22). Some people try another way. They fall back on the heart, as though the heart were some refuge from the truth and reality. I have seen people who, when put on the spot by the Word, place their hands over their hearts and proclaim that what they “feel in their hearts” trumps what they see in the Word. Herein lies great irony. They do not, shall we say, understand their own heart. The Greeks called the “heart,” kardia. The Hebrews called it leb or lebab. The heart is the seat of rational life, emotional life, conscientious life, and volitional life. Look at “the heart” as having four compartments: think, feel, ought, and act. Each compartment is distinct; yet, individually, none is sufficient of itself as the basis of faith and decision-making. Let’s look at each.

Think

The mind is that part of us we use to understand, perceive, and conclude. It’s why we can do algebra and geometry, why we can be logical. Because we can think, we can deduce and conclude. That’s what Paul means when he says, “Through the things that are made,” we can “clearly see” and “perceive [God’s] everlasting power and divinity” (Romans 1:20).

Feel

Emotions move us to love, compassion, mercy; anger, disgust, indignation; humility, meekness, kindness; patience, forbearance, forgiveness; zeal, devotion, sacrifice; and many more.

Ought

“Each man must be fully assured in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). It’s never right to act contrary to what you believe to be right, or wrong; for “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). But, we learn from Paul that one can “live in all good conscience before God” (Acts 23:1) and be wrong.

Act

We do what we want to do. “Do this” is a common phrase in the Bible. Human beings have willpower. They choose, decide, and act. This involves a great challenge. Rather than simply saying, “I will do this or that,” the Spirit says, “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that” (James 4:15). Heartfelt religion is a good thing only when all the parts of the heart are working. Intellect does not outweigh nor negate emotion or volition.

Feelings are incomplete and impotent without will. Conscience is not, after all, our guide. Sitting around thinking about things, and never doing is profitless; nor is there profit in going “full steam ahead” without having thought it through.