The Heart of the Matter

When you ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart, then you're asking Jesus then to take up residency inside the real you, to control the real you, all the forces and function, the will, the mind, the intellect. When you ask Jesus to come into your heart, you're literally asking him not to inhabit the little muscle that beats. You're asking him to inhabit your life. That's why there are those who are deceived by saying, oh yeah, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and they live like the devil.

They're deceived. To ask him in means he dominates, he inhabits, he resides. Can outward religion secure your eternity? The Apostle Paul and Jesus both confronted this question head on.

They challenged the most religious people of their day. Today on Wisdom for the Heart, Stephen explains how rituals, rules, and even religious pedigree are powerless to save. True faith, Paul says, starts in the heart. If you've ever wondered what it means to be truly transformed by God, this lesson will lead you beyond the surface to the heart of the matter. Keep listening as Stephen helps you understand why it's not about appearances.

It's about a new birth that changes everything. In the last verse or two of Romans chapter 2, Paul uses contrasting vocabulary subtly yet forcefully as he reveals the difference between a religious image and a relationship with God. If you have your Bibles and you have opened them already to chapter 2, notice verse 28. Paul writes, For he is not a Jew who was one outwardly, neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.

Verse 29, But he is a Jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is that which is of the heart by the spirit, not by the letter. And his praise is not from men, but from God. So you have the outwardly here contrasted with the inwardly, the flesh contrasted with the heart, the letter of law contrasted with the spirit, and man's praise contrasted with God's praise.

Such is the contrast between religion and a relationship, a religion that talks about God, but a relationship that knows God. And it's hard for us to perhaps identify with the Jews. Most of us perhaps are Gentiles and it certainly would have been hard to identify with the fact they would have been so stunned by this paragraph. It was shocking for them to hear that even though they had descended from Abraham, they had the markings of the covenant on their bodies, they had been given the guardianship of the Torah or the law.

They had a past history with God's unmistakable blessing that that did not automatically make them right with God. Circumcision of the flesh, Paul has said, is not as important as having a circumcised heart. In fact, Paul's point is really this, not having a circumcised heart makes null and void circumcised flesh. You remember what the Lord said to Samuel many, many years ago when he said, God sees differently than man sees. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the what?

The heart. In other words, being right with God is a matter of the heart. It struck me as I was studying this passage in Romans chapter two that Paul uses the same exact vocabulary as Jesus Christ did 30 or 40 years earlier in a conversation with a faithful Jew. In fact, Paul explains what has already been illustrated in John chapter three. So would you turn there where Jesus has a private conversation with a faithful Jew? It's a conversation that will eventually revolutionize this man's life. He'll appear later in the gospels as the man who loans his tomb to the Messiah.

It's not a loss. Jesus will only need it for a few days. But this is where he meets with the Lord. While you're turning, perhaps you're aware that the most famous of verses is found also in the same chapter, John chapter three verse 16.

Say it with me. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

That's right. Many of us know that verse. Not many perhaps know to whom Jesus said those words. What we're told in John chapter three verse one. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

Now we ought to stop here long enough to know what this man was and who we're introduced to. If the faithful Jew that Paul referred to in Romans chapter two was not good enough to get into heaven, well this man here represented among the Jews the most likely of candidates to enter heaven because of what we're told. We're told that he was a Pharisee. Now the truth is when you and I think of a Pharisee we think of a hypocrite don't we? Because we think of all the times the Lord called them hypocrites. And he dealt with the religious leaders with harshest of terms. We think of them as proud legalistic people who played a religious game but lived another life.

And that would be a correct perception of some if not many of them. But there were however others who were deeply devoted to the law. They had dedicated their lives to the keeping of the law. In fact the apostle Paul was once a Pharisee. These were the Jewish men who because of their passion for the God of Abraham joined the Kabburah. This was the brotherhood known as the Pharisee. They entered into this brotherhood by taking a pledge in the presence of three witnesses that they would dedicate their lives to obeying every statement of the law, both Mosaic law and scribal law.

And that's where it really got interesting. Because the scribes had spent generations developing what they called the scribal law codified in the Mishnah. There was also the Talmud which was a commentary on the Mishnah that explained and developed and tried to answer all of the questions that would emanate from simple commands of God through Moses. A good illustration would be the command of God through Moses to keep the Sabbath day holy. They weren't to work. Well the question would be how do you define work?

What does work mean? It would be the scribes who would codify with thousands of regulations what work truly meant. And the Pharisee then would keep it.

Here's some of what they came up with. On the Sabbath day they could only drink enough milk for one swallow at a time. More than one swallow at a time would be work for their mouths. They could not lift a spoon to their lips weighing more than one fig.

More than that would be lifting a burden. The Pharisees and scribes were embroiled over the debate as to whether a woman on the Sabbath could pick up her baby or if he could move a chair from one room to the other or even if a man could wear his wooden dentures on the Sabbath. Now it was considered in the Mishnah to be work to tie a knot and to untie a knot. However they went on to say it was permissible for a woman who was getting dressed on the Sabbath it was permissible to tie a knot in her girdle. Thank heaven for that. It was permissible to draw water from the well on the Sabbath but if the rope broke you were in trouble because you couldn't tie a knot with a new rope and an old rope that would be work. However you could take your wife's girdle tie one side to the rope tie the other side to the bucket and draw water from the well. I'm not kidding this is codified law here just in case the rope breaks you know what to do. You think well that's a little ridiculous yet on the other hand what strikes me is here is a people so committed to the incredible inconvenience of keeping thousands of regulations that they did so in order to please God and I wonder how many inconveniences would we be willing to go through in our walk with Christ.

It's my observation that most of us allow only one or two inconveniences before we begin to grumble that God is in all that we had bargained for. Our text says that Nicodemus was one of the kaburah. He was one of the dedicated men to the Mishnah to scribal law.

The latter part of verse one also tells us something. It tells us that Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews. The word archon indicates that he was then a member of the Sanhedrin one of the select 71 men in Israel. In fact later on in the text Jesus refers to him as the teacher with a definite article the. This man was probably the most popular teacher of scribal law in the days of Christ.

He was a member of the Sanhedrin the teacher that was respected and well known. So here is this man by the way one of the roles of the Sanhedrinist was to examine a man who claimed to be a prophet to see if he indeed was a true prophet of God. So what you have here is Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night to examine him to see if he's truly a prophet of God.

A man well respected well known so well known that he comes under cover of night. He didn't want to start tongues wagging with his coming. He came to him by night verse two says and he said to him Rabbi we know that you have come from God as a teacher for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. That was a wonderful introduction in this conversation because you understand here the debate has already been raging as to the source of Jesus's power. By now there is an entire sect of these religious leaders that believe that Jesus was empowered by Beelzebul.

They believe that he had satanic power to do the signs or miraculous things that he had done. What Nicodemus is telling him here is he's just letting him know that he's not one of those men. He says I know that you're empowered by God.

I know that you've come from God. But this was also a polite way of basically asking Jesus what is the heart of your message. He must have seen earlier in the day Jesus cleansing the temple and claiming it to be his father's house that really I'm sure piqued his interest. He's asking him what is your message as a prophet from God. Jesus responds by giving him his primary message in verse 3. Truly truly I say to you he said unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. This is shocking statement.

Why? Because Jesus said in effect truly I say to you Nicodemus unless you're born again you can't go to heaven. So what Jesus in effect just told one of the leading Jewish candidates for heaven was he wasn't going. Nicodemus the Lord in effect is saying has done a lot of right things but he hasn't done the right thing in order to get into heaven. Verse 4 Nicodemus said to him how can a man be born when he's old. In other words you're telling me I've got to be born again.

Well how do I get back into my mother's womb and be born. Verse 4 in other words what do you mean I have to be born again. He was confused and so would we be if we didn't have passages like John chapter 3. Well Jesus will explain himself to Nicodemus with two propositions. These two truths will change his thinking forever and it will stand on its ear. Typical Judaism of that day.

It will reveal the first inklings of this dramatic change that is about to happen. The first proposition is this. The physical birth into Abraham's family isn't sufficient for redemption. Now you know if you've been studying with me that Paul has been saying basically the same thing in Romans chapter 2. Jesus goes on here in verse 5 to say truly I say to you unless one is born of water and the Spirit. He's not going to explain this birth. He cannot enter the kingdom of heaven unless one is born of water and the Spirit.

Now if you want to know what verse 5 means go to verse 6 it explains it. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That is this is the natural first birth and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

This is the second birth and this one is supernatural. So he explains it here in his analogy being born of water is a reference to physical natural birth. It's interesting to know that the Greek words here are ex huditas and can be literally translated born out of water.

We all in this auditorium were born ex hudita. We were all born out of water. That's what verse 5 is referring to ex huditas the physical birth. Jesus goes on to say there has to be a second birth. Why then make the mention of the first birth to Nicodemus.

I mean isn't that a moot point. Well yes if you're a good Jew that's the way you're thinking. The first birth does it. You're born related to Abraham. All you have to do is be born and that's it.

You're in. Jesus says well you have that one but you need another one. You have to be born again. The physical birth is not enough for redemption. He goes on in verse 7 to say don't be amazed that I said to you you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. In other words you don't see this birth.

There's no labor and delivery room. This is an invisible transaction. This is an invisible birth. You don't see it but you see the results of it like the wind that blows through a tree.

You don't see the wind but you see the effect of the wind on the limbs of the tree. Nicodemus said to him in verse 9 how can these things be. Jesus answered and said to him are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Truly I say to you we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven the Son of Man. Now he's about to give him the second rather startling proposition. The first one was that his physical birth was not sufficient for redemption. The second truth is this that the second birth cannot occur until the Messiah experiences death and that would be totally foreign to the Jewish mind. That the Messiah the true redeemer would come and not institute a kingdom but die?

That would be shocking to them but he will say unless the Messiah dies you can't be born again. Look at verse 14. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. The verse refers here back to one of the most unique stories in the Old Testament. The book of Numbers you may remember if you've read it chapter 21 where Israel is rebelling against God and in judging Israel God sent poisonous snakes into their camp.

The Bible called them fiery serpents perhaps because of the hot fever that ultimately overtook them and led to their death a predominant result of the serpent's venom. Well the people if you've read the story you remember cried out for mercy and God instructed Moses to do something very unusual. Instead of administering some sort of antidote instead of creating some sort of cure he said simply make a brass serpent like the ones you see on the ground and attach it to a long wooden pole and lift it up and if anybody looks at that serpent they'll be healed and saved from death. Why not develop medicine? Why not require their hands to work for a cure?

It would have given them all something to do. It would have satisfied every natural instinct on behalf of man to work for his cure. The fact that we're not told to make a human remedy is indicative of the greater fact that there is no human remedy for sin. Nothing but death awaits us and it is the proving fact that we have been bitten by sin in that we will all die. We are all mortally wounded.

We just don't know when we'll die. What does religion do? Donald Gray Barnhouse in his wonderful commentary wrote this, in the religious fashion of our day, in the religious fashion of mankind there would have been an immediate rush to incorporate or form the society for the extermination of the fiery serpents. There would have been badges for the coat lapel, cards for district workers, secretaries for organizational branches, pledge cards, and mass rallies.

There would have been a publication office formed and a weekly journal printed to tell of the progress of the work. There would have been photographs of heaps of serpents that had been killed by the faithful workers. All of them feverishly trying by human effort to overcome the serpents bite of sin.

Let us accompany one of the zealous workers as he might take a pledge card into the tent of a stricken victim. The man has been bitten and the poison has already affected his limbs. He lies in feverish agony. The glaze of death already coming to his eyes. The zealous member of the society for the extermination of fiery serpents tells him all has been done to combat the serpents and urges the man to pay and join. The dying victim fumbles in his pocketbook for money and then takes a pen in his hand.

His fingers are held by the worker who helps him form his signature on the pledge and membership card and the man signs in full and then dies. The incident in Numbers 21 is a prefiguring of Jesus Christ who became sin for us. The one who was lifted up, the one who literally became wicked evil on our behalf. Salvation, spiritual healing, rebirth, all of those synonymous comes from simply going, looking to him. Not in our hands. Not in some religious effort to make things better.

Not to find a cure. Not to somehow solve the problem but look to him. Believing in him alone provides the remedy. My friend you can join a society called a church. You can sign a pledge card.

You can give your money away. You can go to Bible lessons and catechisms and you can get baptized and you can die without God. After having done all of that we have all been bitten and our only hope is to look to the cross. He goes on to say in verse 15 that whoever believes may in him have eternal life. What does it mean to believe?

It's a good question. What did Philip mean when he asked the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8 verse 37, do you believe with all your heart? What do we mean when we say you ask Jesus to come into your heart?

What did Paul mean in Romans 10 verse 9 when he said you're to believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Well remember the heart is more than a pump inside your chest that beats 70, 75, 80 times a minute. In biblical terms the heart refers to the inner person.

The inner function and forces of soul and spirit, mind and intellect. In other words the heart refers to who you really are. So when Paul said to believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you shall be saved somebody can say okay yeah I believe all that stuff. I never denied that.

I was raised in a home that believed it and from the time I was knee high I believed that. He isn't saying that. He's saying that all the forces and functions of soul and spirit will and intellect are driven by the truth of Christ being alive. Paul in effect says if you are so gripped by the truth that Christ is the living resurrected Lord so much so that he controls and dominates your inner being you shall be saved. When you ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart if you're using the word heart biblically then you're asking Jesus then to take up residency inside the real you. To control the real you, all the forces and function, the will, the mind, the intellect. When you ask Jesus to come into your heart you're literally asking him not to inhabit the little muscle that beats. You're asking him to inhabit your life. That's why there are those who are deceived by saying oh yeah I asked Jesus to come into my heart and they live like the devil. They're deceived.

To ask him in means he dominates, he inhabits, he resides within you. You say well I know people that don't believe and they live good lives. They're ethical. They sound good. They're committed to their family. They're good in business. They have upstanding reputations.

How do you know they don't have the truth? Remember ladies and gentlemen religion is passionate about the outside so that it looks good and it sounds good. So that it is ethical and those things are all good and moral and upstanding. Those are all wonderful but it focuses on the work of the hands and what we do to remedy that mortal wound. What we do to somehow cure the fact that we will die all the while ignoring the sin inside the heart. The sinful who we are.

What has religion done? Well Paul in Romans 2 has said it's insufficient. It isn't enough.

And Jesus Christ told Nicodemus it wasn't enough. Let me illustrate it this way. Imagine that you've come to an old farmhouse. There's nobody there.

Just you and you're thirsty. You're looking for water. And out behind that crumbling old farmhouse is that farmyard and it's windswept and the dirt is hard baked. You spot over the way that wooden platform and attached to that on top coming up through there is the well pump with the handle.

It's all rusty. You think there it is and you go over and you step up onto that wooden platform and you begin to pump that handle and you pump. Five minutes later there's nothing but air. Fifteen minutes later you're exhausted now and thirstier than ever and not one drop has come out of that pump.

Why? Because the well is dry. You know what religion would do? Religion will scrape away the rust and paint that handle and make it look good and invite people who are thirsty to come and pump. And people will.

No it'll do more than that. It'll get rid of that old pump and it'll put in a new one made of brass. And others will come and think that's a good idea and all around that farmyard they will dig their shallow holes and they will place over those holes platforms not connected to water. Remember religion isn't in the water it's in the pumps. A painter will come and paint a portrait of that landscape that is now littered with pumps that do not produce one drop of water for the thirsty lips of humanity. Jesus Christ basically said you've got a great looking handle and you look religious and everything looks fine but my friend you're not connected to the living water.

The well's dry where you're drinking from or trying to. You need to look to me. That's how you come. Looking to the son of man who came to earth to die for sinners. Those who will admit they're hopelessly bitten who believe in their inner being that Jesus Christ is truly alive and that belief leads to the domination of that living Lord in and through them. The Apostle Paul basically delivered the same verdict to the impressive looking Jew of his day. He found the best exhibit he could for a religious man. He's talked about the immoral man in chapter one and how they're guilty before God. He's talked about the moral man and how he is upstanding but also guilty before God and then he ends with this religious man and he shows how religion is simply another way to hell.

He has said three things basically. The faithful Jew will not be saved by his law. Secondly the faithful Jew will not be saved by his liturgy. Finally the faithful Jew will not be saved by his lineage. In other words what he's saying is don't put all the stock on the name that's on the outside of the carton. Don't depend on the markings.

Don't depend on the map that someone is attached that says here's the way to go. Religion is the road to hell simply because it cares only about the outside of the package and it looks good. It sounds exotic and it sells. Christianity is the road to heaven. It focuses on the condition of the heart. True Christianity is not into appearances and it doesn't sell anything but it transforms everything beginning with the heart. Because the core of Christianity ladies and gentlemen is a matter of the heart. Religion changes appearances but Christ transforms hearts.

That was Steven Davy and this is Wisdom for the Heart. Today's message is called The Heart of the Matter. Have you downloaded the Wisdom International app yet? It's the easiest way to take Steven's Bible teaching with you wherever you go. Whether you're at home, commuting, or traveling you'll have instant access to his entire teaching library including the Wisdom journey and Wisdom for the Heart. With the app you can listen to or read Steven's sermons, follow along with the daily devotional and explore his blog for additional biblical insights. Plus the app includes a built-in Bible allowing you to simply read the text or listen to it being read aloud. It's perfect for when you're driving, exercising, or simply prefer to hear scripture spoken. Just search for Wisdom International in the app store. Do that today then join us next time on Wisdom for the Heart.