Hearts on Fire
There are many who would consider Christianity a blind faith, that those who follow Jesus are gullible, ignorant, and lacking in critical thinking skills. After all, how could anyone living in the 21st century still believe in a God who created us, who sent His Son to die for us, or who raised Jesus from the dead? Who could still believe the teachings of an ancient book written by mere men? It all sounds like a fairy tale, and our society seems to regard the Christian worldview with increasing disdain as each day passes. And yet Paul writes:
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” - 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV)
In my last several posts, I presented facts about history, archaeology, prophecy, and biblical interpretation that I believe make a good case for the reliability of the Bible. All the evidence I found has increased my faith greatly, and I have only scratched the surface when it comes to a fact-based defense of the Bible. Certainly, the Bible is not a collection of fairy tales, but a book of authority and truth. J. Warner Wallace, the author of Cold-Case Christianity, writes on the back of his book, “You can believe because of the evidence, not in spite of it,”[1] and I couldn’t agree more. As Christians, we are not called to blind faith, but instead to be prepared to defend what we believe!
“Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” - 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
Despite this, I have to confess that I struggled when writing the last several articles. It’s not that I found the information boring, or that I had doubts about what I was writing. To be honest, I missed the simple joy of writing about God’s Word. Even though the evidence was true and important, I realized that facts about the Bible did not excite me in the same way that its content does. I didn’t come to faith in Jesus because of the scientific argument for God’s existence, the archaeological evidence for the Bible, fulfilled prophecy, or any other “facts.” I came to faith because when I opened my heart to God, He revealed Himself to me and His Word came alive in me! Don’t get me wrong: the evidence in support of God and the Bible is incredible, and it can (and should) open our eyes to the reality of God. But the truth is that no amount of facts or evidence can bring salvation. Only a heart that is open and surrendered to God can experience the fullness of His grace and a right relationship with Him.
When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, God sent plague after plague against Pharaoh and the Egyptians, demanding that he let the Israelites go (Exodus 7-14). But rather than surrender to God, Pharaoh stubbornly refused to give in. Did he doubt the existence of God? Was he confused about what God had said? Of course not. Despite plain evidence of God’s existence and intentions, Pharaoh openly defied Him. Pharaoh’s mind was made up, and his heart was hardened.
Unfortunately, Pharaoh’s hard heart is in no way unique. We do the exact same thing today. Every time we choose to ignore what God has revealed to us, our hearts are hardened and it becomes more difficult to accept the truth and surrender to Him. Paul writes,
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” - Romans 1:18-21 (ESV)
In another passage, Paul talks about a veil that covers the hearts of those who do not believe.
“Their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” - 2 Corinthians 3:14-17 (ESV)
Shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, two men were walking to a nearby village talking about all that had happened (Luke 24:13-35). Jesus joined them on the road and spoke with them as they traveled, but He did not reveal His identity to them. The passage tells us that Jesus discussed the Scriptures with them, then went to their home and broke bread with them. Check out what happened next:
“Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” - Luke 24:31-32 (NIV)
Earlier in the story, the men told Jesus (still not knowing it was Him) that they had hoped He would be the one to redeem Israel (verse 21). Their hearts were not hard - they had already put their hope in Jesus, and as they listened to the Scriptures, their hearts began to burn within them! Is this not a perfect picture of how an open heart receives the truth of God’s Word? We were created for God, and when we accept the Word of God into our hearts, something remarkable happens! Our hearts, once veiled from the truth, are opened and set afire with a passion for Jesus.
“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” - Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV)
I wish I could say that this is a one-time event, but I have found that apart from God, my heart always begins reverting to its hardened state. Like an instrument that regularly needs to be tuned, we also need to “tune in” with God on a regular basis. If not, our human nature kicks in - we go our own way, and our hearts begin to harden. It’s only when we continually seek God that the fire in our hearts continues to burn.
Do you want to be someone whose heart burns with passion for God and His Word? Will the seed of God‘s Word embed itself in the fertile ground of your heart (Mark 4:1-20), or will it bounce off a heart of stone? All you need to do is ask God to reveal Himself to you! Open your Bible and see what God has to say within its pages. He promises that when we seek Him with all our hearts, He will not disappoint us.
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:12-13 (ESV)
Notes
[1] J. Warner Wallace, Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels (Colorado Springs, CO: 2013).