The Motivations of the Heart Will Be Exposed to Judgment

by Russell Young

Many live according to the great freedom that they suppose is offered through the gospel of Christ. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians should give all pause to reflect on the latitude that they have allowed themselves. He presented the need for those entrusted with the secret things of God to remain faithful and avowed that not even he could declare himself innocent. “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” (1 Cor 4:5; See also Heb 4:12) Not only are people going to be judged according to the things that they do, but according to their motives. Therefore, although Paul could declare that his conscience was clear, he claimed that a clear conscience did not make him innocent.

Paul’s word and concern should make each of us reflect on the motives for our words and actions. God demands a pure heart. While others can see the expression of our motivation through our actions, the Lord will be examining the heart.

It would be of value for each of us to not only consider the nature of our actions, but to examine the state of our hearts that promote intended actions. The very need for humankind is to have a transformed heart, one in the image of the Son of God. (Rom 8:29) The heart of people was condemned from the earliest times. “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.” (Gen 6:5−6) It was not to pardon the sins of people that Christ was incarnated; it was to destroy the devil’s work by conforming them to himself and making them an offering acceptable for the Father’s kingdom. (Rom 15:16)

“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” (Mt 10:26; Lk 8:17; 12:2) “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb 4:13) Does your theological understanding find a place for such teaching? Everything, even the motives of the heart, will be revealed and examined and must be defended. The confessor’s justification was not completed at the cross. James has recorded that “a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” (Jas 2:24)

The point is that a person’s heart-state needs to be considered along with their actions. Jeremiah has written, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9) The heart is not beyond “cure” through the mercy, grace, and power of the Holy Spirit who is the Lord’s indwelling presence in the believer. It is for this reason that Christ in you is your hope of glory. ((Col 1:27) The Spirit is the lord (2 Cor 3: 17, 18) and must be treated as such.

A person’s thought-life can be controlled. Doing so requires considering the things that impact our lives. Care needs to be given to the things that we allow our eyes to see, our ears to hear, our fingers to touch, our mouths to taste, and our noses to smell. The mind responds to the senses, feeds the imagination, and motivates actions. Most people have some control over the things that their eyes see and the places that their legs take them. Paul cautioned the Philippians to think about those things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and excellent. (Phil 4:8)

If the Lord intended to meet all our needs and to provide all our victories without our commitment and dedication to righteousness, his Word would not warn of the judgment that awaits people for their motivations and actions. Believers have been called to engage the battle, to bring him alongside to win victory over temptations, but they are not to be passive and neglectful. Paul has written, “continue to work out (complete, finish) your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 2:12) Addressing the motivations of the heart is the place to start. Addressing motivations may mean tackling some difficult, but ungodly practices; it may mean whole-heartedly forgiving another. It will mean complete honesty with ourselves.

Because a person’s motivations will be known and he or she will suffer God’s judgment, the heart must be made pure. The Lord offered, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” (Mt 12:35)

It must be appreciated that all people, including believers, will face judgment (2 Cor 5:10), and that some of the issues to be addressed during judgment are deep within the human soul.

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Russell Young’s column appears here on alternate Tuesdays. His book, Eternal Salvation: “I’m Okay, You’re Okay” Really? is available in print and eBook in the U.S. through Westbow Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble; in Canada through Chapters/Indigo.

To read all of Russell’s contributions here at C201, click this link. There is also an extended article at this link.

The Sovereignty of the Lord

by Russell Young

 Christ is Lord! He is sovereign! How many times have you heard these words and how many times have they passed by without a second thought? Peter spoke of the sovereign Lord (2 Peter 2:1) and of the destructive heresies that will deny his authority in the end times. Jude wrote of the godless men “who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only sovereign and Lord.” (Jude 1:4) Paul taught that, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23) If the Lord is sovereign, he must rule, and others must follow. These passages have no merit if Christ is not treated as sovereign. Grace cannot displace God’s sovereignty, it comes through the exercise of his sovereignty. Eternal life can only be achieved through the life of the sovereign Christ, our Lord.

The word “lord” has been translated from the Greek kurios meaning “(supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title):— God, Lord, master, Sir.” (Strong’s Greek Dictionary #2962) More modern doctrinal teaching often presents the concept of the Lord’s supreme authority as assuring the security of an eternal hope for those who are willing to trust him, but not necessarily follow him. The Lord’s sovereignty is seldom presented or accepted to mean that the Lord is and must be sovereign over the lives of those who would seek his eternal kingdom. “Believers” are frequently told that God’s “sovereign grace” grounded in love has assured victory for those who would “trust” in him and that nothing can thwart their hope, not even disobedience. However, trust in Christ is revealed through obedient following whatever that might entail.

Of course, God is sovereign, and nothing can alter that reality. He cannot be defeated, and his eternal plan cannot be foiled. Great comfort should be derived for believers from this fact. The aspect of his sovereignty that needs more complete recognition and appreciation is that he is sovereign over the life and actions of believers–they must relent to his rule, not merely pretend to honor him through voicing his God-given title of “Lord.” This truth has been revealed in many places in the Scriptures. He taught, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Mt 7:21) He admonished his listeners, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?“ (Lk 6:46) Failing to put his word into practice is like building a house without a foundation. The hope of a presence in the kingdom of heaven rests in the believer doing the will of God. His will must be known and followed with an obedient response. “[Christ] became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Heb 5:9)

Do you hear his calling or do your own wishes and desires guide you actions and claim your attention? It must not be misunderstood, there is both a life to be lived and a death to be lived. The life is the life of Christ in the believer and the death is the death of the believer to self-interest. Jesus said, “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (Jn 12:25) Those who want to cling to their own lives and remain ‘captain of their own ship’ will lose all, despite any assurances to the contrary. Those who have abandoned all ownership of self and have submitted to the will of their sovereign and master will find eternal life. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Rom 8:14) Defiance and disobedience is sin and is rejection of Christ the Lord as Holy Spirit, and it is blasphemy. (Num 15:30)

Many have heard and have accepted that Christ is their righteousness. When he took their sin, they became righteous and avoided the death they had earned. Following confession of faith, he is the means of maintaining righteousness and of refining holiness (Rom 6:19, 22) for all who obey his commands—for believers. (Rom 8:4)

The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. Moses reminded the Israelites, “Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your hearts, whether or not you would keep his commands.” (Deut 8:2) Even today God will know what is in the hearts of humankind and of those who claim his name. Are you passing the test? There is no hope for those who deny his leadership and fail to humble themselves through denying his right to rule. He is the sovereign Lord and must be recognized to be so, both in title and in practice.

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Author Russell Young lives in Ontario, Canada and is the author of Eternal Salvation: “I’m Okay, You’re Okay” Really? available in print and eBook in the U.S. through Westbow Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble; in Canada through Chapters/Indigo.  His column appears here every other Tuesday.  To read all of Russell’s contributions here at C201, click this link.  There is also a feature-length article at this link.

(All Scriptures are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.)