Chapter 9 – the heart
The heart is one of the most important parts of our being since it is the center, and the main door to our spirit. It is the organ that determines everything we are, as well as the realization of our destiny on this earth and in eternity.
Proverbs 4:23 – keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
The heart determines who we are how we act and we make all decisions for our lives there.
Proverbs 23:7 – for as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
Our heart is what causes us to take great steps in life. The strength of our being is concentrated there in order for us to obtain victory, to triumph in tribulations or to take a risk. This is where courage and fear are forged. This is also where a great deal of our health is determined.
Proverbs 14:30 – a sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.
Most importantly, it is the place where our salvation or condemnation is determined.
Romans 10:10 – for with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Only the heart is able to lead the soul to true repentance and subdue it in order for us to change our behavior, our intentions and motivations.
The heart is a spiritual bridge, which links our spirit and soul, and is directly connected to the body’s cardiac organ.
1 – Components of the heart
In the same way our physical heart has 2 sides. The spiritual heart is divided in two. One part is connected to the spirit and the other is connected to the soul. The physical heart, which is the image of the spiritual one, receives dirty blood and cellular waste on one side while the other receives the purified blood from the lungs and sends it throughout the body.
A – The ventricles
This same design is found within our intangible being. We have a carnal ventricle that deals with the issues of the soul, and a spiritual ventricle that receives everything that comes from God and from our spirit.
God writes his laws in the area of the ventricle of the spirit. This part is surrounded by the conscience, which comes from God and was placed within us since birth. Besides it is connected to communion through a conduit that releases the flow of life flows into our entire being.
Hebrews 10:16 – this is the covenant that all make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their hearts, and in your minds I will write them.
I have referred to them this way because the heart pumps either iniquity or the power of God and life to our entire being.
The carnal ventricle of the heart is a source of all thoughts that contaminate the soul and the body.
In the spiritual world there are substances. That is why it is written that faith is the substance of things hoped for, and also that iniquity enters the organs and bones to corrupt them with its filthy water and oil.
Matthew 15:18 – but those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.
Psalm 109:18 – as he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, so let it enter his body like water, and like oil into his bones.
Psalm 22:14 – I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within me.
Proverbs 14:30 – a sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.
B – The foreskin of the heart
Surrounding the carnal ventricle we find the foreskin of the heart, which is seen as a dark substance. This is a part of our conscience that thickens and becomes insensitive due to sin, evil and unbelief; all characteristics of the Adamic nature.
As long as this is not removed and changed through a reformed conscience, it will serve as a cap That will prevent the flow of God from illuminating and irrigating our soul. That is why God calls us to circumcise our hearts, so that his life and holiness can be manifested renovating our souls.
Deuteronomy 10:16 – therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiffnecked no longer.
Later on I will discuss the hardening of the heart and describe how it turns to stone.
The conscience, which surrounds the heart, corrupts and produces unbelief. Corruption not only comes from sin, iniquity or rebellion – a broken and wounded heart becomes corrupted as well. Destructive emotions such as envy, jealousy, bitterness, et cetera are important factors that corrupt the heart. The more corruption there is, the greater the unbelief and the lack of faith.
This foreskin, in the conscience, truly is like a dark lens, which cause the person to see everything distorted. It causes us to distrust everyone and everything. A heart in this condition is blocked in many ways and is not even able to trust God. Their mouth may say they love him and believe in him, but their acts and the fruit in their lives show they only trust in themselves and their own reasoning.
Titus 1:15 – to the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
This corruption forms dense veils that prevent people from seeing God. We were created to see and enjoy our maker. Jesus is the image of the invisible God and when we have a true conversion, with all of our heart, he manifest and allows us to see him.
Second Corinthians 3:15 – but even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies under heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Not a Lord is a spirit; where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the spirit of the Lord.
Do you realize what is taking place? When the veil is removed, the spirit of God comes to us and gives us the freedom to see him within unveiled face so that we can be transformed into his image.
C – the center of emotions
One of the most relevant parts of the heart is the center of emotions. Everything we feel, whether good or bad is processed and emanates from the heart.
Mark 7:21 – 4 from within, out of the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication’s, murders
The heart is a chest full of treasures, memories, and good and bad experiences. It is the book written about everything we have accumulated in our soul. It is the movie library where our experiences are registered and stored. Our personality, as well as are way of thinking and believing is formed there.
Luke 6:45 – a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Emotions are linked to the 2 ventricles, the spiritual and the natural. That way, it is capable of processing the feelings that come from the soul, as well as those that come from God, such as joy, peace, or the expectation of a miracle.
Our emotional center is also connected to the physical heart, mind and brain. Therefore, our emotions play a very significant role in our body’s chemistry. Joy and happiness, for example, send a signal to the brain and will tell it to release substances called peptides, which then spread into the entire body. These substances are vital for the proper functioning of our organs.
On the other hand, emotions such as sadness, envy or anger to mention just a few, will send negative signals to the brain, and it will supply negative substances, harmful to our health. That is why Scripture states that these types of feelings dry the bones.
Proverbs 17:22 – a merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.
Proverbs 3:7 – do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be healthier flesh, and strength your bones.
Psalm 31:10 – for my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.
Psalm 32:3 – when I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long.
Our center of emotions is one of the main doors to the spirit, and is also connected to the nervous, endocrine and glandular systems. Later on I’ll deal with this topic in more detail. In the meantime, I want to emphasize the conduit where the life the spirit flows out of and into the rest of our being. It is found in this part of the heart.
D – the flow of life and the heart valve
Life flows from our spirit, since our spirit comes from God and is part of him.
Whether we have received the regeneration of our spirit through Jesus Christ or not, we all received our natural life from God.
When someone is still under the Adamic nature, that person continues to receive the flow of life from his or her spirit in order to exist on this planet.
When someone is full of the spirit of God, the flow of life will be an abundant stream of resurrection life, springing forth from the center of communion to the rest of his or her being.
The impartation of every perfect gift and divine nature essentially flows from a conduit, which links the spirit to the carnal ventricle – see figure 22. At the end of it there is a valve that opens and closes as we have intimacy with God.
As long as our hearts have not been circumcised, the valve will remain shut most of the time, allowing a minimum amount of the flow of life necessary to keep the body from dying.
One of the most important functions of this valve is that it is the door through which we can see the invisible kingdom of God.
As we are born again, we learned that when we are in the spirit, this valve opens and we are able to see the dimensions in heaven. As we exercise our faith and our expectation to see in the spirit world, the valve expands, allowing our spirit to peek into the invisible realm – see figure 23.
Revelation 1:10 – I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me and loud voice, as of a trumpet… Verse 12 then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw 7 golden lampstands
The other way the valve opens up is through love. When my heart is projected towards God to pour out my love for him, the valve expands and I’m able to contemplate his beauty and see him within unveiled face.
Psalm 27:4 – One thing I’ve desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple
When I meditate on him from deep within my spirit, I am able to contemplate his glory in his face.
Psalm 145:5 – I will meditate on the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works.
Both the channel of life, and the valve, are interconnected with the blood, so the life that comes out from spirit can irrigate the body.
I do not want to give a complicated description of the interconnections between the flow of life in the entire tripartite being, because it would be too much information. The most important thing I want you to understand right now is that the heart, in its three manifestations in spirit, soul and body, is the center of life.
E – the will
This part of our heart is also connected to the two ventricles, and it is what determines whether we live guided by the spirit or by the flesh.
Just like the rest of the heart, the will is surrounded by the conscience, which will help us make good or bad decisions.
What is important about this part is that our eternal life, whether in salvation or condemnation depends on it.
Romans 8:5 – for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 13 – for if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For it as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
The will serves as a lever that causes the heart to tilt towards the flesh or towards God.
This is what we refer to as free will. It is free because no one but us can handle it or control it. God cannot make decisions for us, and of course, neither can the devil.
The only thing the devil can do is seduce the will so that the person gives in to his temptations and lies.
As long as the life of a person is not settled in Christ, sin dominates his being. Darkness has established itself in the Golden bowl, while the conscience has become almost seared. In this state, the fallen soul hardly listens to the voice of his conscience but loudly hears the seductive lies of the devil.
With the wages of sin being death, sheol, or the grave has great power over the soul that has not been regenerated.
Psalm 49:14 – like sheep they are laid in the grave; – shall feed on them; the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and her beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for he shall receive me.
This Psalm is very revealing and speaks of the influence and the power of death, through sin and deceit.
Despite the fact that the will belongs to us, and only to us, it does receive voices from the realms of life and death, and needs to choose which to hear.
God, in his immeasurable love towards man, is always releasing messages of life and love in our hearts, even among those that do not know Christ. Sometimes we read in the Bible that God hardens the heart, this happens when the Lord decides to be silent in order to fulfill a certain purpose; at that point the voice of death become stronger.
Exodus 10:20 – but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
In this case, Pharaoh was already under the judgment of God and his evil heart was exposed, so God would be glorified over Israel in a mighty way.
Exodus 14:4 – then I will hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Farrell and over all of his army, that the Egyptians may know that I’m the Lord. And they did so.
When we understand the power God grants us, even while we are still in sin, to have authority over our will, we will subdue it completely.
The heart inclines towards one side or the other through our will. It is as if we play with a balloon full of water, which we can lean one way or the other.
Joshua 24:23 – now therefore, he said, put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.
When fear, desperation, sadness, unbelief or sin raises its voice inside our heart, we can always push the lever towards God. In that moment we can take authority and determine that faith, peace, happiness and holiness with take control the situation.
2 – states of heart
A – the heart in a state of corruption
As I stated, the heart is the bridge between the spirit and the soul and it can therefore allow or block the flow of life coming from the spirit.
Sin and corruption of the conscience are the result of the will surrendering to the desires of the flesh. The will that continuously makes decisions based on the flesh is twisted, and tilt towards the soulish heart.
Every time we choose not to believe God, our will yields towards the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
This is what happened to Adam. He chose the suggestion of the serpent instead of obeying the commandment of God. From that moment on, the tree of human knowledge has a very loud voice, which resonates in the heart, so that we will not believe God.
It is written that anything that does not come from faith is sin. That is because it originates in an unbelieving and corrupted heart that is captive under the realm of sin, which is the good and evil of this world
Romans 14:23 – but he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
Galatians 3:22 – but the Scripture has confined all under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Moving in the natural without the use of faith hardens the heart turning it like stone. This is the state of the fallen soul that cannot perceive the things of the spirit.
As we can see in the illustration – figure 24, the blackened conscience surrounds the heart, causing it to be insensitive to the voice of God. That is why the flow of life is restrained and reduced to the minimum, while the valve practically remains shut.
In this state the carnal ventricle has taken dominion over the spiritual one and has subjugated it.
The mind that is under the control of the fallen soul receives thoughts of evil, anger, fear, religiosity, unbelief and everything else produced by the corrupted heart.
Many times God will use a different circumstance where the heartbreaks and a person cries out to him, to begin to soften the heart and prepare it to have an encounter with Jesus. Once the heart is sensitized, the conscience will begin to speak and bring the person to repentance. This is the moment the Lord had been waiting for, to knock on the door of the heart and bring the person to his feet. When a person has opened himself to believe, the valve expands enough so that the life of Jesus can penetrate to the depths of the spirit.
B – Heart after God
This is the heart of those who love and fear God and do not base their lives in the flesh but in the spirit.
As we can see in the illustration (figure 25), the will begins to lean towards God, and the spiritual ventricle subdues the carnal one. The life of Christ flows freely through the heart that is surrendered to him, putting to death the deeds of the flesh.
The opened valve transmits resurrection life to the physical heart and to the bloodstream, healing and awaking the mortal body.
Romans 8:11 but if the spirit to him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors – not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
The spirit of God has taken control and our conscience has been cleansed and restored, making us sensitive to the ways of God and to the realm of the spirit.
Matthew 5:8 – Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
The heart is now totally working with the spirit and can receive God’s thoughts, the revelations and all the secret mysteries. Rivers of living waters and divine knowledge will now flow from the mouths of the believer.
As the heart receives directions directly from our spirit, it will send them to the mind so that we may know God’s will in all situations.
Colossians 1:9 – since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and asked that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding
3 – dwellings of the heart
A – dwellings of glory
The heart has habitations in both of its ventricles and God will use the spiritual ventricle to fill them with wisdom, creativity and faith.
The heart, being the most important door to see and enter the kingdom of God, is configured with walls and bulwarks to protect God’s presence within the spirit.
The doors and the library of wisdom
In the doors of the spirit, right in front of the valve, God establishes 2 powerful doorman, called wisdom and the fear the Lord.
Once the doors have been secured, wisdom establishes its chamber within the spiritual heart. This is the place where designs, creative inventions, and wisdom, which God gives to those who love him, are established.
Here we have a very interesting process to observe. The spirit receives all things from God and then transmits them to the heart, which in unison with the renewed mind, execute the will of God.
First Corinthians 2:9 – but as it is written: I have not seen, nor ear heard, nor of entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him.
The first man ever mentioned filled with the spirit of God, was named bezaleel . He and other wise men were given the task of creating all artwork in the tabernacle of Moses.
Exodus 31:2 – see, I have called by name bezaleel the Son of uri, the son of hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I filled them with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, and silver, and bronze, in cutting Jules for setting, and carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, indeed I, have appointed with him aholiab the son of ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisan’s, that they may make all that I have commanded you
Here, we see another dwelling place of the heart, which are the chambers of encouragement and happiness.
Dwellings of encouragement
This is where happiness, courage and generosity are developed. This area is greatly attacked by darkness since these attributes of the heart produce victorious sons of God in all things.
Deuteronomy 31:6 – be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, he is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
Proverbs 15:13 – a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
Exodus 35:5 – take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whatever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze
Meditation chambers
Psalm 4:4 – be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.
Deuteronomy 4:39 – therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.
Dwellings of trust and sincerity
This is a dwelling place where we know in our hearts whether we can trust God or someone else.
John 16:33 – these things I’ve spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
Hebrews 10:22 – let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Dwellings of love
First Timothy 1:5 – now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith
B – Wells of the soul
When the heart is broken, wells are created within this ventricle of the soul. These can become deep caverns of fear, desperation, discouragement, sadness, resentment, bitterness and so on – and an ending list.
When the Samaritan woman told Jesus he did not have anything to draw out the water from the deep well, it was an analogy to these places in our soul. Having had 5 husbands, and a 6 being just a lover, we can tell her heart was fragmented in many pieces. The problem of captivity of the soul begins in the heart. These wells are the doors the enemy penetrates to take the fragments of the soul captive.
The heart has been pierced, and deep pits with dark caves are created that connect with our traumatic memory. The soul freezes in the past and continually goes back to the moments that broke it in pieces.
Job 32:19 – indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent; it is ready to burst like new wineskins.
Many times these fragments are taken to regions of captivity where the soul is terribly afflicted and tormented. – I recommend reading my book, regions of captivity, where I deal with this topic in great detail.
The heart is corrupted in these wells and adopts behaviors, which are harmful to the person and to others. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Fear
Deuteronomy 1:28 – where can we go up? Our brother and have discouraged our hearts, saying, the people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of anakim there.
Deuteronomy 20:3 – and he shall say to them, hear, O Israel: today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them
Stinginess and greed
Deuteronomy 15:10 – you shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you and all you works and it all to which you put your hand.
Jeremiah 22:17 – yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, and practicing oppression and violence.
Bitterness
Psalm 73:21 – thus my heart was grieved, and I was vexed in my mind.
Proverbs 14:10 – the heart knows its own bitterness, and a stranger it does not share its joy.
Jeremiah 4:18 – your ways and your doings gave procured these things for you. This is your wickedness, because it is better, because it reaches your heart.
See – evil plots
Psalm 58:2 – no, in heart you work wickedness; you way out the violence of your hands in the earth.
Instability and wandering in the heart
Hebrews 3:10 – therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, they always go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.
Contention, jealousy and envy
James 3:14 – but if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not to send from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.