Doctrine of the Heart (child’s version)
						   (New Testament)
		All verse quotations are NAS95 unless indicated otherwise

We often think of the heart of that thing that beats within us and pumps blood all over our bodies.  Sometimes the Bible uses it that way but more often it refers to the inner you. 

The inner you is that part of you that you cannot see.  It is where you do your thinking, where you make your decisions, keep your memories, where you change in your thinking. 

Let’s look at what is in the heart—the kind of heart we are referring to here. 

   I. Composition of the Heart

     	A. Intellect

	Luke 1:51  “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; 
	He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. 
	
  	B.  Memory—information is stored
	
	Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 

	C. Believing—place from where faith is exercised—the   	   			       place you believe from within

    		1. Believe
	
		Rom. 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as 		Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him 			from the dead, you will be saved; 
		Rom. 10:10 for with the heart a person believes, 					resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he 				confesses, resulting in salvation.

	  	2.  Doubt

		Luke 24:38 And He said to them, “Why are you 					troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

		3. Unbelief

		Luke 8:12 “Those beside the road are those who have 		     heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word 		     from their heart, so that they will not believe and be 		     saved.
 
	  D.  Emotion 

		Mark 4:16 “In a similar way these are the ones on 				whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when 			they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;

		Love for people 

		1Pet. 1:22 ¶ Since you have in obedience to the truth 			purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, 			fervently love one another from the heart, 

		Love for God

		Mark 12:30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD 				YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH 			ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, 				AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’

	  	(Mk. 12:30,33; Lu. 10:27  cf. Deut. 6:5;26:16)

 	   E.  Conscience—morality and then as a believer you have added 	   		values to your heart in your conscience norms from the word of 	   		God. 

	      Rom. 2:15 in that they show the work of the Law 				written in their hearts, their conscience bearing 					witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else 		defending them, 

		Conviction

		1John 3:20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for 				God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 

	   F.  Volition/Will

		2Cor. 9:7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in 			his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God 			loves a cheerful giver. 

		Obedience

		Rom. 6:17 But thanks be to God that though you were 			slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to 			that form of teaching to which you were committed, 
		
    II. It is the control center of the sinful nature—from which lust 	      			come forth—

		Matt. 15:19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, 			murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, 			slanders.

     III.  Place of the Residence of the Indwelling Holy Spirit for 				believers

		Gal. 4:6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the 			Spirit 	of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! 					Father!” 

		—Christ in your hearts

		Eph. 3:17  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts 				through faith; and that you, being rooted and 					grounded in love, 
					
     IV.  God evaluates the believer through the heart.

		1Th. 2:4 but just as we have been approved by God to 			be 	entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as 				pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. 

   	 V. The heart can be cleansed and purified

		James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to 			you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your 			hearts, you double-minded. 

	VI. The heart can be strengthened

		James 5:8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, 			for the coming of the Lord is near. 

      VII.  The heart can be trained to do sin.

		Unbeliever false teachers:

		2Pet. 2:14 having eyes full of adultery that never cease 		from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart 				trained in greed, accursed children; 

     VIII.  God can influence the heart

		Rev. 17:17 “For God has put it in their hearts to 					execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and 		by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of 		God will be fulfilled. 

		God can open the heart  Acts 16:14  

	IX.   The devil can influence the heart

		John 13:2 During supper, the devil having already put 			into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to 			betray Him, 

         X.  The heart can become dull and hardened.

	       This condition develops when the unbeliever or believer begins 		to reject the truth of the Bible either actively or passively after 			which they have become insensitive and eventually incapable of 			learning God’s word.  If a believer, spiritual growth ceases.  If 			an unbeliever, only acceptance of the gospel can open the heart 			back up. 

		Matt. 13:15  FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE 				HAS BECOME DULL, 
		WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, 
		AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, 
		OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR 				EYES, 
		HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, 
		AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND 				RETURN, 
		AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’
									NIV84
		Even the disciples

		Mark 6:52 for they had not gained any insight from the 		incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened. 

    XI.  Believers are warned about developing an evil unbelieving 	         		heart that falls away from God. 

		 Heb. 3:12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in 				any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls 				away from the living God. 

    XII.  The Heart chart

						HEART (kardia)
		
		self-conscience/ self-awareness
		conscience
		intellect/memory						believe/disbelieve					emotion								obey/disobey
		will/volition							        seek/not  seek God
						
						  Central control
				
				pneuma-human spirit (saved or not)
					enlivened—it relates to God		      						 			                        
	
					   Sin nature		Holy Spirit

					    			BODY