Sunday, January 18, 2015

The Heart a Treasure

The Heart a Treasure
by Cecil Paxton

Luke 6:43-45 (NKJV) - “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 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.”

In Luke’s gospel one of the descriptions of the heart is called a treasure. A treasure can be defined as a storehouse where one would store something or a secret chamber where something is hidden away from public view or even a closet. But metaphorically it is the storehouse of the mind, where the thoughts, feelings or counsels are laid up. What we put our conscience thoughts upon has the potential of being stored in the heart of a person both to the good or our detriment.

The condition of the heart is determined by what is stored or treasured. In Romans 8:6 we are told that to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Being carnal is evil in the context of putting the thoughts of the mind upon fleshly lust of this natural life resulting in, as Romans 8:2 says, connecting us to the law of sin and death which connects us to this natural realm as our heart becomes established in the beliefs in self.

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed us from the law of sin and death so that we can choose life instead of death. Connecting inwardly to the Spirit of life in Christ depends on what we have been treasuring in our heart as a heart full of evil carnality can harden us making us insensitive to God’s presence as our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So what we have been purposely putting in will determine under the pressure of life what comes out. In Proverbs 27:19 it says “as water reflects a man’s face, so the heart of man reflects the man.” How we are establishing our heart will determine the filter of how we see life. Some people because of the condition of their heart can see the bad easier than seeing the good. It is as if they expect bad even though they don’t want bad but want good. Even when they are experiencing good in life deep within their heart there is a fear that the good won’t stay and that the bad could come back at any moment.

In Mark 4:23-25 Jesus said, if any man has ears to hear let him hear with perception unto understanding. And He said, be careful what you are hearing. The measure of thinking and study you give to what you hear will be the measure of knowledge that comes back to you and more will be given to you who truly hear. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he thinks he has will be taken away by life’s challenges.

In Luke 6:45 it says, a man that is already good, a man that can see good because his heart is established in an expectation of good, will choose to treasure good in his heart. This has nothing to do with your righteousness as your righteousness is established in Christ, not in your performance of good and bad. But the choices you make concerning what you treasure in your heart are what you choose.

A good man sees the benefit of treasuring good and as it says in Mark 4:26, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground, And then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases he knows not how. The earth produces by itself first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.”

Establishing good is a process. Let me encourage you that because of Jesus, good belongs to you. Disown bad and treasure good and reflect the image of who you are in Christ.

Visit Cecil's Website.


No comments:

Share This Post