We all were born with broken spiritual hearts. Part of infection that came from sin at the fall of man was that our heart was broken because it was no longer directly connected with God in the way it was originally designed.
We can do all kinds of good works. We can eat right, exercise, avoid certain things, participate in certain others. None of that is bad, and it does cover over some of the symptoms of our brokenness, but it nor does not fix what is wrong.
Heart surgery may be the closest physical thing we have to the type of trust that we are called to place in God. When we turn ourselves over to the surgeon, we are completely putting ourselves in their hands. We have no ability to participate. They literally stop our heart from beating and we no longer even control the movement of our blood or lungs.
But God is a great physician. He has a 100% success rate. And, He sticks around after the surgery as well.
To someone in denial, it seems foolish to put yourself on the table to undergo heart surgery. But, to those of us who recognize our brokenness, there is not foolishness or shame. Those in denial think they can do it on their own, but you cannot perform your own heart surgery.
Romans 10:9 is correct, but sometimes we read it in the wrong order. It isn’t an equation, it is a gift of an operation. Our great physician picks us out and says, you will be saved. He then performs surgery on our heart, transplanting part of Himself into us to make us whole. This then enables us to speak the truth – He is Lord.
We only need undergo surgery once, but we continue to heal and grow the rest of our lives. As we learn in Psalms 51, we are to call on God daily, saying: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
My Answers:
12.
coveting and pride can take our heart off course
The mouth speaks what fills the heart
Knowledge is not faith – even the demons know God
The H/S lives in God’s children
My heart is His but my lack of discipline in walking with Him allows sin into my life which weakens instead of strengthens.
13.
Faith in something untrustworthy is to be a fool, to be ashamed of an unwise choice. But believing in Him will never lead to shame. Verse 13 clarifies and reinforce the “Him” to be Jesus, our Lord, who we can call on with a clean heart and share in His justification and righteousness and glory
14.
As a child and again 14 years ago
The Notes are Good 