…For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
We can know that we have salvation because we keep His commandments (1 John 2:3). The word keep implies that you guard, revere, and consider—it is much more than mindlessly following a list of rules, and that is truly what makes Christianity different. Religion binds us under rules, Christ came to set us free. This message is repeated throughout scripture, and while the Lord longs for us to obey, it is out of love for us rather than control, and a desire to see our hearts respond to Him in this love.
Ultimately the Lord looks at the heart. Paul emphasizes this in 1 Corinthians 13 as he speaks on love.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
He could preach the word, understand much of God, give sacrificially, even give up his life—but if not motivated by love, if not delivered in love, all is useless. Motivation is key to the heart of God, for God knows your heart—mere actions will not fool him, and this is a sobering thought. Christ speaks of this in Matthew 7:22-23:
On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?”
And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
One can do many “good” things, but if your heart is not motivated by a love for and knowledge of God, your works mean nothing. Hosea speaks of this as well recording God’s words to Israel, “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6) Though Israel was commanded to offer sacrifices, God intended this process to be as much a sacrifice of the heart as it were of the animal, a sacrifice of thanksgiving, of repentance, an act of worship. Anything less was meaningless and void of value.
In the same way, one who “loves” the Lord but does not obey His commands, does not love Him at all. If the heart has been changed, the actions will naturally follow. Obedience is not the means by which we come into relationship with God, rather it is the mark, the fruit, of a relationship with God. Christ clearly stated “if you love me, you will obey my commands.” (John 14:15) The two go hand in hand. It is the mark of a life transformed.
Application
Questions for thought…
- Do you long for the Lord?
- What captivates your heart? What motivates you?
- We act on what we believe to be true. Do your actions reflect a belief in a God who is all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, and good?
- What do you find confidence and security in?
Avoid the “shoulds” (I should do this… I should feel this way…). We act on heart-belief, not on “shoulds”. Rather, as the Lord reveals areas of disbelief, areas you long to see change in, bring them before His feet. As He breaks you and transforms you, you will be motivated by thankfulness and love rather than guilt or self-righteousness.
Prayer
Father, thank you for loving us so wholly and perfectly. Thank you for longing to see us transformed from the inside out, for setting us free from the bonds of works and allowing us to walk in the freedom of grace, love, and thankfulness. Thank you that nothing is too great for you to change in any of us, that you have conquered sin and death, and that you can conquer it in each of us. Father, transform us. May our hearts and minds grasp the depth of your love for us, the truth of You, and may our actions follow. Give us victory in areas that we struggle to submit to you. May we long to love you and to glorify you.