The Bible writes about the heart quite often and one referenced with familiarity is Jeremiah 17:9, which states
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Contextually speaking, this verse follows a splendidly clear introduction to chapter 17 in which Jeremiah writes that
“the sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;”
The importance of syntax
What did Judah do to warrant such an accusation?
That is a topic for another post, but what we can learn from the account is that it was Judah’s heart that was desperately wicked and who can know it.
*What’s important to note here is that some read verse 9 completely out of context and classify the human heart as deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Looking at themselves and others within their congregation, they wonder inaccurately at the wickedness and deceitfulness of their hearts.
Well, we know better than to think our heart is deceitful and desperately wicked since this ushers in a new evil idea that “when we sin we are just following the course of our heart”, which is an excuse to continue sinning the same, more, and continually.
Furthermore, this line of thinking excludes the fact that we are new creations, not new versions of our old selves.
Judah had become corrupt since man is designed corruptible and never designed corrupted.
- always remember that the human heart is commanded to “love the Lord your God with all your heart” and do not be swayed by those who like to excuse their sin.
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