I am sure you have heard this little story. I first heard it as a teenager, a long time ago.
A father gave his little boy a dime and a nickel. (Like I said, an OLD story.) "You keep one and give the other to the Lord," were his directions.
The little boy went to church that day and when the collection plate came around, proudly put in the nickel. The father was disappointed, but since he had given the little guy the choice, he would not scold him. He simply asked, "Why did you choose the nickel?"
"Well, daddy, I know that God loves a cheerful giver, and I can be a whole lot more cheerful by giving the nickel and keeping the dime."
We may laugh at a child's reasoning, but I have seen adults come close to the same myself. Haven't you ever heard someone say, "I know this isn't what God said to do, but my heart is right?"
Let's be plain about this. You cannot deliberately disobey God and still have a good heart. It is impossible. It's one thing to be in ignorance; it's another to know better and do otherwise.
What did the Lord tell the church at Thyatira? I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works (Rev 2:23). God searches your heart and then requites according to your works, because ultimately, your deeds show the true state of your heart. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). A willfully disobedient person simply cannot produce good; that disobedience comes from an evil heart no matter what he claims.
Every relationship produces some sort of emotion. A good relationship will produce good emotions—love, compassion, concern, a desire to please-- and a bad one will produce bad ones—anger, envy, bitterness, hatred. Our relationship with God should produce good emotions, but one should always be careful of being ruled by those emotions. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds (Jer 17:9-10). Did you catch that? Here is the process: He will search the heart, then test the mind, then give according to his deeds.
"God won't mind if I…" is a classic example of thinking that willful disobedience can come from a good heart. But Paul told the Romans that we are expected to "obey from the heart," not disobey, Rom 6:17.
The immaturity of the little boy in that old story above is almost precious. Believe me, God expects far more from adults who claim to love him with all their heart.
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me (John 14:23-24).
Dene Ward
A father gave his little boy a dime and a nickel. (Like I said, an OLD story.) "You keep one and give the other to the Lord," were his directions.
The little boy went to church that day and when the collection plate came around, proudly put in the nickel. The father was disappointed, but since he had given the little guy the choice, he would not scold him. He simply asked, "Why did you choose the nickel?"
"Well, daddy, I know that God loves a cheerful giver, and I can be a whole lot more cheerful by giving the nickel and keeping the dime."
We may laugh at a child's reasoning, but I have seen adults come close to the same myself. Haven't you ever heard someone say, "I know this isn't what God said to do, but my heart is right?"
Let's be plain about this. You cannot deliberately disobey God and still have a good heart. It is impossible. It's one thing to be in ignorance; it's another to know better and do otherwise.
What did the Lord tell the church at Thyatira? I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works (Rev 2:23). God searches your heart and then requites according to your works, because ultimately, your deeds show the true state of your heart. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). A willfully disobedient person simply cannot produce good; that disobedience comes from an evil heart no matter what he claims.
Every relationship produces some sort of emotion. A good relationship will produce good emotions—love, compassion, concern, a desire to please-- and a bad one will produce bad ones—anger, envy, bitterness, hatred. Our relationship with God should produce good emotions, but one should always be careful of being ruled by those emotions. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds (Jer 17:9-10). Did you catch that? Here is the process: He will search the heart, then test the mind, then give according to his deeds.
"God won't mind if I…" is a classic example of thinking that willful disobedience can come from a good heart. But Paul told the Romans that we are expected to "obey from the heart," not disobey, Rom 6:17.
The immaturity of the little boy in that old story above is almost precious. Believe me, God expects far more from adults who claim to love him with all their heart.
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me (John 14:23-24).
Dene Ward
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