BEN F. VICK, JR.
Elisha A. Hoffman, in 1899 wrote the song that is the title of this article. It is a penetrating and thought-provoking question. Paul commanded, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Cor. 13:5.) This song should cause us to pause and consider our hearts. When we gather around the Lord’s table on the Lord’s day, we are told, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” (1 Cor. 11:28.) Each of us should take inventory of his life. Is my heart right with God?
In the story of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, we read of Philip’s having preached Jesus unto him. The text tells us, “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.” (Acts 8:36-39.) When the candidate asked, “What doth hinder me to be baptized?” The preacher said, “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” He answered in the affirmative and was baptized. Then he went on his way rejoicing. There is always great joy in one’s heart when he has been obedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Note that he rejoiced after he was baptized, not before, which indicates that he was not saved until after he was baptized (Mark 16:15-16).
After one comes forth from that watery grave, he has been purified by the precious blood of Christ (Rev. 1:5). He begins the Christian walk (Col. 2:6; 1 John 1:7). He must constantly guard his heart. Solomon, in the long, long ago, wrote, “Keep [or guard] thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23.) He must fill his mind with good things. If anyone had reason to worry and be agitated or depressed, it was Paul when in prison in Rome. Yet, he wrote to the saints at Philippi to encourage them. He said to fill your mind with good thoughts. He said, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Phil. 4:8.) What are you reading? The Bible and other good books? Have you read the recent Discovery magazine about the hippopotamus? Do you see and hear the beauty of nature in the spring? The trees budding, the flowers blooming, the birds singing? Do you think of things lovely and of good report?
We read in the book of Exodus of Pharaoh’s having hardened his heart. At least eight times, we are told that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Eight times we read that Pharaoh hardened his heart. How did this happen? Moses called upon Pharaoh to let God’s people go. This demand, if followed, would hurt his country financially because he had free labor. It also went against his pride. So, he refused to let them go. God sent one plague after another: water to blood, frogs, lice, flies, murrain of cattle, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and death of the firstborn. Each time Pharaoh refused to let Israel go, he became more obstinate. God did not act directly upon the heart of Pharaoh, but the demand and the plagues, when removed caused his heart to become more hardened. This principle applies today. Each time a person puts off obeying the gospel, it becomes harder to obey the next time. Each time one gives in to Satan’s temptations, the heart becomes more hardened.
The writer of Hebrews cautioned his readers who were on the verge of returning to Judaism: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” (Heb. 3:12-15.) Sin is deceitful and will cause us to hardened our hearts. Just as Israel of old hardened their hearts and their carcases fell in the wilderness because of unbelief so it can happen to us and we will miss that heavenly rest (Heb. 4:1).
Matthew records this event: “But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt. 22:34-40). Let us love God with all our being and our neighbor as ourselves. Peter wrote, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:” (1 Peter 1:22.)
The only way to have a heart right with God is to obey his word.