Based on Proverbs 21:2-8 (New King James Version)
“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. A haughty look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked are sin. The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death. The violence of the wicked will destroy them, because they refuse to do justice. The way of a guilty man is perverse; but as for the pure, his work is right.”
We see in this passage that God not only sees and judges our actions, but also discerns our thoughts and weighs our hearts. If we have any kind of reasoning and belief in the Almighty, these things should produce deep fear in us. But, unfortunately, and today more than ever, man chooses to be guided by his own opinion and thinking, and unfortunately, his heart is very far from God, and even the hearts of those who say they believe in Him. How can I say this so confidently? Just by observing what most people are doing. The vast majority of people, and even believers, live today as they lived in Israel long ago, as the Scriptures say: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25. But, we should ask ourselves this question: “Will this tendency of man remain unpunished before our Creator who made man to serve him?”
The Word of God teaches us that God knows all things, and that He will judge all things, and that He will bring all just consequences upon man if they do not turn from their evil ways. For it is written: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10. It must be clear that everything is laid bare before God, and that He will deal with all things fairly, especially with the heart of man. There are many who try to show a religious life, or good conduct according to the opinion of society, but this does not align with the thoughts of God, nor with the reason why God created and made man, and far less, with the purpose and reason why He has given the opportunity for salvation through Christ. Many think that God made us to live our lives, so to speak. And with this, they justify all kinds of erroneous doctrine. God did not make us to do whatever we want. God did not create man to do his own will. Even less, God the Father did not send His Only Begotten Son to die on a cross so that man could continue doing as they please. Many confuse faith with a simple belief in God alone, and that this is enough. But it's not like that. This is not what the Word of God teaches. And it is necessary to be able to explain this over and over again because if the lie, or an apparent truth, is followed, the vast majority will have a very bitter moment in God's judgment, whose punishment will last for all eternity. And the word “bitter” does not even begin to describe what eternal punishment means. There will be many surprises in God's great judgment, and to the detriment of many people.
Many believers think that they will no longer experience God's judgment, and that everything will be justified through faith in Christ. And yes, it is true that grace and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will justify us in the great judgment, but only if we did the will of the Father. Otherwise, if there are no works and a right heart before God, then a supposed faith in Christ will not save man. And this is where you must be very careful, because quite simply, no one can deceive God. This is what the Word says: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27. “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” 2 Corinthians 5:9-11a. So, there is no way to be confused with these passages, that absolutely everyone, both unbelievers and believers, will give an account for their actions before the Most High. God will judge our actions, our thoughts, and even the intention of our heart. Everything will be exposed before His throne and every being that surrounds His presence. And if this is not reason enough to begin to have some kind of fear and reverence before God, I don't know what else can be said. To think anything else is foolishness, and foolishness is not excusable before God.
So, how can we come to have a heart worthy before God? Through genuine and complete repentance and conversion from all sin, not just some sins. And we must accept the Lord Jesus Christ by faith as the literal and effective Lord of our lives. And this leads to the third and fundamental thing of faith in Christ: seeking to do the will of the Father. And the third thing is as important as repentance and conversion, and faith in the Lord Jesus, because without this, there can be no salvation. The heart cannot become what it needs to be transformed to if it does not live through the process of regeneration that consists of much more than just a single moment of confession of faith. He is called the Way for a reason, because the true Christian life consists of a lifestyle, and not of words, much less of trying to use God to get what a person wants as is very common today. This is what makes the hearts of many so deceitful, because on the one hand they profess to follow Christ, but on the other hand, they look only to God to fulfill their desires and not God's desire, as they hide behind a supposed faith. This is what the Word says: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. What does it explain here? That, even if a person does things that appear spiritual, it does not mean that their heart is with God, but rather, that they can be very far from God despite their religious actions. That is why they are incapable of doing the true will of God, because the true will of the Father is: to do good works directed by Him, with a heart that is according to that of God’s heart. Father above all other things. The Lord reiterated this which should be the all of man through the Lord Jesus Christ, especially after coming to Christ: “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” Mark 12:29-30. This is what must happen in the life of every believer, and all of this is possible over time with the help of the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God, if you let yourself be led by the Lord, if you genuinely seek to do His will daily. This should be the feeling that our hearts should have, just as the Apostle Paul had when he converted to the Lord: “So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’…” Acts 9:6a. So, when God weighs your heart in the great judgment, what will God see? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!