The God Type of Heart: Part Three - Jesus. In parts one and two we highlighted David and Moses, who both had The God Type of Heart, and this month, we would like to conclude the series with the ultimate example of The God Type of Heart - Jesus. Really, the title for this letter should be The God Heart, because Jesus is God and was before the foundation of the world. He is the example of the perfect man and the One we should all fix our eyes upon. His walk on earth was pure and without blemish and He lived life without sin. The good news is we can receive the same Holy Spirit and overwhelmingly conquer in Him. Let’s examine a few aspects of Jesus life and find wisdom in His actions.
Faith: The faith of Jesus is abundantly clear throughout the Gospels, and from our past studies we know that the key to the God type of heart is a strong faith. Let’s look at the boldness and faith that Jesus operated in by observing the moment He proclaimed, in His hometown synagogue, the prophecy that was written about Him: Luke 4:16-21 “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Notice there is no doubt in Jesus. Jesus didn’t say, “Oooooh Lord, I am so unworthy, I don’t know what to say or how to speak.” Not at all! Instead, there is pure confidence and faith in Jesus and an exact knowledge of His mission. However, in the church today, there seems to exist a theme among Christians to avoid faith and instead, opt for a false humility that constantly promotes weak thoughts and an attitude of failure and suffering. I am unworthy and a horrible sinner seems to be the theme that allows people to keep their status quo. Sure, we were all sinners, but once you receive Jesus everything is made new (2 Corinthians 5:17). You can either decide to live in the victory of Christ and be an overcomer, or you can stay defeated and focus on your shortcomings while never believing God can raise you up to do great things.
Social Status: Jesus was constantly pestered by the establishment of the top religious agents of Judaism. He was a threat to their way of life and their social standing. The Pharisees and other religious sects of Judaism were the top dogs and they didn’t want to lose their power or influence to a man of lowly upbringing from Nazareth. They feared the loss of their way of life and resisted it bitterly. Here are some of the things they spoke against Jesus:
“Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, ‘What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.’” John 11:47-48
“Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, ‘This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.’” Matt 12:22-24
“Then the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?’ Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.’” John 8:48-49
Jesus was despised by the establishment because He did not conform to what the world wanted. Be not confused, conforming to the world will only lead many astray, not bring more people into the Kingdom. Unfortunately, in modern times, there exists among some churches a desire to be socially acceptable to the world. This has led to many pains, both in individuals and in congregations. For example, churches that strive to be culturally relevant to the world often disregard the message of faith and teachings of the Word and instead, exist only to serve the needs and feelings of its members. When a church does this, it will resemble a light-frothy-feel-good message, but will have no promotion of growth in the Word for the congregation. A church like this will claim to accept all, but many of its members often turn into community driven zealots that harbor a feeling of; if you aren’t a member after visiting a few times, you are aren’t apart of our community. Moreover, recruitment slang like, “you need to get plugged in” or “this needs to be your homebase” are words that pressure people into joining the “community cause” rather than promoting a person's growth in Him. Be wary of this and make sure you know what you are getting into. Base your decisions upon what your Spirit says, not the pressure of others. Jesus fought the same zealot, community nature all the time in His day. The Pharisees and other sects were constantly dividing the people and attacking the ministry of Jesus because he upset the order. To be clear, this is not a suggestion to rebel against every church. But to make sure you are on a right path with your church, you need to ask yourself these questions: 1. Have I grown in the Word and understand more about who I am in Christ than when I started? 2. Do the leaders promote individual growth in the Word and encourage me to be active in my calling, even if it is not apart of the church's establishment? 3. Does the community focus take precedence over the Spirit of God? Answer those questions and then make your decision based upon what your Spirit says. Chances are you are already in a good place, but if you feel grieved, than do something about it.
When it came to social status with Jesus, He simply didn’t care. He knew what was in the hearts of men, and knew they would despise Him, but He continued to speak the truth and accomplished His mission. Conformity to the world is dangerous, but transformation in Christ is perfect. Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Love: Another characteristic that is found in those who possess the God type of Heart is a steadfast love and care for the oppressed and hurting. Justice, truth, and compassion are commonplace for those of the God type of Heart. They care little for their own benefit, but desire the benefit of others. Jesus is the perfect example of this in every aspect of His life. He loved children, lepers, the poor, and all the undesirables according to the world. His love is perfect and continual and He left us with this promise: Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Remember, the God Type of Heart is present in you also. If you believe in the Lord and have accepted Him in, you possess a new recreated spirit. Take faith, follow the truth of the Word and love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor likewise. With this, you will do well.