Guard Your Heart
1 John 5:21 NASBS
Beloved of God, set your mind to pray each day that your heart will not be led astray by inordinate desires. James tells a struggling church, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
This is true of you as well. Understand that Jesus Christ has redeemed you from the despondency of sin and its corruption. He has cleansed you with His precious blood, and your sins have been forgiven. Your eternal destiny is now in heaven, where you will see Jesus, the One who died in your place. You will see the scars on His body that bore away your transgressions thousands of years ago, when He was crucified on the cross.
But nevertheless, though you love Him with all of your heart, you’re not free from the inward struggles of sin. So if you are not on guard, you will repeatedly crucify the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart, as you are led away by your own lust.
Yes Christian, your heart that was once given solely to the Lord, those affections that clung to Him with all of its strength, will be given to an inferior object and molded into an idol. And like Israel of old who failed in idolatry while Moses was up on the mountain before God, you will find yourself worshiping man-made idols that have been contrived in your own mind.
Your conduct will emit a smell of death in our Savior’s nostrils, causing sorrow to the Holy Spirit of God, Who has loved you from the foundations of the world.
Oh my Brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s foolish to let the deception of sin sway our hearts away from the Crucified Savior. That is, to exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for heated passions that are fleeting, only to arouse fleshly desires, which lead to despair.
So beloved of God, like a soldier who stands prepared in front of the gates of a fortified city, let’s guard those areas with truth where sin so easily penetrates our soul. Therefore, watch over your eyes, which is the window of the soul. Guard your ears, so as not to let one lie into your heart. Let not your mind wander into the areas of corruption, being very careful what you entertain.
”Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” Understand and never forget “that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” Therefore, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.”
An early Puritan once prayed, “Thy main plan, and the end of thy will is to make Christ glorious and beloved in heaven where he is now ascended, where one day all the elect will behold his glory and love and glorify him for ever.
Though here I love him but little, may this be my portion at last. In this world, thou hast given me a beginning, one day it will be perfected in the realm above.”
“Here, it is my duty to be as Christ in this world, to do what he would do, to live as he would live, to walk in love and meekness; then would he be known, then would I have peace in death.”
So let it be ours as well.