The heart is central to understanding what the Bible teaches about human nature and God’s plan of salvation. At a basic physical level, the heart is an organ that pumps blood throughout the body. But in the Bible, the heart refers to much more than just the physical organ. It is the center of a person’s inner, emotional, and spiritual life. The condition of a person’s heart determines their moral character and relationship to God.
The heart as the center of human thought and will
In the Bible, the heart is the source of a person’s thoughts, desires, and choices. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Jesus taught that it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander (Matthew 15:19). Many other verses confirm this biblical link between the heart and a person’s inner thought life (Psalm 73:7; Luke 2:35; Romans 1:21).
The heart is also the faculty of human will and decision making. When the Old Testament refers to people “setting their hearts” to do something, it means they have decided or resolved to follow a certain course (1 Samuel 7:3; Daniel 1:8; Luke 21:14). The heart’s decisions manifest themselves through actions. Jesus taught that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). What fills a person’s heart will make its way into their speech and conduct.
The heart as the site of emotions
In the Bible, the heart is also the seat of a person’s emotional life. We read of hearts being filled with anger (Genesis 4:5), anguish (Genesis 6:6), gladness (Acts 2:26), sorrow (Nehemiah 2:2), courage (Psalm 27:14), and many other emotions. The condition of the heart reflects and determines our emotional state and maturity.
Many statements in Scripture also connect the heart with love. The heart is where love is rooted (Romans 5:5), and from which actions of love should flow (1 Peter 1:22). The two great commandments are to love God with all one’s heart and to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:37-39). So the heart is where our devotion and care for others finds its source. A heart overflowing with God’s love will lead to compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness toward others (Colossians 3:12-14).
The heart in relation to sin
Because the heart is the source of thoughts, desires, and choices, it is also the root of all human sinfulness. Jesus taught that evil intentions begin in the human heart (Mark 7:21-23). Jeremiah 17:9 says that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick.” From the human heart flow sinful behaviors like sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, and greed (Mark 7:21-22). Every other sin likewise originates from the corruption lodged in people’s hearts.
The prophets also condemned Israel for stubbornly following their own rebellious hearts (Jeremiah 7:24; 16:12). Ezekiel described the people’s hearts as being like stone and unable to turn back to God (Ezekiel 11:19-21). So Scripture connects waywardness of heart with rejecting God’s law and authority. The natural human heart, left unchecked, will pursue a sinful course of rebellion against God.
The heart and the need for inner transformation
Because the heart is the source of thoughts, choices, emotions, and behavior, Scripture emphasizes the need for God to change people’s hearts. Without this inner renewal, outward obedience to God’s commands will be merely superficial. So God promised His people, “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
Where human efforts fail to change the heart, God can powerfully work within people to affect true inner transformation (Hebrews 4:12). He convicts the heart (1 Samuel 16:7), searches and tests it (Jeremiah 17:10), softens and opens it to repentance (Acts 16:14), and dwells within it by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:22). As believers walk in obedience to Christ, He continues cleansing and purifying their hearts (Acts 15:9; Romans 2:29).
So while the natural human heart is plagued by sin, Scripture holds out the amazing hope that God can create a new heart (Psalm 51:10). He graciously gives repentant believers new desires to obey Him, know Him, and love Him. This inner renewal of motivation is essential to true Christian growth in grace.
The heart and living for God
Because the heart occupies such a central role in the inner life, Scripture consistently connects it with the way believers should live before God. Here are some of the Bible’s major teachings about the heart’s importance for faithful Christian living:
– Seeking God with the whole heart is key (1 Chronicles 22:19; Jeremiah 29:13). Half-hearted devotion is not enough.
– Walking blamelessly before God requires purity of heart (Psalm 101:2; Psalm 119:9-11).
– Developing wisdom, godly character, and obedience to God’s word must involve the heart (Psalm 119:2, 10-11, 34-36). These are not merely outward behaviors to copy.
– Guarding the heart is crucial to remain on the right path (Proverbs 4:23; Luke 6:45). Deceitful desires can easily lead people astray.
– Living by insightful principles like the fear of the Lord and righteous meditation stem from the condition of the heart (Psalm 19:14; Psalm 90:12). External actions alone will not cultivate these qualities.
– Wholehearted trust, reliance, and devotion to God should flow from the heart (Proverbs 3:5; Acts 8:37; Romans 10:10). These posture the heart rightly before God.
So the state of people’s hearts will very much determine if they are living for God or for themselves. That is why Scripture urges, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). The shapings and orientations of the heart shape the course of a person’s life.
The heart in relation to God and others
The heart also occupies a central role in humanity’s relationships with God and others. Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Matthew 22:37). Loving and worshipping God should engage the affections and inner devotion of one’s whole being. This involves the heart.
Likewise, Scripture commands “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). So the heart is where love for other people should reside. True compassion, kindness, patience, and forgiveness flow from love rooted in the heart. This shapes how believers interact with others, care for those in need, and build community together.
However, the human heart, in its natural state, is far from God. Jeremiah 17:9 describes it as “deceitful above all things and desperately sick.” In their inner beings and thoughts, all people have turned away from God and exalted themselves (Romans 1:21-23). People’s hearts are bent inward toward selfish desires and goals. So there is a great gap between the sinful human heart and the holy God.
God’s work of renewal
For this reason, Scripture points to the need for God toperform an amazing work of inner renewal. Through the Holy Spirit, God circumcises people’s hearts (Romans 2:29). He gives them new hearts to replace their hearts of stone (Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 36:26). At salvation, God pours His love into believers’ hearts (Romans 5:5) and sends the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, to fill their hearts (2 Corinthians 1:22).
This inner transformation is necessary to realign the heart toward God. With new hearts, believers now delight to know, obey, worship, and love God. Their affections, desires, thoughts, and choices find a new center in Him. This reorientation of the heart back to God is essential for living according to His purposes.
As Christians, God graciously gives us new desires to follow Him. He removes hearts bent toward selfishness and sin, and replaces them with hearts that find joy and fulfillment in Him. This is an amazing work only possible through Christ, and demonstrates God’s great love and mercy.
Guarding and nurturing the heart
Because followers of Christ have been given new hearts, Scripture urges them to guard, nurture, and train their hearts responsibly. Guarding the heart involves being careful about what enters it. Just as physical food impacts the body, so informational and spiritual “foods” affect the heart (Philippians 4:8; Matthew 15:10-20). Christians must be discerning about what they allow into their inner beings through their eyes, ears, and minds.
Nurturing the heart means taking time to cultivate spiritual disciplines that strengthen and “tune” it toward godliness. This includes memorizing Scripture (Psalm 119:11), persistent prayer (Psalm 5:1-3), confessing sin (Psalm 51:10, 17), meditating on God’s word (Psalm 1:2), worshipping God (Psalm 108:1), and loving Him wholeheartedly (Matthew 22:37). Such practices help believers direct their hearts toward maturity in Christ.
So while God graciously changes hearts at conversion, Christians also shoulder responsibility for stewarding and shepherding their hearts. By guarding and nurturing the heart through spiritual disciplines, believers cooperate with God’s work within them. They partner with the Holy Spirit to align their desires, thoughts, and will toward godly living.
The connection between heart and actions
This intentional training of the heart is crucial because the Bible so closely links the heart with outward actions. Jesus taught that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). What fills the heart – whether godly thoughts or sinful desires – will make its way into conduct. That is why Scripture urges, “Above all else, guard your heart” (Proverbs 4:23). The activities of life flow dynamically from heart-level commitments, allegiances, loves, and hatreds.
So the shaping and tending of the heart will have profound implications for how someone lives. For this reason, Paul prayed for the Ephesians that “the eyes of your hearts would be enlightened” so they might know God better (Ephesians 1:18). He knew an inner strengthening at the heart level would influence their growth as believers. Likewise, becoming “transformed by the renewal of your mind” is vital for obeying and pleasing God with the entirety of one’s life (Romans 12:2). So healthy Christian living requires utter dependence on God to be constantly renewing and purifying our inner hearts.
The return of Christ and the heart
At Jesus Christ’s return, He will come to judge the thoughts and intentions of every human heart (1 Corinthians 4:5). Nothing will be hidden from His sight. They hypocrisy of outwardly righteous deeds, without inner transformation, will be exposed. But for those who have trusted Christ, He gives the assurance of eternal life. Because God sees the heart rather than merely external behaviors, He can grant eternal rewards based on His knowledge of the inner transformation He has Himself miraculously worked within believers (Jeremiah 17:10).
For Christ followers, judgment should not incite fear, because “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5). As believers walk closely with God, allowing Him access to shape every aspect of the inner life, they can have confidence in facing Christ. Their hearts have been changed by His power and grace. So on the day of His return, Christians long for Christ Himself to “establish your hearts blameless in holiness” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). The Savior they love will make His home within their hearts for eternity.
Conclusion
The heart is central to human existence, and central to properly understanding the message of Scripture. In the Bible, the heart refers to the very core of the human creature made in God’s image – the source of thoughts, knowledge, wisdom, choices, desires, emotions, courage, and character. The natural human heart left to itself is plagued by sin, selfishness, and hardness toward God. For this reason, Scripture points to the miraculous gift of God giving His people new hearts – putting His own Spirit within them to transform, renew, and purify the inner life. Christians are responsible to guard and nurture the heart through spiritual disciplines and careful living. The condition of the heart will profoundly impact one’s relationship to God, service for His Kingdom, and eternal destiny when Christ returns. So believers must rely on the work of the Holy Spirit to align the heart with God’s purposes and walk in wholehearted devotion to Him.
