Heart Surgery for all Believers

Remember Hebrews 4:12, “The word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword – it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart” (CJB). I do not know where the soul meets the spirit, but I know what this verse says to me. It says only the living Word of God is able to help me distinguish between truth that is revealed by the Holy Spirit and the distorted thinking that comes through the filter of my emotions. I need the Living Word in me to transform my carnal thoughts and feelings into ideas and perspectives that align with God’s truths.

Yeshua (Jesus) taught us God’s kingdom standards in Matthew 22:37-40, “Yeshua replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments’” (NIV). Here we discover that God’s standards are selfless. They are based on preferring others to ourselves. We are to love Yehovah God completely, with every fiber of our being, and we are to love others more than we love ourselves.

These are tall orders. They may seem reasonable as you read them right now. However, when you are having a “discussion” with your spouse, or you have been cut off in traffic, or the boss gives your promotion to a coworker, or a relationship is ended without explanation…that’s when obeying these commandments can be challenging. In these moments, our ability to conform to the selfless standards of God’s kingdom may appear beyond reach. Therefore, we must approach them with transformed perspectives from minds that have been renewed by the Word of Yehovah God.