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Saturday, June 06, 2020

The deceitful wicked heart

Man’s problem and God’s cure.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Diagnosis, sin. Inbred, ingrained sin in the heart, that is both deceitful and desperately wicked. It is not just the actions, but the heart itself that is sinful.

A people who dismiss the diagnosis will have no idea of a cure. Our society and even many of our churches reject the diagnosis of the deceitful and wickedness of man deep down in his heart – a diagnosis they cannot know by applying human reasoning. Only God searches, tries, and knows man’s heart. We cannot muse and meditate until we figure out the problem. Nevertheless, by revelation God has diagnosed the problem. “All have sinned.” “There is none good.” “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” “There is none good, but one, that is, God.”

By revelation God has prescribed the answer, the cure.

Isaiah 53: 4-5 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Acts 8:34-35 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

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