God Tests the Hearts of People
Table of Contents
- God wants us to love Him with our hearts
- God wants more than obedience. Not only does He want us to obey the letter of the law, He wants us to agree with the spirit of the law in our hearts
- God knows all things, including what is in our heart
- God knows what is in our heart and thoughts
- Jesus, who is God, knows what is in our heart and thoughts
- Actions done with bad motives are despised by God
- Actions done with good motives are pleasing to God
- God tests us to display what the intent of our heart is and if we really love Him
- God saves those who are pure in heart
- God gives to those with an upright heart
God wants us to love Him with our hearts:
- "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29)
- "Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other." (Deuteronomy 4:39)
- "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:5)
- "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 10:12)
- "And it shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul." (Deuteronomy 11:13)
- `And I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.' (Jeremiah 24:7)
God wants more than obedience. Not only does He want us to obey the letter of the law, He wants us to agree with the spirit of the law in our hearts:
- "And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart." (Deuteronomy 6:6)
- "This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 26:16)
- My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; (Proverbs 3:1)
God knows all things, including what is in our heart:
- in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (1 John 3:20)
God knows what is in our heart and thoughts:
- But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)
- then hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest, for Thou alone dost know the hearts of all the sons of men. (1 Kings 8:39)
- "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. (1 Chronicles 28:9)
- then hear Thou from heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest for Thou alone dost know the hearts of the sons of men. (2 Chronicles 6:30)
- Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. (Psalm 44:21)
- The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath. (Psalm 94:11)
- O LORD, Thou hast searched me and known me. Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. (Psalm 139:1-2)
- "For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. (Isaiah 66:18)
- Then the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and He said to me, "Say, `Thus says the LORD, "So you think, house of Israel, for I know your thoughts. (Ezekiel 11:5)
- For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Jesus, who is God, knows what is in our heart and thoughts:
- And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? (Matthew 9:4)
- And knowing their thoughts He said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand. (Matthew 12:25)
- But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, (Luke 9:47)
- `And I will kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. (Revelation 2:23)
- God knows what is in our heart, no matter what the external actions may look like. Those who do bad things unintentionally and unknowingly are not condemned by God.
- Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her." (Genesis 20:6)
Actions done with bad motives are despised by God:
- Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. (Genesis 6:5-6)
- `You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him.' (Leviticus 19:17)
- "For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. (Psalm 95:10)
- The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their walk are His delight. (Proverbs 11:20)
- Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished. (Proverbs 16:5)
- but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)
- for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:21)
- "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man." (Matthew 15:18)
Actions done with good motives are pleasing to God:
- "Since I know, O my God, that Thou triest the heart and delightest in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Thy people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to Thee. (1 Chronicles 29:17)
- The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their walk are His delight. (Proverbs 11:20)
- The Lord judges us based upon our motives, not just our actions:
- But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously, Who tries the feelings and the heart, Let me see Thy vengeance on them, For to Thee have I committed my cause. (Jeremiah 11:20)
- But Thou knowest me, O LORD; Thou seest me; And Thou dost examine my heart's attitude toward Thee. Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter And set them apart for a day of carnage! (Jeremiah 12:3)
- All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives. (Proverbs 16:2)
- Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?" (Proverbs 20:9)
- Every man's way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts. (Proverbs 21:2)
- Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God. (1 Corinthians 4:5)
- the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. (Philippians 1:17)
- You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. (James 4:3)
- `And I will kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. (Revelation 2:23)
God tests us to display what the intent of our heart is and if we really love Him:
- "And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not." (Deuteronomy 8:2)
- ...you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:3)
- And even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart. (2 Chronicles 32:31)
- Thou hast tried my heart; Thou hast visited me by night; Thou hast tested me and dost find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. (Psalm 17:3)
- Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart. (Psalm 26:2)
- Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; (Psalm 139:23)
- The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts. (Proverbs 17:3)
- "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds. (Jeremiah 17:10)
- Yet, O LORD of hosts, Thou who dost test the righteous, Who seest the mind and the heart; Let me see Thy vengeance on them; For to Thee I have set forth my cause. (Jeremiah 20:12)
God saves those who are pure in heart:
- "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live. (Deuteronomy 30:6)
- My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart. (Psalm 7:10)
- Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)
- O continue Thy lovingkindness to those who know Thee, And Thy righteousness to the upright in heart. (Psalm 36:10)
- Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23)
- "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8)
God gives to those with an upright heart:
- He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation. (Psalm 24:4-5)
- (A Psalm of Asaph.) Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart! (Psalm 73:1)
- Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, And to those who are upright in their hearts. (Psalm 125:4)
- "And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us." (Acts 15:8)
- You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. (James 4:3)
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