Spirit Filled Heart

 Psalms 119:105-112, Romans 8:1-11

We talked last week about Greek thinking which promoted that your mind had hierarchy in your life over your body. Now what I love about the Hebrew language of the Old Testament is there is no word just for mind – but the heart is the soul that the seat of emotions and thinking comes. We see this is Psalms 119. The Psalmist is talking out of his heart about his love of scripture and God’s righteous ordinances. He talks about God’s decrees being the joy of his heart and he will incline his heart, incline meaning willing or favorably disposed toward an action, belief, or attitude. Here it is to do the action of performing – doing God’s statutes.

We return to Greek thinking Paul of the New Testament in Romans where he talks about setting their minds, not their hearts, on the Holy Spirit. Doing so will bring life and peace. He condemns those who set their mind on the flesh which leads to death.

The major difference between the Psalmist and Paul here is the beginning of the New Covenant brought by salvation from Jesus’ work on the cross. Paul talks about God sending God’s son in the likeness – humanness of sinful flesh to deal with sin once and for all giving us the ability to fulfill the law requirement since we now walk according to the Spirit.

We use the phrase that Jesus lives in our hearts. Is this the Hebrew heart which includes the soul? Children raise the question how can the physical man Jesus climb and fit into our physical hearts? Here Paul explains that Christ is in you through the Holy Spirit. This Spirit helps us live a righteous life. Not only does the Spirit help us now, but the power of the Spirit which raised Christ from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies when we die.

So does this Spirit dwell in our mind, our hearts, or our souls? I believe the Hebrew language has it right putting all of these in a central place. In this central being of me the Spirit can direct my mind, my heart and its desires, and my bodily actions. May we all have and use the Spirit filled heart. Amen

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