Well, tonight we're going to be looking at Proverbs chapter 4, verses 20 to 23. I'm hoping to do a number of sessions on these verses in coming months as I get opportunity to speak to you at these times. I thought it would be good for us to look at this short section of the Proverbs and think together about how important it is for each of us who is a Christian to keep our own heart and then also to be able to teach our children as they're growing up how to learn to keep their own heart when they come to understand more about salvation and the grace of Christ. What is it that's requisite to keeping our hearts from this passage? I'm going to be drawing from John Flavel's sermon on this subject entitled, What is it to keep the heart? Let's read the verses. Well, it's in Proverbs chapter four in verse 20 to 23. My son, give attention to my words and incline your ears to my sayings. Don't let them depart from your eyes and keep them in the midst of your heart for they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence for out of its spring the issues of life. So what is it to keep the heart? I'm going to add my own observations to Flavel's material and we'll look at this together. John Flavel says the matter of duty is to keep your heart. And I've handed out sheets here so that you can see some of this that I'm reading to you. It's to keep thy heart. Heart is not here taken properly for that noble part of the body, which philosophers call the first that lives and the last that dies. But by heart, in a metaphor, the scripture sometimes understands some particular noble faculty of the soul. In Romans 121, it is put for the understanding their foolish heart. That is, their foolish understanding was darkened. In Psalm 119, 11, it is put for the memory, thy word I have hid in my heart. And in 1 John 3, 21, it's put for the conscience, which hath in it both the light of the understanding and the recognitions of the memory, if our heart condemn us. That is, if our conscience, whose proper office it is, to condemn, but in our text we are to take it more generally, for the whole soul or inner man, for what the heart is to the body, that the soul is to the man, and what health is to the heart, that holiness is to the soul. The state of the whole body depends upon the soundness and vigor of the heart. and the everlasting state of the whole man upon the good or ill condition of the soul. By keeping the heart, understand the diligent and constant use and improvement of all holy means and duties to preserve the soul from sin. and maintain its sweet and free communion with God. So the question that we should think about according to what Flavel is saying is this. First of all, our need to keep our heart necessarily supposes that we are sinners in our natural state and that we need to be saved by believing In our Lord Jesus Christ, Flavel says the keeping of the heart necessarily supposes a previous work of sanctification which has set the heart right by giving it a new spiritual bent and inclination. So what does Flavel mean by a previous work of sanctification when he says the keeping of the heart necessarily supposes a previous work of sanctification which has set the heart right? by giving it a new spiritual bent and inclination. What does Flaval mean by a previous work of sanctification? Can you tell me? Amen. That's exactly right. It's a good picture of regeneration, isn't it? And circumcision of the heart. He means that God must cause a person to be born again, to be regenerated in their heart so they can appreciate the idea that they need to keep their own heart with diligence even after they're saved. Well, why is that? It's because that each of us, by nature, are totally depraved in our being. So question two that I have for you is, who can give to me a definition of total depravity? Every faculty is affected by sin, the whole man. There's not any part of us that doesn't sin at all. That's right. And there are none that speak for God. Excellent. That's exactly right. The mind and the heart are both corrupt. That's right. The mind and the heart are both corrupt. I've written down here, it's because of Adam and Eve's eating from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that sin gained entrance into their hearts and minds and defiled and corrupted each and every faculty of man's being. his heart, his mind, his will, his affections, even his conscience. And this is the way that each and every person is born into the world because Adam's nature has been passed down to each of us. There is one exception to this universal rule that every man born into this world has been born with a sinful nature, and that is Jesus Christ our Lord. So question three, how is it that our Lord Jesus Christ was not born into the world with a heart not affected by Adam's sin? Amen. God was his father. Amen. Conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. So the sinful nature of any sinful man is passed on to his children by and through his seed. When a man and wife have relations and she conceives, it is in conception that Adam's original sin is passed on from the man to the woman. So Mary did not conceive Jesus by the seed of her betrothed husband, Joseph. She conceived seed directly from the power and working of the Holy Spirit, as Johnny was just saying to us, in her womb. So question four, how then is the heart set right from its natural depravity? And we've been looking at this all along. but it's through regeneration, isn't it? And the new birth. And the new birth always takes place in relation to the message of the promise of the gospel of Christ. I think that we need to remember this. Sometimes I think that we think of regeneration as something separate from faith in Christ, but the two are right together in the conversion of any person. at least to their knowledge, if they have knowledge about it. In other words, we should always believe that for a person to be converted to Christ that they have to have dealings with God themselves. It's true that God causes a person to be born again, and that comes before saving faith in the heart. When God grants these things in regeneration, they don't just lie there and do nothing for months on end, but they lead the person to cry out to the Lord and to find salvation in respect of the new birth. I think it's important for us to hear that tonight so that we don't tell people that somehow they can be born again and then not really have dealings with God over their soul's salvation. You really do. Now, it's possible you may not understand what's happened to you in the new birth. I grant that. But still, there is something taking place, like Brian was saying, the removal of the heart of stone and giving the heart of flesh, which then leads the person to do what Matt says an unbeliever doesn't do, which is to seek for God. You see what I'm saying? So these two things are joined together and they're not meant to be. I mean, if a person's experience does go that way, like John the Baptist, maybe he was conceived in his mother's womb and he was leaping in there. Still, there was an interaction that was going on, if that was the case. Scripture lays out a clear order for us, but experientially, it doesn't always seem that way. Right, yeah, that's true. Yes, and sometimes reversed the other way in decisionalism. You know, when a person makes a decision for Christ, but yet, have they been born again? Well, maybe. Maybe. But then again, maybe they don't understand that they have to be born again. So it's important that we try to explain these things, if we can, to people biblically, whether they're a child or an adult. Then second, the keeping of our heart after we become a Christian is the great business of our life. John Flavel says, he gives us this truth as a doctrine, the keeping and right management of the heart in every condition is the great business. of a Christian's life. He says, what the philosopher saith of waters is as properly applicable to hearts. It is hard to keep them within any bounds. God has set bounds and limits to them, yet how frequently do they transgress not only the bounds of grace and religion, but even of reason and common honesty. This is that which affords the Christian matter of labor, fear, and trembling, to his dying day. It is not the cleansing of the hand that makes a Christian, for many a hypocrite can show as fair a hand as he, but it is the purifying watching and right ordering of the heart. This is the thing that provokes so many sad complaints and costs so many deep groans and brinish tears. So the Bible gives us many examples of God's saints having to learn to guard and keep their own heart with diligence because from it flows the issues of life. And I want us to look at the example tonight of Hezekiah from 2 Chronicles 32 and verses 22 to 26. Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sir Nacharib, the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. And many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem and presents to Hezekiah, king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter. In those days, Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the Lord, and he spoke to him and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up. Therefore, wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart. He and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them, in the days of Hezekiah." So question five, according to these verses, what sin or sins should Hezekiah have kept his heart from falling into following he and his people's deliverance from Sennacherib's war against them? That's exactly right, David. This was a mighty deliverance where an angel of the Lord came down and smote 185,000 of them, the Sennacherib's army. It was an incredible victory. Well, he should have kept his heart with all diligence, shouldn't he? From falling into the sins of pride, and I would also add unthankfulness for not recognizing all that God had done for him and the people and delivering them from Sennacherib. Look also down the page a ways at verses 27 To 31, Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items, storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks. Moreover, he provided cities for himself and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very much property. This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of the upper Gion and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the city of David. Hezekiah prospered in all his works. However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him in order to test him. that he might know all that was in his heart. So question number six, when it says that God withdrew from him in order to test him that he might know all that was in his heart, what does it mean that God withdrew from him? I don't know if you've ever thought about this. It seems to mean some kind of to an event coming to pass that was going to test what was in him. But it's not like he left him graceless. Right, that's good. Is the word withdrew in the NAS there in that verse? No, we have left him alone. Okay, good. That's good. because I believe that it means that he left Hezekiah to himself to determine what he would do in that situation so that he might know or prove to Hezekiah and to himself what Hezekiah would do apart from his grace. Now, this is a very interesting thing for us and I think that we should take notice of it. What he would have Hezekiah learn by his grace, that is to keep his heart, to guard his heart so that he would learn to put sin to death and learn to do the right thing in situations like this, that is to guard his heart through praying to God for strength to be wise and righteous in relation to people's questions about his riches. All these guys came in and they wanted to see what was happening. So turn over to 2 Kings chapter 20 and verses 12 to 19. And it says this, at that time Barodak Baladdon, the son of Baladdon, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. And Hezekiah was attentive to them and showed them all the house of his treasures, the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment and all his armory, all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and said to him, what did these men say? And from where did they come to you? So Hezekiah said, they came from a far country from Babylon. And he said, what have they seen in your house? So Hezekiah answered, they have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them. Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, hear the word of the Lord. Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house "'And what your fathers have accumulated until this day "'shall be carried to Babylon. "'Nothing shall be left,' says the Lord. "'And they shall take away some of your sons "'who will descend from you, whom you will beget. "'And they will be eunuchs in the palace "'of the king of Babylon.' "'So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "'The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good. "'For he said, will there not be peace and truth, "'at least in my days? So question number seven, I ask, how do you think that Hezekiah could have kept his heart better in this situation? I'm not convinced he did ill. Can you explain that, please? Well, it isn't self-evident. We have to interpret it. That's true. That's true. I answer, it appears that he could have given glory to God for his regaining his health and his having been given by God all the earthly treasures that he had. He should have been thinking not only of himself and how he fared in an earthly way, but he should have also thought about passing on the lessons of truth that he was learning to his sons, teaching them the good way of the Lord for Manasseh in his lifetime before his conversion was a very wicked man. So I'm trying to show you here that keeping your heart with all diligence includes your praying to set a good example for your children in terms of your repentance and then learning to live a righteous life. That's our study for tonight. Do you have any questions or thoughts or comments or anything you want to interact over? Yes. You are correct. What is truly extraordinary was that the Lord saved Manasseh later on, even though he was so very, very wicked. Now, He didn't spare the nation. He destroyed the nation anyway. But He saved Manasseh. So, I'm just saying these are good lessons for us. to learn about keeping our heart, about the importance of prayer in relation to it, the importance of humility, and being a good example for our children, helping them to understand about keeping their heart. Does anyone in the scriptures besides Jesus, of course, unambiguously pass the test when God tests them? No, I don't believe so, because we all fall short of the glory of God. No, I think that's right. I think we need to remember that we all have much to learn. And especially when God tests our heart, or as it says here, withdraws from us from a time, it doesn't mean that when Jesus says, I will never leave you nor forsake you, it doesn't mean that you're actually left. But you're left to yourself in the sense that you You are not experiencing the great grace of God and Christ, which would prevent you from inclining your heart to your own wisdom or your own ways. And God was specifically testing him in regard to that, as to what he would do in that situation. It's not as though God doesn't know all these things. Beforehand obviously he does but he speaks here in a way that we can understand that there's a dynamic interaction between ourselves and God So that we can understand just how wonderfully wise our God is in the way that he leads us and shows us Everything related to how we can grow up into Christ and how we can do better and in terms of keeping our own heart. I think the keeping of the heart is a very, very important subject, and so that's why I'm gonna continue to try to show you more and more from this. I slightly disagree with that. I believe a little bit of pride is there in showing off all that you've collected, and showing it to people who've traveled from afar off, That's basically what they were told. The days are coming when all that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day shall be carried back home. Nothing shall be left besides the Lord. Yeah, it's a direct response to how he had acted there. And then he shows disregard for the promise for the throne at the end there as well. There would not be peace and truth, at least in my days. Yeah, it's very selfish. Way to look at it, I think, yeah. Yeah. But like you said, though, often you see throughout the Scripture, when somebody comes from before off, what do we do? Hey, come on in. Let's show you what he didn't say. It's just not an unambiguous event, is all I'm saying. We can easily rely on perceived interpretations. I think the idea that he did something wrong is there from the fact that he was sent a prophet to have him corrected over it, and corrected in such a mighty way that it really showed forth again, as Johnny was just saying, that he really hadn't learned, I don't think, the lesson that God was trying to show him in and through this whole situation. In other words, he should have, I think, you know, cried out to the Lord at that point and said, you know, I have really failed to understand as I should have the grace of God which has been shown to me and to this nation in sparing us from this overwhelming defeat from our enemies. So he's kind of like Asa again. True. Great deliverance early and stumbles later. Yes, that's good. Yeah, that's good. So that's the way that we are sometimes, isn't it? I mean, sometimes we may do very well, and some men in the Bible are more consistent in their godliness than the others. I think we have to just hopefully learn the lessons that will help us to be more consistent in godliness, and especially in terms of keeping and guarding our hearts. But I love that passage and I love Flavel's treatise on it, so I'll continue to bring you more here in the future.