Good morning believing ones!
There’s a difference between BELIEVING WITH THE HEART and trying to understand spiritual things with your mind. BELIEVING WITH THE HEART is what gets results in the kingdom of God.
Mark 11:23 and Romans 10:10 says that we BELIEVE WITH THE HEART. The word “heart” is often used to describe the core of something. The heart of a person is his or her spirit so the words “heart” and “spirit” are sometimes used interchangeably in the Bible.
Our soul consists of the mind, will, and emotions but the spirit of a man is the hidden part of him which cannot be seen. Our bodies are referred to as our earthly houses in 2 Corinthians 5:1-8.
Only human beings are made in the likeness of God. Throughout the Scriptures, it’s revealed in more detail the manner in which God made us in His image. For example His face and hands are often mentioned in the Scriptures (see Exodus 33:11-23). Angels are also spirits and as God allows, they can be seen. They can also take on the form of human beings.
We make contact with God with our spirits, not our human intellect or our five senses. God is a Spirit, therefore, those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (see John 4:24). The natural man (or the person without knowledge of spiritual things) will consider spiritual things foolish.
We must trust the Lord with our spirits not our understanding or our minds. Proverbs 3:5 says,
- Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
We have peace within when we believe, trust in, and rely solely on God. We walk by faith and not by sight. As we transform our minds by gaining knowledge of the Word of God, this feeds our inner man. We have a free will, therefore, we can make the choice to renew our minds with the Word. Just as we’re responsible for changing our thinking, we’re also responsible for bringing our bodies under subjection to God’s Word.
Believing with my heart,
Lisa Gordon
Jesus City Church
Glastonbury CT