If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ 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 (Deut. 13:1-3).
God doesn’t figure out what is in our hearts by using x-ray vision. Rather, He listens to our words and watches our actions. Jesus said, “The things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders” (Matt. 15:18-19, emphasis added). Our hearts are revealed by our words and our actions.
Contrary to that, I once heard a pastor say, “It’s a good thing that God doesn’t look at our checking accounts or wallets to determine our love for Him! No, He looks at our hearts!”
The implication was that, even if our bank accounts and wallets indicate that we love money or don’t care for the poor, our good hearts can override all the evidence. Although my actions clearly prove that I do love money and don’t care for the poor, in my heart I actually don’t love money and do care for the poor! A tragic self-deception. The truth is, God knows, at least in part, what is in our hearts by looking at our bank accounts and wallets.
Beyond that, as you first read in Deuteronomy 13:1-3, God sometimes tests people by allowing false prophets and teachers to propagate their poison. He may even allow them to demonstrate some supernatural ability. The reason is because our hearts are revealed to Him through the leaders we gravitate towards.
This principle applies in many ways. The teachers, the doctrine, and the churches to which we gravitate are all a revelation of what is in our hearts.
Some gravitate towards dead churches because they are spiritually dead.
Some gravitate towards churches where the main theme is prosperity because their hearts are full of greed.
Some gravitate towards churches where Jesus is portrayed more as servant than as Lord because they aren’t really interested in obeying Him.
Some gravitate towards teaching that is scripturally unbalanced, not because they aren’t intelligent enough to discern that it is unbalanced, but because, in their hearts, they love what is super-emphasized and hate what is super-neglected.
And some don’t go to any church, because all the churches in their area are like those mentioned above, and their hearts are full of the Holy Spirit!
In any case, every day “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.”
Something to ponder!
