Quick Answer: Do Christians have a deceitfully wicked heart? Some teach that a believer has a wicked heart (Jeremiah 17:9). However, this is not Scriptural. A Christian has a new, righteous and obedient heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27; Hebrews 8:10; Romans 6:17). Jeremiah 17:9 describes an unbeliever before the born-again experience. In contrast, every believer has a new heart, a new spirit, and God’s Spirit.
Diving Deeper: Popular Christian teaching suggests that Christians have wicked hearts. This teaching is based on Jeremiah 17:9. However, those words were spoken before the New Covenant began at Christ’s death (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:16). They speak of the condition of humanity before the born-again experience occurs in a person’s life.
Believers enjoy a beautiful, new and righteous heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27; Hebrews 8:10). This heart is forever obedient to God (Romans 6:17). It is the place where Christ dwells (Ephesians 3:17).
You can trust your new heart. You can trust your new desires. After all, your true desires are the same as God’s desires for you (2 Peter 1:3-4). This does not mean you won’t experience sinful thoughts or temptations. It does mean, however, that those sinful desires are not from you but from sin operating in you (Romans 6:12; Romans 7:17, 20). You are new at the core, and God is devoted to helping you to realize this reality and to live from it daily through the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1-2).
Let’s Make It a Conversation!
1. Have you ever believed that you had a wicked heart? What effect did that have in your life?
2. How does understanding the before-and-after-salvation picture help here?
3. React to this statement: At the heart level, you don’t really want to sin anymore.
How do you become more Christlike?
12/10/2024What is righteousness? What does it mean to be righteous?
12/3/2024What is a slave of righteousness?
11/26/2024Won’t too much grace lead to even more sinning?
11/19/2024What role does obedience play in the Christian life?
11/12/2024What are spiritual disciplines?
11/5/2024Thank you for your support to set more people free with the liberating truth of God’s grace.
As thanks for your gift below—worth DOUBLE thanks to the $100,000 Match—we’ll send you Andrew Farley’s new Best of 2024 series to keep you encouraged in God’s grace in the year ahead.
This exclusive collection of messages features some of Pastor Andrew’s most-requested teachings from this past year, touching on topics like why your fellowship with God can’t be broken, how you can know your salvation is permanent, and the key to victory over sin.
Thank you for your support to set more people free with the liberating truth of God’s grace.
As thanks for your gift below—worth DOUBLE thanks to the $100,000 Match—we’ll send you Andrew Farley’s new Best of 2024 series to keep you encouraged in God’s grace in the year ahead.
This exclusive collection of messages features some of Pastor Andrew’s most-requested teachings from this past year, touching on topics like why your fellowship with God can’t be broken, how you can know your salvation is permanent, and the key to victory over sin.