Measuring Your Heart
Big Idea: God wants our hearts fully devoted to him, transforming us through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When flying into New York City, you may have glimpsed the Statue of Liberty from your window. Occasionally, this iconic monument undergoes maintenance, and instead of her familiar form, you see her shrouded in scaffolding. Workers scurry about, welding, polishing, and repairing her. In that moment, it becomes clear: this grand lady of the harbor has no ability to sustain herself. She depends entirely on the scaffolding. She is not alive—she is a monument, a symbol, but hollow inside.
Many Christians are like that statue. They have become dependent on external support to sustain their faith. Beneath the surface, they may feel hollow, their hearts affected by something that's left them distant from God. I have experienced this myself. When my walk with God isn’t intentionally nurtured, I subtly drift into hollowness, and it doesn’t take long. My faith becomes a lifeless routine, often slipping into hypocrisy.
Our relationship with God is meant to be an inside-out reality. God works first in our hearts, transforming us from within, because he isn’t impressed by outward appearances. But when we neglect this inner work, we end up leaning on external scaffolding to sustain us. Test this in your own life: if you rely on books, podcasts, pastors, professors, or sermons to fuel your faith, you’ll find it doesn’t work. True vitality comes only from a heart deeply connected to God.
In the Old Testament, God often confronted Israel about the coldness of their hearts. Though they followed the law outwardly, Scripture said, "all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart" (Jeremiah 9:26). Although the people bore the outward sign of the covenant, their hearts remained cold and distant from him. God’s concern was not just for their actions but for the inner condition of their souls.
In Joel 2:13, God calls for true repentance:
Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.
Similarly, in Hosea 6:6, God says:
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
When Jesus addressed the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day, he exposed their hypocrisy with piercing words:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:27-28).
God’s concern has always been the condition of the heart, not mere outward appearances.
It’s possible to appear outwardly religious and devout while being spiritually hollow and empty inside. Yet, the promises given to us as New Testament believers are remarkable. Prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah predicted a new covenant, a time when God would reside in his people and instill His laws in their hearts, transforming them internally. In Ezekiel, God declares:
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
In the Upper Room, Jesus told his disciples, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood" (Luke 22:20). His sacrifice connects us to a new covenant, offering us a deeper relationship with God than Old Testament believers had. Throughout Scripture, God consistently emphasizes the condition of our hearts, revealing his desire for transformation that begins within.
One Old Testament passage captures this truth powerfully, piercing to the core of our being. In 2 Chronicles 16:9, we see how God works in the hearts of men and women:
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”
This verse highlights that God is looking for devoted hearts to strengthen and empower for his purposes. It’s a call to surrender, allowing God to shape us from the inside out.
In this passage, King Asa relied on foreign troops instead of trusting God for protection. God uses a powerful metaphor, stating that he looks over the earth searching for those He can strengthen. This promise stirs a deep longing in me for God’s strengthening work in my own heart. He knows my frailty—he knows I am dust—and I desperately need him. But the text includes a crucial qualifier: God strengthens those with a particular kind of heart. What kind of heart? A heart fully committed to him.
To grasp this, we must understand what Scripture means by "the heart." The heart is not just the seat of emotions, it is the core of who we are. It’s the place of conscious decision-making, the center of spiritual activity. Our hearts encompass our desires, passions, thoughts, understanding, and will. It’s where God meets us. In essence, the heart is the truest expression of our identity—it’s who we really are. God seeks hearts fully devoted to him, not credentials or appearances. He’s not impressed by what we do outwardly, he’s looking at the condition of our inner being.
God’s search is deeply insightful. We live in a world obsessed with credentials—titles, achievements, and accolades. People define themselves by resumes, degrees, and the honors they’ve accumulated. I’d like to think that when God examines my life, I could stop him at the surface and point to my credentials. That would feel far more comfortable. I’d want to say, “Lord, hold on. I graduated from seminary. I’m a pastor.”
God doesn’t stop at the surface. He isn’t swayed by resumes, titles, or accolades. Even successful business leaders and CEOs may approach him to highlight their achievements and job titles. Yet, none of this carries weight with God. What matters to him is far deeper: the condition of our hearts.
God isn’t looking for resumes or accolades. He’s on a profound search for something far more significant: hearts that are fully devoted to him. It’s not about what we’ve done, it’s about who we are at the core. That’s what matters most to him.
I want to be like David, who could be so transparent that he could put aside all his credentials and say:
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
(Psalms 139:23-24)
This morning, I want us to take a spiritual EKG together. The question is simple yet profound: what does God see when he looks past all the external appearances? Again, 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him."
This verse gives us the standard by which God measures our hearts: the depth of our commitment to him. God isn’t searching for perfection or outward success. He’s looking for hearts fully devoted to him. That’s the true measure of who we are.
In 2 Chronicles, we see that King Asa of Judah was known for having a heart fully committed to God throughout his life. A crisis occurred when the king of Israel surrounded Judah with his armies, blocking all access. Asa found himself in a tight spot. What would he do? He had two choices. He could look up to God, who had repeatedly saved his people, and cry out, "Lord, we of Judah ask you to save us from this invasion."
The second option was far different. Asa could strike an alliance with a pagan king, Ben-Hadad of Aram, to secure his own deliverance. Tragically, Asa chose the latter. The text tells us that he went to the treasury of God, took silver, and used it to broker a deal with Ben-Hadad.
God’s response was clear: Asa’s actions revealed a lack of trust. Instead of relying on God, he turned to a foreign power for help. Asa’s heart, once fully committed, faltered in the moment of pressure. In times of crisis, where we seek support reflects our true trust and commitment.
A young businessman was advancing in his career, living in a lovely home, and leading a cable company. But after eighteen months in the role, as he grew in his walk with the Lord, he began to wrestle with a deep conviction. He said, "I don't know how I can grow as a man of God while promoting this wrongdoing in my community."
Many find it challenging to leave the corporate world, especially when things are going well. Yet one day, he came to church and announced, "I resigned my position this week. I realized that to be a man after God's heart and committed to righteousness, I can no longer promote unrighteousness in this community."
When asked about his next steps, he simply replied, "I don’t have a new job. In fact, we’re packing up and moving back to live near our parents." He left the community openly expressing his beliefs, a man who chose faith in God over conforming to the world despite uncertainty.
That’s the kind of heart God sought in the Old Testament: a heart fully committed to him, even when the cost was high. And it’s the kind of heart he still seeks today.
Five Tests
At the beginning of this new year, let me give you five tests this morning of how loyal your heart is to God.
Your Money
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
Have you ever wondered where your heart truly is? Start by looking at how you handle your money. Jesus teaches that where your treasure is, your heart will follow.
So, when he examines our financial priorities, what does he see? Are we investing in self-fulfillment, self-satisfaction, and self-serving pursuits? Or are we using our resources to honor him and advance his kingdom? Money is one of the clearest indicators of what we value most.
Money is just one indicator. Let’s move to the second test, one that goes even deeper.
Your Thought Life
"But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, 'Why do you think evil in your hearts?'" (Matthew 9:4).
When I reflect on my life, I’m reminded that my thoughts reveal the true condition of my heart. That realization is deeply convicting. I know there’s a darkened corner in my mind—a hidden place I’ve convinced myself no one can see, not even God. But I’ve been deceiving myself.
What about you? What fills your thought life? Is it a space where fantasies roam—sexual fantasies shaped by a sensual culture? Is it a hidden chamber filled with bitterness or thoughts of revenge? What do you dwell on? What do you dream about? These questions matter deeply, because our thoughts don’t just stay hidden. They shape the very core of who we are.
Our thoughts naturally lead to our words. That brings us to the third test:
Your Words
You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. (Matthew 12:34)
Our words are like tattletales. They reveal the true condition of our hearts. I’ve been in conversations where I’ve wanted to say, "Stop! Your heart is showing." And there have been moments when I’ve spoken words I wish I could snatch back, because they exposed what was really going on inside me.
God intended our speech to be guided by the Spirit, coming from a heart devoted to him: a heart that heals, encourages, and uplifts the community of believers. But when our hearts are not aligned with God, it inevitably shows in our words. It’s like getting all dressed up for a big event, only to realize your slip is showing. It undermines everything.
Jesus reminds us that our words are a reflection of our hearts. When he examines us, he measures our hearts by the words we speak. That’s why it’s so important to let him transform us from the inside out.
In Luke 8:15 we have the fourth test of our hearts.
Your Response To The Word Of God
As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. (Luke 8:15)
The parable of the seed and the sower illustrates how our response to God’s word reflects the condition of our hearts. Jesus highlights that those with a good and noble heart do three things: they hear the Word, retain it, and produce fruit through it.
But let’s be honest. Hearing the Word of God isn’t always easy. I’m much like you. I’ll start listening intently, but within minutes, my mind can wander off to its own little world. Or maybe you’ve experienced this: as you hear the Word, you’re thinking, “I hope Bob’s paying attention to this.” We have forgotten that God wants us to fully absorb his word, as if we wanted to absorb every word and make it our own.
Jesus said that a good heart not only hears the Word but retains it. That’s no small challenge. I can easily remember silly rhymes from elementary school, but I often struggle to recall the Bible verses I've memorized. Retaining God’s Word takes effort, focus, and a heart prepared to let it take root. It’s work, but it’s the kind of work that transforms us.
Note that a good heart produces. We have to get rid of the notion that God gave us his Word to make us theologically astute. God gave us his Word to measure us and grow us into the likeness of Christ. Anything other than a changed life as a result of hearing and retaining the Word of God aborts the process. God says a good heart hears, retains, and produces the good crop because it has listened to the Word of God.
Finally, let’s consider the fifth test:
Worship
Jesus stepped into a religious system weighed down by traditions. People had begun to worship their customs, offering only lip service to God. Confronting a faith that had grown hollow, Jesus quoted Isaiah:
This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
(Matthew 15:8).
It’s worth reflecting: do we fall into the same trap? Are we holding onto traditions and false structures in Christianity while ignoring the essence of true worship? Or do we have hearts that genuinely glorify God?
Worship isn’t about a moment or a ritual. It’s a daily surrender. Romans 12:1 puts it plainly: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." This is the worship God desires: not hollow rituals, but lives fully yielded to him.
I sometimes wonder if our words and actions show a gap between what we say and what we really feel. Consider the story of a pastor who seemed to have it all. He was a gifted preacher, loved for his solid exegesis and profound application. He led a large, thriving church. But one day, he left a note on his desk, walked away from his ministry, and ran off to Texas with a woman he’d been counseling. The shock deepened when it was revealed he’d been carrying on an affair with her for four years. For all his outward success, his heart was far from God.
This sobering example reminds us that God isn’t impressed by appearances or accomplishments. True worship flows from a life transformed by his grace, not from external performance. Let’s not settle for lip service when God desires our whole selves.
We talk a lot about lifestyles. The Pharisees had plenty of it: outward appearances, rules, and rituals. But we’ve forgotten that God is far more concerned with our hearts. Without a heart aligned with God, lifestyle means nothing. Lifestyle without heartstyle is no style at all.
We weren’t saved and redeemed to be monuments in the harbor of Christianity, static and lifeless. We were saved to be an organism, a movement, a power transformed from the inside out.
Consider this story: Bob was a deacon in a church. Just before the Sunday evening service, an usher rushed in and said, "Pastor, Bob just collapsed on the sidewalk!" Everyone ran outside and saw it was serious. Moments later, the ambulance arrived. The paramedics took one look at Bob and said, "His tie is crooked, his shoes are scuffed, and his hair’s a mess. Someone grab a brush and some hairspray, and we’ll shine his shoes. We’ve got to get him looking right before we help him!"
Of course not. That would be absurd. They didn’t care about appearances. They went straight for the heart, because that was the issue.
We need to remember that God does the same. He goes straight for the heart.
The good news is that God doesn’t leave us in our hollow, lifeless state. Through Jesus, he offers us a new heart and a new spirit. The gospel teaches that Jesus came to save us not only from the penalty of sin but also from its power over our hearts. He lived the perfect, inside-out life we couldn’t live, died the death we deserved, and rose again to give us new life.
When we trust in him, God removes our heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh, one that beats with love for him. He puts his Spirit within us, empowering us to live for his glory. This is the transformation we desperately need, one that no amount of scaffolding or external effort can achieve.
So, if you feel hollow or distant from God, the invitation is clear: return to him with all your heart. Lay down your self-reliance, your credentials, and your outward appearances. Trust in Jesus, who alone can make you whole. He doesn’t just patch us up; he makes us new. That’s the beauty of the gospel: God goes straight for the heart, and through Christ, he gives us a heart that’s fully alive in him.
Adapted from a message by Joseph M. Stowell
