An Honest Heart. 6
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7. An honest heart makes conscience of sin. Necessarily so if he sincerely desires to please God. Therefore he does not willfully and habitually ally himself in any known sin, against the light and stirrings of conscience, for "the highway of the upright is to depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:17). As one of the lesser known Puritans said, "A righteous man hates all sins, even the ones he cannot conquer; and loves all the Truth, even that which he cannot understand" (Anthony Burgess). He makes conscience of what the world calls peccadilloes or trifling faults, praying, "Catch the foxes for us—the little foxes that ruin the vineyards" (Song. 2:15). Yes, "cleanse me from secret faults" (Psalm 19:12)—the sins of ignorance of which I am not conscious—but which defile before the thrice Holy One. Consequently, an honest heart makes it a point of confessing all known sins to God, even those of which his fellows know nothing. Sin is his heaviest burden—and greatest grief. "Behold, I am vile!" (Job 40:4)
8. An honest heart welcomes godly reproof. "Rebuke a wise man—and he will love you" (Proverbs 9:8)—but hypocrites will resent it and fools rage at you. An honest heart prefers the bitters of gracious company—to the dainties of the ungodly. He would rather be smitten by a saint—than flattered by the unregenerate. He not only gives a permit to faithful admonition but, when in his right mind, invites to, "Let the righteous smite me: it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head" (Psalm 141:5). "As oil refreshes and perfumes—so does reproof, when fitly taken, sweetens and renews the heart. My friend must love me well—if he tells me my faults and points out my errors" (C. H. Spurgeon). "Faithful are the wounds of a friend—but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Proverbs 27:6). Only the upright will subscribe to that.
9. An honest heart is impartial. "Now we are all present before God, to hear everything you have been commanded by the Lord." (Acts 10:33). These words of Cornelius were the language of sincerity. How very rare is such a spirit. The average church-member wishes to hear only that which accord with "our doctrines" and when he reads the Bible it is through theologically-tinted glasses. Here is where so many preachers are handicapped: they are bound by a detailed creed and know that if they departed therefrom, that they would lose their position. Bias, prejudice, sectarian shibboleths quench the spirit of sincerity. To desire the Truth for Truth's sake is rare indeed. But an honest heart is impartial, refusing to pick and choose—and is not swayed by denominational prejudices. An honest heart values the Divine precepts equally with the promises, appropriates the admonitions andthreats—as well as the comforting portions of Scripture, acknowledges himself in the wrong and his opponent who has the Truth on his side to be right, and admires and owns the image of Christ, when he sees it in one belonging to another company.
10. An honest heart is chiefly concerned with the inner man. In His solemn denunciations of the Scribes and Pharisees Christ said, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous—but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness!" (Matthew 23:25, 27-28). It is at this point especially, that the genuine Christian is distinguished from formal religionists. One with an honest heart makes conscience of wandering thoughts, evil imaginations the workings of unbelief, the risings of pride and rebellion against God. He seeks grace to mortify his lusts and prays to be cleansed from "secret faults." He cries daily, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10); "Unite my heart to fear Your name" (Psalm 86:11); "Incline my heart unto Your testimonies, and not to covetousness" (Psalm 119:36). He makes much of heart work—and endeavors to keep it with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23).
Probably most of our readers are ready to exclaim, Alas, this quite cuts me off! I freely admit that such sincerity of heart as has been described ought to be found in me—but to my shame and sorrow—I must confess that much to the contrary, is still operative in my soul. But cannot you see that this is the last thing you would frankly, own if you were dishonest?! The fact is, that no soul is conscious of the workings of unbelief—until God has given faith; is not troubled about the swellings of pride until humility is bestowed, mourns not over coldness—until love is communicated; and is not exercised over deceitfulness before he is made sincere.
We best learn to know things—by their opposites. It would be a great mistake to insist that there is such a thing as perfect and unmixed sincerity in this life—so that there is no deceit or falsehood joined with it. We not only know in part—but our faith and love are weak and unstable, and sincerity of heart has to contend with much that is opposed to it. If we can plead before God uprightness of intentions, and if we grieve over all crookedness within us—that is sure proof we are no longer under the dominion of hypocrisy.
There are two distinct and mutually-hostile principles at work within the Christian, each bringing forth after its own kind, and it is by what each one brings forth—that its presence may be ascertained. The "works of the flesh" are manifest (Galatians 5:19, etc.)—but "the fruit of the Spirit" (v. 22, etc.) is equally identifiable. A detailed description of "the fruit of the Spirit" should not be understood to mean that "the flesh" has ceased to exist. And a portrayal of the workings of an honest heart must not be taken to signify that all which is contrary thereto has been expelled. David was an upright man—yet he found it needful to pray, "Remove from me the way of lying" (Psalm 119:29). The disciples of Christ had been given honest hearts—yet their Master deemed it requisite to bid them, "be not as the hypocrites" (Matthew 6:5). It is the regenerate who are exhorted, "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind" (1 Peter 2:1), which would obviously be quite meaningless, if those evils had been eradicated from their beings.
"Who can understand his errors! Cleanse me from secret faults" (Psalm 19:12). There is more deceit and self-ends operating in all of us, than we perceive. If you prize an honest heart above a good name, and value a clear conscience before God beyond a high reputation among men—you are no hypocrite!
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