Unconverted Heart
As the saying goes; “Seven days without Prayer makes One Weak.” If you find yourself, serving your own desires all week long, then your Worship on the weekend will inevitable be all about yourself and so very selfish as well. Luke 18:9-14 “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were [very] righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Maybe the Pharisee was singing this cheeky song “It’s hard to be Humble” by Mac Davis, so here is the Chorus Quoted for you.
“Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble
When you’re perfect in every way
I can’t wait to look in the mirror
‘Cause I get better lookin’ each day
To know me is to love me
I must be a hell of a man
Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble
But I’m doin’ the best that I can!” Mac Davis – It’s hard to be humble.
There is an interesting point hidden in this story, for if you are Jewish it is obvious, and this is found in this part of the story, “but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” There is only one time, and only once a year, when in prayer you smite your breast, and that is the “Yom Kippur Prayer,” so the publican really knew the truth about his corrupted heart, and wanted it converted, he wanted a new heart. Ezekiel 18:31 “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” Ezekiel 36:25-27 “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].”
Quote from the Yom Kippur Service Prayer of Teshuvah – Repentance; Introduction “You know the secrets of the universe, and the hidden most mysteries of all the living. You probe all innermost chambers and test thoughts and emotions. Nothing is hidden from you and nothing is concealed from Your eyes. And so may it be Your will, HASHEM, our God and the God of our forefathers, that You forgive us of all our errors, and you pardon off all our iniquities, and you atone for us for all our willful sins. Prayer – First Section; (strike the left side of the chest with the right fist each time the phrase ‘we have sinned’ is said), For the sin that we have sinned before you under duress and willingly; and for the sin that we have sinned before you through hardness of heart. For the sin that we have sinned before you without knowledge; and for the sin that we have sinned before you with the utterance of lips. For the sin that we have sinned before you in public or in private; and for the sin that we have sinned before you through immorality. For the sin that we have sinned before you through harsh speech; and for the sin that we have sinned before you with knowledge and deceit. For the sin that we have sinned before you through inner thoughts; and for the sin that we have sinned before you through wronging a neighbour. For the sin that we have sinned before you through insincere confusion; and for the sin that we have sinned before you in a session of vice. For the sin that we have sinned before you willingly and carelessly; and for the sin that we have sinned before you by showing contempt for parents and teachers. For the sin that we have sinned before you by exercising power; and for the sin that we have sinned before you through desecration of the Name. For the sin that we have sinned before you through foolish speech; and for the sin that we have sinned before you through impure lips. For the sin that we have sinned before you with Evil Inclination; and for the sin that we have sinned before you against those who know and against those who do not know. For all these, O God of forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, atone for us..
The whole Prayer is long and goes through pretty much every facet of your life, known and unknown sin, for both are actual sinning. Here we get an insight of what was going on in the mind of the Publican, he looked at the purity of God, and then clearly he saw his failings and short comings, he repented bitterly and sincerely, and Luke records this for us, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other:” The Publican found salvation, a New Heart, a New Spirit, his repentance brought forgiveness, his forgiveness brought a new Birth, and this new life brought him into a close relationship with the God of Creation, he was converted from being Lost to being Redeemed. Maybe we should quit being Pharisees singing of our awesome talents and abilities, holiness and greatness, and humbly repent and sing of the awesome greatness of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who heard our repentance pleas, and washed us and made us all new. Romans 5:8-9 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners [sinning], Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” So how is your heart, how is my heart, are we “dead in our trespasses and sins,” or “dead TO our trespasses and sins,” by sins repentance and removal, for we have we met Jesus, confessed and forsaken our sinful ways, and now with a pure heart and life, we walk, talk and live a Godly life in the re-birth, now to forever be a child of God?
