We have seen the definition and function of the heart, the spirit, and the soul. Our relationship with the Lord is always begun and maintained by our heart. Of course, to contact the Lord is a matter of our spirit, but this contact must be initiated and maintained by our heart, for our heart is the gateway of our whole being (Prov. 4:23). A building with many rooms always has an entrance and an exit; a person comes in by the entrance and goes out by the exit. When the entrance is closed, everyone is kept away from the rooms inside the building, but once it has been opened, people can enter the building and enjoy each room.
The heart is not a separate and exclusive part of our being, but is composed of all the parts of the soul and one part of the spirit. Therefore, being such a composition, the heart becomes the very gateway of our whole being. In other words, the heart becomes both the entrance and the exit of our being. Whatever enters into us must enter through the heart, and whatever comes out from us must proceed through the heart (Matt. 12:34).
For example, if our heart is not alert as we listen to a message, we will not receive the substance of the message. Or, when we are reading, we will receive nothing if our heart is not set on the content. Even while we are eating, if we do not have the heart to eat, we will not taste the food. This proves that the heart is the controlling organ. In order to control an entire building, we must be able either to close or open the door. With the heart there is the power to close or open our whole being.
For this reason the preaching of the gospel must be guided by the Holy Spirit that it might touch the human heart. The most effectual way of preaching the gospel is to touch the human heart. If one can break through the heart, many persons can be gained. This is why unbelievers harden and close their heart to the gospel preaching. Regardless of how much we preach, when they close their heart, we cannot touch them. We cannot minister anything into them, because their “entrance” is closed. In order to preach effectively, we must find a way to break through the entrance. The best preacher is the one who finds the key to unlock the heart.
Even the Lord Himself attracts us through our heart. He does not stir up our spirit first. The seeking one in the beginning of Song of Songs asks the Lord to attract her by His love so that she may love Him (1:2-4). The Lord comes to touch our heart with His love. This is why, after His resurrection, the Lord asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” (John 21:15-17). The Lord’s love is the best way to unlock the door of the heart. Therefore, the most effective way to open the heart is to preach the love of God. Once the heart is open, it is easy for the Holy Spirit to touch the spirit and all the parts of man’s being. This is true not only in gospel preaching but even in the ministry of Christian teaching.
We need to deal with our heart that we might have a proper relationship with the Lord. How can we deal with our heart? It is quite simple. The Scripture says, “Blessed are the pure in heart” (Matt. 5:8). Some translators have changed the word pure to clean. However, the word clean is not adequate. It is not a matter of merely having a clean heart but of having a pure heart. We may be clean but mixed and therefore not pure. To be mixed does not mean to be dirty but means to have more than one goal and one aim.
This is the problem with many brothers and sisters. They think that there is nothing wrong with their heart because they are clean and without condemnation. But they are not pure, because they have more than one goal, more than one aim. Yes, they are aiming at God, but at the same time they are aiming at several other things. They may be aiming at God and at a doctor’s degree. When they have two things as their aims, they are mixed and complicated. We cannot see two things with our eyes at the same time. If we try to look at two items at the same time, both items will be blurred.
Why is it that some say they are not clear about the Lord’s will? It is because they have two goals, two aims. Many brothers and sisters have more than two aims. They are aiming at many things. Yes, they are seeking the Lord, but at the same time they are seeking other things, such as their position and their career. How can they avoid being perplexed and confused? Their heart needs to be purified from many ambitions so that the Lord Himself may be their only goal.
Even many Christian workers have too many goals. One brother testified that he had a great goal: he wanted to be the greatest preacher in his denomination. His heart was clean, but he was not pure. His heart needed to be purified until he had only one goal—the Lord Himself. Some Christian workers have the Lord Himself and His work as their goal. Thus, they have two goals. They need to purify their heart until they seek nothing other than the Lord Himself as their goal. Their aim, their goal, and their interest should be only the Lord Himself. When they seek absolutely nothing but Him, their heart will be pure, and if they have such a pure heart, the “sky” will be not only open but very clear to them. Sometimes the sky is open but cloudy. The spiritual sky is cloudy because the heart is mixed and not pure. When the heart is purified from many goals, the sky is clear.
Another term the Bible uses to describe the heart is singleness—“singleness of heart.” Some versions translate singleness as simplicity. Singleness of heart means to be simple in heart. To be simple means, in a sense, to be foolish. Those who truly love the Lord and aim at Him are a kind of fool. We must all be Christian fools. This means that we do not know anything but Jesus. Whatever we do, we know only Jesus. Wherever we go, we know only Jesus. We should not try to be clever. We have only one way—the narrow way of Jesus. People may say, “You are foolish,” but we should like to be so foolish. This is simplicity.
Three verses in the Scriptures referring to purity of heart are Psalm 73:1, Matthew 5:8, and 2 Timothy 2:22. The latter reference shows that while the churches are deteriorating, we must pursue the Lord with a pure heart and call on the Lord together with others who have a pure heart. There are at least three verses that speak of singleness of heart: Acts 2:46, Ephesians 6:5, and Colossians 3:22. If we would seek and serve the Lord, we must deal with these two matters: being pure and single in our heart. We must learn to have not only a clean and right heart but also a pure and single heart. If we deal with our heart in such a way, our whole being will be open to the Lord, because the gateway will be open. This is not a doctrine but simply a set of instructions on how to deal with the heart so that the Lord can possess our whole being.