THE HEART IS DECEITFUL by Robert Murray M’Cheyne
From: Sermons of Robert Murray M’Cheyne.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10
A. The state of the natural heart
This is a faithful description of the natural human heart. The heart of unfallen Adam was very different. God made man upright. His mind was clear and heavenly. It was fixed upon divine things. He saw their glory without any cloud or dimness. His heart was right with God. His affections flowed sweetly and fully towards God. He loved as God loved – hated as God hated. There was no deceit in his heart then. It was transparent as crystal. He had nothing to conceal. There was no wickedness in his heart – no spring of hatred, lust or pride. He knew his own heart. He could clearly see into its recesses. It was just a reflection of the heart of God. When Adam sinned, his heart was changed. When he lost favour with God, he lost the image of God. Just as Nebuchadnezzar suddenly got a beast’s heart, so Adam suddenly got a heart in the image of the devil. And this is the description ever since:
- It is “deceitful above all things.”
Deceit is one of the prime elements of the natural heart. It is more full of deceit than any other object. Sometimes the sea is deceitful. It appears perfectly calm but suddenly the wind blows and treacherous waves appear out of nowhere. The clouds can be deceitful. In a time of drought, they promise rain; but they turn out to be clouds without rain, and the farmer is disappointed. The heart is deceitful above all things. Many animals are deceitful. The serpent is more subtle than any beast of the field; sometimes it will appear quite harmless, but suddenly it will put out its deadly sting, and give a mortal wound. But the natural heart is more deceitful than a serpent – above all things. It is deceitful in two ways – in deceiving others and in deceiving itself.
i) Deceiving others.
Every natural man is a hypocrite. He is different in reality from what he appears to be. If every natural man in the church were to throw off his disguise, and appear as he really is, the church would look more like the gate of hell than the gate of heaven. If every unclean man were to lay bare his heart, and show his abominable, filthy desires and thoughts; if every dishonest man were now to open his heart, and let us see all his frauds, all his covetous, base desires; if every proud, self-conceited one were to show what is going on below his coat, or below that beautiful dress – to show us the schemes of vanity and desire of praise; if every unbeliever among you were openly to reveal his hatred of Christ and of the blessed Gospel – O what a hell would this place appear! Because natural men are deceitful – because you draw a cloak over your own heart, and put on a smooth face, and make the outside of the saint cover the heart of a demon. Oh, your heart is deceitful above all things. Every natural man is a flatterer. He does not tell other men what he thinks of them. There is no plain, honest dealing between natural men in this world. Those of you who know anything of the world, know how hollow most of its friendships are. Just imagine that every natural man were to speak the truth when he meets his friends; suppose he were to tell them all the bitter slanders which he tells of them a hundred times behind their back; suppose he were to unbosom himself, and tell of all his low, mean ideas of them – how worldly and selfish they are in his eyes – what enemies would he make! No, natural man, you dare not be honest, you dare not speak the truth to one another; your heart is so vile that you must hide it; and your thoughts are so abominable that you dare not speak them out! The heart is deceitful above all things.
ii) Self-deceit.
Since I came to you, I tried to tell you to know your hearts. Most of you were found to have deceived yourselves. Often a man is deeply concerned about his soul; he weeps and prays, and joins himself to others who are convicted. He now changes his way of life, and changes his attitude. He talks of his experience, and his growing in prayer. Perhaps he condemns others very bitterly; and yet he has no true change of life – he still walks after the flesh, not after the Spirit. Now, others think this man is a true Christian, and he believes it himself. Yes, he thinks he is a Christian, when, all the time, he has not the Spirit of Christ, and is not His. The heart is deceitful above all things.
- Desperately wicked.
The word is borrowed from the book of a physician. When a physician is called to see a patient, past recovery, he shakes his head and says: “This is a desperate case.” When the heart is desperately wicked, it is past cure by human medicine. Learn that you need conversion, or a new heart. Not putting away evil habit such as drinking, swearing or lying. It is not your drinking, swearing or lying that are desperately wicked, it is your heart. The source is polluted. The heart is incurable. You need a new heart. You must go to Christ for this. Nothing else will cure your need. Come then, incurable, to Christ. “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.”
- Unsearchably wicked; “Who can know it?”
No man ever yet knew the badness of his own heart.
Unawakened persons have no idea of what is in their heart. When Elisha told Hazael what a horrible murderer he would be, Hazael said: “Am I a dog, that I should to this horrible thing?” (2 Kings 8:13) If I could show each of you the sins you are yet to commit, you would be shocked and horrified. This shows how ignorant you are of your own heart. You may think it impossible that you would ever be guilty of murder, or adultery, or apostacy, or the sin against the Holy Spirit; this arises from ignorance of your black heart.
Some awakened persons have an awful sight of the wickedness of their own hearts. They see all the sins of their past life, as it were, concentrated there. They see that their past sins all come out of their heart – and that it may come out again. And yet, that is not even a ten-thousandth part of the wickedness of their heart. You are like a person looking down the sides of the pit; you can only see a very small part of your heart. It is a pit of corruption which is bottomless: “Who can know it?”
Some children of God have amazing discoveries given them of the wickedness of their own hearts. Sometimes it is given to them to see that the germs of every sin are lodging there. Sometimes they see that there never was a sin committed, in heaven, in earth, or in hell, but it has something corresponding in their own heart. They see their hearts as a fountain of wickedness, enough to corrupt every creature, and to defile the universe.
B. The witness of the heart
- “I, the Lord.”
We do not know one another’s hearts, for “the heart is deceitful.” Man only look at outward appearances. But here is an unerring witness. He that made man knows what is in man.
2. Observe what a strict witness He is.
“I, the Lord, search the heart.” It is not said, I know the heart. The heart of man is not one of many objects upon which God turns his all-seeing eye, but it is one that He singles out for investigation: “I search the heart.” As the astronomer directs his telescope upon the very star he wishes to examine, so does God’s calm eye bore into the very chest of every man and woman. O, natural man, can you bear this? How vain are all your pretenses and coverings! God sees you as you are. You may deceive your neighbour, or your minister, or yourself – but you cannot deceive God.
- Observe, He is a constant witness.
He does not say, I have searched, or I will do it, but, “I search.” I do it now, and always. Not a moment of your life but his pure, calm, searching eye has been gazing on the inmost recesses of our hearts. From childhood to old age his eye rests on us. The darkness is not hidden from Him.
- Observe his goal in searching.
“Even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (vs10). In order to know the true value of an action, you must search the heart. Many deeds that are applauded by men, are abominable in the sight of God, Who searches the heart. To give alms to a poor man, may be an action worthy of an eternal reward, or worthy of eternal punishment. If it is done out of love to Christ, because the poor man is a disciple of Christ, it will not lose its reward. Christ said: “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40). If it is done out of pride of self-righteousness, Christ will cast it away from Him. The reason, then, why Christ searches the heart is, that He may judge uprightly in the judgment. How can you bear this, you who are Christless? How can you bear that eye on your heart all your days, and to be judged according to what his pure eye sees in you? Do you not see that you are doomed? “Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no one living is righteous.” (Psalm 143:2). Oh, if your heart is desperately wicked, and his pure eye pores on it, what can you expect, but that He should cast you into hell? Oh, flee to the Lord Jesus Christ for shelter, for blood to blot out your past sins, and righteousness to cover you.
5. Learn the amazing love of Christ.
He was the only one that knew the wickedness of the beings for whom He died. He that searches the hearts of sinners died for them. His eye alone had searched their hearts; was searching at the time He came. He knew what was in men; yet He did not abhor them on that account – He died for them. It was not for any goodness in man that He died for man. He saw none. It was not that He saw little sin in the heart of man. He is the only being in the universe that saw all the sin that there is in the unfathomable heart of man. Herein is love! When tax collectors and sinners came to Him on earth, He knew what was in their hearts. His eye had rested on their bosoms all their life. He had seen all their lusts and passions that had ever been there; yet in no way did He cast them out of his presence. So with you. His eye has seen all your sins; the vilest, darkest, blackest hours you have lived, his pure eye rested on you. He died for you and invites you to come to Him; and will in no way cast you out.