Rewire Your Heart: 10 Days To Fight SinSample

Belief Changes Hearts 

What lies at the bottom of our sins? Throughout this study, we have seen that the heart plays a central role in leading us into sin or holiness. But what affects the heart? 

Jesus showed us in the Sermon on the Mount that unbelief lies at the bottom of all our sins. 

Jesus commanded his followers not to be anxious about what they would eat, drink, or wear. How is that possible? To this day people have to toil and scrape to get by, living paycheck to paycheck. How will I feed my family, pay my mortgage, fix the car? Jesus’ answer is to have faith in God’s provision (Matt. 6:25–30). What we believe changes our hearts. 

Jesus teaches us an important truth about how our hearts work. In a sense he says, “Since God does the little stuff, surely he’ll do the big stuff too.” God feeds birds and clothes grass. That is evidence that he will feed you and clothe your children. Believe that God is a provider and anxiety will be removed from your heart. What you believe changes your heart. 

However, unbelief says the opposite to our hearts. As Jesus pointed out, the sin of worry reveals the underlying disbelief in God’s provision. We worry because we do not believe God will provide. Disbelief of all kinds regularly fills our hearts and produces its corresponding and inevitable sin. 

God’s power is not able to provide. God’s love is not enough to satisfy. God’s law is not aligned with my joy. Jesus’ blood is not sufficient for my sin. The Holy Spirit’s operation is not adequate for my sanctification. The Gospel can’t heal my marriage, pull me from my addiction, or silence the bitterness in my heart. We doubt that God is enough.

If we can’t trust God, who can we trust? By our actions all of us have answered this question with a resounding, “Myself!” I will meet my needs. I will fulfill my desires. When we try to fulfill our wants by our own devices, the only solution we will ever contrive is sin. When our hearts are filled with unbelief, everything our hands lay hold of will be fashioned into idols of our own making for our own satisfaction. O we of little faith!

So how can you fight sin? Change your heart. How can you change your heart? Change your beliefs. 

Believe that Jesus has provided everything you need in the Gospel and your heart will begin to run from sin and toward God.