A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to share a message with our church entitled “Leprosy of the Heart” from 2 Kings 5, and I asked the Lord to expose and cleanse us from a pervasive spiritual condition common among believers today that is fed by legalism, bitterness and pride. We observed how Jesus referred to this account of Naaman’s leprosy when confronting the skeptical and calloused religious crowd from His hometown of Nazareth who rejected Him because of over-familiarity and arrogance (Lk. 4:27) which He later describes to the church in Laodecia as being lukewarm (Rev. 3:16). After many years of serving in ministry, He has made it abundantly clear to me how quickly I can let the painful sores of life turn into rough callouses that I work hard to cover up with material success, prestige and performance. These sores often come from recurring disappointment, personal failure, betrayal, loss, insecurity and from laboring hard without seeing meaningful results. For this reason, I turn to God and rend my heart and not my garments.
27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. (Lk. 4:27 NKJV)
The most dangerous thing about leprosy of the heart is that it silently keeps us numb and unresponsive to the Spirit of God, but the new covenant promise is that He would cleanse us of our sin and put His Spirit within us—that He would give us a heart of flesh that is tender and responsive to Him (Ezek. 36:25-27).
14 “So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” (2 Kings 5:14 NKJV)
I believe that it is clear from Scripture that God desires for us to have the “flesh” of a little child, which refers not to our maturity, but our faith, humility, innocence, and tenderness before Him (Matt. 18:3-4). Think of a child’s genuine excitement when they discover the simple wonders of life like the taste of sweet food, the sight of a rainbow across the sky, the sound of a flowing river and so forth. The result of having a tender heart and child-like faith is that we can worship, trust and obey God with an untamed purity, confidence and sensitivity to His presence that is fresh out of the river of first love, without being hindered by the prideful barriers of religious familiarity and formalism. Therefore, as a follow-up to the message I shared, I wanted to give some more practical application by highlighting seven areas we can submit to the work of the Holy Spirit within us and keep a tender heart before Him.
8 “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matt. 15:8-9 NKJV)
7 WAYS TO KEEP A TENDER HEART:
- Revelation of the Gospel
- Deep & Practical Repentance
- Renewed Speech
- Unreserved Forgiveness
- Ongoing Faith and Joy in the Holy Spirit
- Persistent Prayer (in the Spirit) & Fasting
- Sacrificial Worship, Praise & Thanksgiving
Read Ephesians 4:17-32.
REVELATION OF THE GOSPEL. The Apostle Paul urged believers to no longer walk as the rest of the world walked in the futility of their mind past the point of feeling because that is not how they have learned Christ (Eph. 4:17-20). Keeping a tender heart requires that we rightly learn Christ, to hear Him and be taught by the truth that comes from Him alone (Eph. 4:21). Like the young Israelite maiden in the story of Naaman, the undiluted gospel sees past our armor of pride and prestige and offers an authentic solution to what is really eating at us. Surely Naaman, commander of the Syrian army, was well aware of the location of the murky Jordan River, but it wasn’t until he heard the compassionate word of the young maiden who should’ve hated him and obeyed the unusual word of Elisha that confronted his entitlement, that he learned for himself there was no God in all the earth, except in Israel (2 Kings 5:15). The gospel reveals who we are when we aren’t covered and still says, “I am willing; be cleansed (Mk. 1:40).” Even our numb, hardened, sin-sick hearts can still be touched by the revelation of the gospel. The answer is not “try harder” it’s “come and see.” It is not “climb higher” but “go lower.” By faith, we come back to the river that we may have passed by many times before and we ask the Lord to wash us with the water of His Word, that we might continue to receive the touch of His Spirit, grow in the revelation of the gospel and be transformed by the power of God (Eph. 1:17-23; 5:26). Meditate on His Word (Ps. 1:2-3; Ps. 119:130; Jn. 15:7). Ask for child-like eyes of faith. Remember the touch of His love, repent and do the things you did at first (Rev. 2:4-5; Rom. 1:16-17; 2 Cor. 3:12-4:6).
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus…(Eph. 4:19-21 NKJV)
25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. (Matt. 11:25 NLT)
DEEP AND PRACTICAL REPENTANCE. Paul then tells us to put off our old ways of living and change our ways of thinking in accord with the truth that the gospel declares. He deals very directly with areas such as lust, anger, greed, lying, bitterness and corrupt speech. He warns us saying, “do not grieve the Holy Spirit,” which implies that we must still make practical choices to submit to Him (Eph. 4:25-31). When we repent, we push delete on our sin and commit to change our ways of thinking, speaking and doing, knowing our sin is forgiven and forgotten under the blood of Jesus. Understand that everytime we resist temptation and choose to obey Him, we are welcoming the river of His Spirit to come and smoothe-over the rough edges of our stony heart little by little, day by day. Spend daily time in honest, humble repentance before the Lord (Ps. 51). Beware that when we choose to walk in the counsel of the ungodly [passively receive influence from sinful sources, often from entertainment], it won’t be long before we are standing in the path of sinners [agreeing with, making alliance with sin, or hindering others] and sitting in the seat of the scornful [becoming advocates for sin, critical of God and His Word] (Ps. 1). We must actively know the truth, resist sin and submit to God. There is freedom in fighting the good fight of faith.
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph. 4:22-24 NKJV)
RENEWED SPEECH. When continuing on about practical repentance, Paul especially highlights our speech, for Jesus taught that out of the overflow of our heart, our mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34). One of the greatest battlegrounds of our mind is fought at the gate of our mouth. Corrupt speech can come in all shapes and sizes—deceit, slander, gossip, manipulation, false commitments, foul-language, unrighteous anger, demeaning sarcasm, degrading remarks, condescension, disrespectful tone of voice and so forth. Though it’s small, the tongue can kindle the worst kind of destruction (Jas. 3:1-12). Therefore, we must commit to fight at the gate of our mouth by the power of the Holy Spirit. Be honest and true to your word, not making promises you will not keep (Matt. 5:33-37). Hold back the harsh words (Jas. 1:19; Prov. 10:19; 21:23). Don’t mistake meanness for boldness, but learn to speak the truth in love, with kindness, gentleness and compassion (Eph. 4:15; Col. 4:6; Gal. 5:22-26). Ask God for help and fair perspective (Matt. 7:1-12). Learn to let some things go, and entrust yourself to the Lord (1 Pet. 2:23-24; Matt. 5:39; Rom. 12:17-21). When appropriate, go directly to the person in love and humility to confess your wrong and/or make your appeal (Matt. 5:22-25; 18:15).
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. (Eph. 4:29 NKJV)
UNRESERVED FORGIVENESS. Unrenewed speech is fueled by our unwillingness to forgive. Bitterness, resentment, disappointment, frustration, annoyance…these are the types of things that will fester like a leprous sore on our heart and will make us calloused over time if left unchecked. The only antidote is unreserved forgiveness. Forgiveness doesn’t make them right, nor does it make their words or actions okay, but it does make you free. Forgiveness keeps your heart tender. Our strength to forgive comes from our revelation of the gospel, as we see how God in Christ forgives us. Only someone who is tender of heart by the power of God, like the young Israelite maiden, could look into the eyes of their captor and overflow with compassion. Like with Jesus on the cross, or with Stephen as he’s being stoned, we see the miracle of how God can help us to forgive those who deserve it the least. When they mistreat you, lie about you, spitefully use you, betray you, persecute you, dissapoint you or annoy you, pray for them, bless them, do good to them and forgive them anyway (Matt. 5:43-48; 18:21-35).
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. (Eph. 4:32 NKJV)
ONGOING FAITH AND JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. Though it is important to look to the past from time to time, keeping a tender heart requires more than remembering what once was. Though determination is important, faithfulness is more than consistent attendance, discipline and duty. Keeping a tender heart requires a present-tense, ongoing, persevering faith that eagerly waits upon God (Isa. 40:31). We need the initial experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but we must also go on being filled with the Spirit—that we might continue to produce the tender fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Acts 2:38-39; Jn. 15:1-17; Gal. 3:3; 5:22-26). Even good fruit can rot over time, so we must keep tending, weeding, and feeding the garden of our heart. This requires faith that is living and active in our life today. When is the last time your faithfulness required faith? Are we trying to live our lives in such a way that we do not need to rely on the Holy Spirit? Ask the Lord to help you step out of your cycle of comfort and predictable routines, and find out where He wants you to take risks of faith for the sake of love. I believe that our joy in the Lord is proportionate to our revelation of His love and knowing that we are obeying His voice, which commands us to lay down our lives for others because of His love.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit…(Eph. 5:17-18 NKJV)
52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:52 NKJV)
11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (Jn. 15:11 NKJV)
PERSISTENT PRAYER AND FASTING. Another simple way that we “dip in the river” is through persistent prayer and fasting, especially praying in the Spirit (Rom. 8:26; 1 Cor. 13:14-20; Eph. 6:18). Take the time, spend the effort, and risk the opportunities to get in the river of His presence. Starve the leprosy and feed your inner-man, building yourself up in faith (Jude 1:20). Get before your Father in secret and passionately seek Him with other believers. Weep in His presence again and let the tears wash the numbness off of your heart (Ps. 126:5; Joel 2:17; Matt. 9:15).
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints–(Eph. 6:18 NKJV)
SACRIFICIAL WORSHIP, PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING. I have found that it is dangerously possible for us to witness the power of God and still miss what is right in front of us. Instead of joining in with the celebration, many of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were indignant when they heard the praise of the little children as they openly declared Jesus as the Messiah (Matt. 21:15-16). Judas was offended by the sacrificial worship of Mary who poured out her fragrant oil on the feet of Jesus, arguing that it was wasteful and should be spent elsewhere (Matt. 26:6-13; Jn. 12:1-8). The older brother of the prodigal was deeply angered that his father would throw a party for the son who returned home after wasting his inheritance (Lk. 15:25-32). Cain went as far as to murder his brother Abel who sacrificed the best of his flock to the Lord, because his own works were evil and his brother’s righteous (Gen. 4:1-2; 1 Jn. 3:12). I believe that the subtle yet consistent leaven beneath the surface of these events is that these men were filled with ingratitude and self-righteousness, which came out of them as anger, jealousy, greed and spiritual blindness. Gratitude confronts our deep-seated pride, discontentment, insecurity and entitlement that keeps us numb toward God and critical of others. Jesus dealt with this attitude very pointedly in His sermon on the mount (Matt. 6:25-7:6). After being cleansed in the Jordan River and having his skin restored like that of a little child, Naaman returned to the prophet Elisha with grateful joy and reverence for the one true and living God, committing to “bring his worship home” for Him alone (2 Kings 5:14-17). Sacrificial worship, praise and thanksgiving is about continually returning to express your love to God in the secret place of your heart, where only He sees and understands the worth of what you are pouring out. When it hurts. When it’s costly. When it’s unpopular. When it’s lonely. It’s about returning to Him with grateful faith instead of fearful grumbling.
17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Lk. 17:17-19 NKJV)
In summary, we are healed of leprosy of the heart by coming to Jesus Christ with child-like faith and humility. We come to the river of living water proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev. 22:1; Ezek. 47:12). We come to be cleansed and renewed by the eternal power, person and presence of Jesus that we experience through the Holy Spirit (Jn. 4:13-14; 7:38-39; 13:7-11; 14:15-31; Acts 2:38-39). As Naaman was commanded to wash seven times, we highlighted seven ways we can submit to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit within us. Thus, keeping a tender heart demands that we are personally receiving and responding to the revelation of the gospel, putting on a new way of life in humble surrender to Jesus through deep and practical repentance, renewing our speech, offering unreserved forgivness to others, obeying God with ongoing faith and joy in the Holy Spirit, seeking Him daily with persistent prayer and fasting, and returning to Him always with sacrificial worship, praise and thanksgiving in response to His unending goodness, mercy, power and love. May we resist the pride and bitterness that comes from life rubbing us wrong, and instead we choose to open our heart before Him over and over again. May we come behold the Lamb of God, who pled for our forgiveness while being crucified for our sin, that our leprous hearts might be healed once and for all.
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. (Joel 2:13 NKJV)
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