In this life we are often presented with the choice to do what is right or to follow our feelings. This is simply the reality of fallen men living in a fallen world. Traditionally it was considered respectable to deny oneself for the sake of doing what one knows to be objectively right and good, but the superiority of following your heart has now been a popular notion for some years (the arts have glorified it for centuries, actually). This is regrettable, but it is man's natural compulsion. On a modern, local level, the American public has imbibed the glorification of man's heart through the influence of the likes of Hollywood, Freud, Dewey, and Disney. As we have denied the authority of God, replacing Him with man as the ultimate authority in our universe, we have slidden further and further down the path of subjective morality. Once again, none of this is surprising. What is alarming, however, is how thoroughly the Church has embraced this concept. Not only have we accepted it, but we have actually begun to teach it. It's not just the liberal denominations, either; the glorification of the human heart has permeated many conservative churches, as well. Our presentation of the Gospel glorifies man and encourages him to follow his own inclinations. Generations of subjectivism have produced a generation that adheres to no standard transcending their own lusts. So, what is so wrong with following one's heart? Though many more could be named, here are three issues with following your heart:
1) It's unbiblical. First and foremost, the concept of following your heart is simply not found in Scripture. The Bible never tells us that the heart is a reliable source of ethical guidance or a solid basis for decision-making. Not only is this idea absent from Scripture, but it actually directly contradicts the Biblical standard of morality. The Bible presents God's character and will (which is a reflection of His character) as the standard of morality, both for His people and for mankind as a whole (see Psalm 119). This view also contradicts the Biblical picture of fallen man, so it is not only unbiblical, but unwise, as well. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." Human experience confirms this diagnosis. The human heart is far from trustworthy as it is evil and self-deceiving. Who would want to follow a heart like that?
2) It's irresponsible. We have reached a point in our culture where "staying together for the kids" is demonized and abandoning one's responsibilities is glorified. The only objectively immoral act, it would seem, is denying your own feelings. Doing the right thing is no longer the right thing to do. It's better to break one's promises than to live an "unhappy" life because the pursuit of happiness is the only real purpose in life, they say. This is why we have a generation of bastards being raised by their grandparents while the parents whittle away their lives with materialism and substance abuse. This is not true happiness. True happiness, that which is genuine and enduring, is found in the paths of God. True fulfillment is found outside of oneself. True purpose is found in the way of sacrifice.
3) It's idolatrous. When we make choices that contradict our morals for the sake of following our feelings, we are idolaters. We have made ourselves, particularly our happiness, our god. Society is post-religion, they say, but that is not entirely accurate. We have really just exchanged Christian Theism and its objective morality for the subjectivity of Hedonism. Once again, this is the natural religion of all depraved men, so this should come as no surprise. The Church, however, has allowed this sort of morality to creep into her doors. We call it Christian Liberty. We call it the Prosperity Gospel. We call it Antinomianism. Call it what you will, but it is still subjectivism, which is idolatry. The desires of the individual man take precedence over the revealed will of God. The Church is losing a generation. Many of my peers have left the Church, but even more have stayed as lukewarm religiosites. They claim to worship Christ, but they have no use for His lordship. They know what's right, but they just can't deny themselves. Their god is their appetites--their bellies (Phil 3:19).
How do we begin to reverse this trend? It begins with faithful preaching of the Word of God by ministers who fear God more than man. In turn, parents must faithfully teach their children God's standards of morality and a sense of personal responsibility for their actions. Additionally, the Church must wholesale must abandon an educational system designed to subvert Christian Theism with Humanism. We must be more selective about what movies, books, music, etc. we allow to shape our minds. We must rearrange our priorities so that once again God's objective standard is restored to its rightful place as the basis of our faith and practice. The heart, depraved and deceitful, is a poor foundation. We must build on the Rock once again!
1) It's unbiblical. First and foremost, the concept of following your heart is simply not found in Scripture. The Bible never tells us that the heart is a reliable source of ethical guidance or a solid basis for decision-making. Not only is this idea absent from Scripture, but it actually directly contradicts the Biblical standard of morality. The Bible presents God's character and will (which is a reflection of His character) as the standard of morality, both for His people and for mankind as a whole (see Psalm 119). This view also contradicts the Biblical picture of fallen man, so it is not only unbiblical, but unwise, as well. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." Human experience confirms this diagnosis. The human heart is far from trustworthy as it is evil and self-deceiving. Who would want to follow a heart like that?
2) It's irresponsible. We have reached a point in our culture where "staying together for the kids" is demonized and abandoning one's responsibilities is glorified. The only objectively immoral act, it would seem, is denying your own feelings. Doing the right thing is no longer the right thing to do. It's better to break one's promises than to live an "unhappy" life because the pursuit of happiness is the only real purpose in life, they say. This is why we have a generation of bastards being raised by their grandparents while the parents whittle away their lives with materialism and substance abuse. This is not true happiness. True happiness, that which is genuine and enduring, is found in the paths of God. True fulfillment is found outside of oneself. True purpose is found in the way of sacrifice.
3) It's idolatrous. When we make choices that contradict our morals for the sake of following our feelings, we are idolaters. We have made ourselves, particularly our happiness, our god. Society is post-religion, they say, but that is not entirely accurate. We have really just exchanged Christian Theism and its objective morality for the subjectivity of Hedonism. Once again, this is the natural religion of all depraved men, so this should come as no surprise. The Church, however, has allowed this sort of morality to creep into her doors. We call it Christian Liberty. We call it the Prosperity Gospel. We call it Antinomianism. Call it what you will, but it is still subjectivism, which is idolatry. The desires of the individual man take precedence over the revealed will of God. The Church is losing a generation. Many of my peers have left the Church, but even more have stayed as lukewarm religiosites. They claim to worship Christ, but they have no use for His lordship. They know what's right, but they just can't deny themselves. Their god is their appetites--their bellies (Phil 3:19).
How do we begin to reverse this trend? It begins with faithful preaching of the Word of God by ministers who fear God more than man. In turn, parents must faithfully teach their children God's standards of morality and a sense of personal responsibility for their actions. Additionally, the Church must wholesale must abandon an educational system designed to subvert Christian Theism with Humanism. We must be more selective about what movies, books, music, etc. we allow to shape our minds. We must rearrange our priorities so that once again God's objective standard is restored to its rightful place as the basis of our faith and practice. The heart, depraved and deceitful, is a poor foundation. We must build on the Rock once again!
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