How do you know you believe in your heart?

[wr2]

First of all what is the heart? The brain, where you think?

The bible often says things like "think in your heart" or "reasoned in their hearts". This sounds like it simply means the mind, where you think thoughts.

But then why do christians make a difference between heart and mind?

How can you even know wether you believe in the heart or not?
Or how can you know if you doubt in the heart or somewhere else?

 

[Michaelismyname]

I know ..because regardless of where my thoughts go ,i am able to capture them and bring them into submission under the knowledge of christ . my heart remains unchanged on the stance

I know because after i made a wrong decision ,the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and i lacked peace untill i submitted to his better guidence and Did what he asked . Then my heart had peace and great Joy .. what i had to think about it in my mind had little bearing on the issue .
obedience is from the heart -argument is from the head.

in our hearts we know that which is right to do .. but with our heads we attempt to reason it away with many words .

 

[wr2]

But how can you know if you for example doubt in your mind or your heart?
I heard pastors differentiate between harmless doubts in the mind and dangerous doubts in the heart. How on earth shall I know where a doubt comes from!? I dont have a display on my chest which shows me wether a doubt comes from the heart or not. Duh.

 

[Bob Carabbio]

SImple - if you have to ask the question - You aren't.

"Heart belief" is another term for "Biblical Faith", which possesses has the attributes listed in Heb 11:1

Obviously, then, if you HAD "Faith" you wouldn't be asking the question. You'd be moving in the REALITY of it.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Faith is an "assurance" that cannot be overruled by rational thought or sensual observation. You can ignore it and even act out of accordance with it, but you will suffer just as if you had sinned.
Try to say "Jesus is not Lord..."
You will not be able to do it! If you force your mouth to voice the words... you will suffer in your conscience and may even do damage to your soul.

 

[Optimax]

First of all what is the heart? The brain, where you think?

The bible often says things like "think in your heart" or "reasoned in their hearts". This sounds like it simply means the mind, where you think thoughts.

But then why do christians make a difference between heart and mind?

How can you even know wether you believe in the heart or not?
Or how can you know if you doubt in the heart or somewhere else?

The "heart" of man is the innermost being of a person.

 

[HolySpiritWOF2]

First of all what is the heart? The brain, where you think?

The bible often says things like "think in your heart" or "reasoned in their hearts". This sounds like it simply means the mind, where you think thoughts.

But then why do christians make a difference between heart and mind?

How can you even know wether you believe in the heart or not?
Or how can you know if you doubt in the heart or somewhere else?

1 Thessalonians 5:23 says: Now may the GOD of peace HIMSELF sanctify you completely, and may your spirit, soul, and body be preserved completely whole and blameless at the coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Mounce Reverse-Interlinear New Testament

Your spirit (rauch, pneuma) is the eternal part of you that never dies and is made completely new and perfect at the moment it is fused to the HOLY SPIRIT when you give yourself to GOD and allow HIM to take permanent residence in you. It can also be considered the spiritual processing unit of your being. It spiritually processes all things and is in perfect interface with the HOLY SPIRIT at all times. It becomes (or should be allowed to become) your primary processing unit when you are a born-again child of GOD. 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20

Your present physical body (sarka) is the part of you that returns to dust when you die. You get a new glorified body when you go to heaven. Philippians 3:21

Your soul (nephesh, psyche) is comprised of your mind, will, and emotions. This would include your brain, your heart, and your stomach. All three are neural centers loaded with neurons. (Google "neurons in the stomach" and "neurons in the heart") They are linked together and make up your core inner being, which is really a neurological interfacing processing unit with which you mentally, emotionally, and physically process everything you experience. It is imperfect and changes with input. Input GOD'S WORD and it stabilizes. Input things that contradict GOD'S WORD and it destabilizes. Genesis 2:9, 1 Corinthians 15:45

Before you became a born-again child of GOD your soul was your primary processor, but now that your spirit is fused to the HOLY SPIRIT, it is better if your soul allows your spirit and the HOLY SPIRIT and the WORD of GOD to lead. This is a learning process.

The Bible talks about your soul as the thoughts of your heart, the renewing of your mind, the strengthening of your inner man, etc. It is the deepest inner core part of you, that is affected by what you think, see, hear, feel, believe, say, experience, etc. The Bible tells you to guard your heart because out of it come the issues of life. Which means to guard your neural centers from anything that would negatively affect the integrity and health of your core inner being.

As far as faith and doubt, etc, you do not need to fear if you have given yourself to GOD, and continue to give yourself to HIM. The HOLY SPIRIT will never leave you, so turn to HIM. Keep learning to make your soul follow the HOLY SPIRIT and the WORD of GOD. Lean on the HOLY SPIRIT. Talk to HIM and listen to HIM and use HIS ability rather than your own. When you pray in tongues all kinds of things you know nothing about are being perfectly dealt with by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT.

Read GOD'S WORD abundantly. It is the way to re-program the soul so that it becomes and remains stabilized. If you are having trouble believing or understanding something GOD said in HIS WORD, give yourself to GOD and ask HIM to give you HIS ability, thoughts, faith, understanding, feelings, etc. This is called being filled with the HOLY SPIRIT daily. You cannot do anything apart from HIM so don't bother trying. Mark 9:24, Ephesians 3:16, Proverbs 3:5, 1 Peter 5:6-7, Ephesians 5:18, John 15:5

HE promised that the work HE began in you HE will completely finish. JESUS and the FATHER have you firmly in their hand, so turn to them for EVERYTHING all the time. Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 12:2, Romans 14:4, Jude 1:24, John 6:39, Hebrews 4:16

ps. As a born-again child of GOD, HE asks you to do everything in/thru/by/with HIM. You can choose moment by moment to acknowledge HIM and yield to HIM. That is called walking in the spirit (pneuma). When you choose to lean on yourself and your own ability and understanding, that is called walking in the flesh (sarka). This is a learning process.

 

[whatfor]

I recently watched "I am " by Tom Shadyak .
The issue of how the heart works was raised .
The heart controls more than we realize, it effects the atmosphere around us.
The rythym between the beats of the heart show different things, for example love , anger etc.
The heart sends more information to the brain than the brain sends to the heart.

Although the movie was not Christian , a lot of it fitted with what the Bible says.

 

[wr2]

I'm confused. Does this mean there is no difference between doubting in your mind and in your heart? But I always heard it explained that way.
I also can't pray in tongues. I tried it but I don't think it's really real I think it's just stuff from my mind. I cannot pray in tongues and do other things for example but according to the bible it should be possible cause the mind isn't needed to pray in tongues but I cannot pray in tongues and read a text at the same time.

 

[HolySpiritWOF2]

I'm confused. Does this mean there is no difference between doubting in your mind and in your heart? But I always heard it explained that way.
I also can't pray in tongues. I tried it but I don't think it's really real I think it's just stuff from my mind. I cannot pray in tongues and do other things for example but according to the bible it should be possible cause the mind isn't needed to pray in tongues but I cannot pray in tongues and read a text at the same time.

Doubting happens only in the soul (mind/will/emotions aka heart/mind/inner being). Your born-again spirit is always in perfect agreement and faith with the HOLY SPIRIT.

Abraham received a promise from GOD and had a hard time believing it. He went to GOD and asked GOD how can this be true/possible. GOD helped him to believe by making a blood covenant with him.

The man with an epileptic son tried to believe JESUS could heal his son. He told JESUS he did believe and asked JESUS to help his unbelief, meaning he had some faith and some doubt.

Both received what was promised after turning TO GOD/JESUS to receive help for their faith.

If you are struggling with doubt you can also ask people of strong faith to pray for you.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

It's got to do with your attitude toward Christ when you are praying to Him in private where there are no others around to impress. It is being honest, sincere and open before God. It is in the secret place with God that you can share your true heart. You cannot pretend anything in that place, because God searches the hearts and knows what is there. It is the place where you can be truly honest with God and with yourself.

You can discuss your doubts and fears to God without fear, because the Scripture says that if you lack wisdom you can ask Him and He will give it to you liberally, and will not put you down for asking.

He tells us to boldly come to His throne of grace to receive mercy and help in the time of need. We can come to God because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. This give us confidence with God.

Because we are finite human beings, we will have doubts and fears, but the presence of these is not an indication of a lack of faith. Faith is simply believing God's Word in spite of your doubts and fears. It is like "feel the fear and do it anyway", where you have your doubts and fears but you go ahead and act on the basis of what God's Word says to you.

Lack of faith is when you allow your doubts and fears to rule your actions. If you doubted that you are saved and acted on that doubt, you would not behave like a saved person. But you can have doubts and fears about your salvation, but behave like a saved person because God's Word says you are saved if you believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and you have confessed that Jesus is your Lord.

We cannot control what comes into our minds. It's like having birds landing on your head. You can shoo it off; but if you let it build a nest there, you might have problems. Doubts and fears are like that. You can shoo them away by quoting God's Word at them; but if you allow those doubts to "build a nest" in your mind, then that's where the problems start.

 

[HolySpiritWOF2]

I also can't pray in tongues. I tried it but I don't think it's really real I think it's just stuff from my mind. I cannot pray in tongues and do other things for example but according to the bible it should be possible cause the mind isn't needed to pray in tongues but I cannot pray in tongues and read a text at the same time.

I'm not sure how it first worked for others, but when I first was baptized in the HOLY SPIRIT at home in private and started to pray in tongues it didn't seem real either. I heard strange words in my mind and repeated them with my mouth. It seemed so strange and not what i thought it was supposed to be like.

I practiced at home privately for about 2 weeks, sincerely asking the HOLY SPIRIT if it was all right and good. I could not do other things while I was praying in tongues either. And I was super analyzing it because I wanted the real thing from the HOLY SPIRIT. At the end of 2 weeks I finally felt confident that it was all good and from the HOLY SPIRIT.

Double-checking things with the HOLY SPIRIT is always fine. That is not doubt. That is just double-checking with GOD. GOD has no problem with you making sure that something is really from HIM. You can ask HIM all the sincere questions you want to. That is how you learn really good stuff from the HOLY SPIRIT. The most outstanding and anointed teachers of the WORD of GOD learned that way. They read the BIBLE and then ask GOD questions and wait for the HOLY SPIRIT to answer them. You will learn to hear the voice of the HOLY SPIRIT too if you keep asking GOD questions and waiting to hear HIS answer.

 

[wr2]

@ HolySpiritWOF2

The problem is that I dont even know how it should normally feel and work when you speak in tongues. I have a very analytical and pedantic mind and I try to understand everything and so on and I cannot simply speak words without thinking them up in my mind first but from what I was told when you speak in tongues you do NOT hear or think the words before speaking them. I absolutely cannot do that.
I also tried speaking in tongues but to be honest it doesn't seem like a real fluent language to me rather like made up stuff and I also never felt being built up by speaking in tongues. I heard tongues from others which sounded so real and fluent and I wish I could do that, too.
For example when I try to speak in tongues and then think of real words then those real words will mingle themselves with the tongues. Another indicator that it's not genuine, imo.

@ Oscarr

There are so many things which I don't understand and which limit me.
For example when I don't know how I can tell if I doubted in my heart or not I also cannot know if I ruined a prayer or not. For example what happens if I just prayed for something and then am bombared with all kinds of fears and doubts? Then I don't even know if I ruined it or not.

There are christians who seem super confident in their faith and they say stuff like I just know that I know that I know. I dont have that and because of this I can never really tell if I am in faith for something or not and then I search for something which shows me that I have faith, like a feeling of confidence but usually I feel nothing or I'm confused or scared and then I have nothing which shows me that I believe.

The stuff which the bible says about faith that faith is the substance of things hoped for also doesn't really help me with my issues. I cannot even tell what this verse is supposed to mean.
Or then there are also christians who say that hope isn't the same as faith, making it all even more complicated. The more emphasis is put on the importance of having faith cause without faith God cannot help you and that you must not doubt the more I obsess with faith and doubts. I have been struggling with this for many years now and not found a solution which would end obsessing.

 

[WordofHisPower]

It sounds like you are trying to do the right thing and all the things you hear make you question yourself.

God is the potter and you are the clay. Let Him work on you. Jesus said to come to Him and He would give you rest. Give Him all your doubts and fears and ask Him to change the things in you that need changing. And then relax and thank Him and trust Him.

You are too much for you to handle but God can handle you just fine. He's got plans for you. God made you and He is shaping your life. Just enjoy the process. Watch what He will do. Hand Him all your concerns and questions. He has and will take care of you.

Stop being so hard on yourself. You aren't perfect. None of us are.

 

[WordofHisPower]

We're all learning. Part of learning is making mistakes until we get it right. The Bible says a righteous man falls many times but the Lord picks him up out of the dust each time.

You are very conscientious and want to do the right thing. The Lord sees your heart. You are accepted by Him because you accepted Jesus. He will keep working on you to strengthen and improve you. It's a process. Be patient.

 

[Yahu]

First of all what is the heart? The brain, where you think?

The bible often says things like "think in your heart" or "reasoned in their hearts". This sounds like it simply means the mind, where you think thoughts.

But then why do christians make a difference between heart and mind?

How can you even know wether you believe in the heart or not?
Or how can you know if you doubt in the heart or somewhere else?

No, the heart is not the mind. Scripture uses heart as a reference to Spiritual guidance while it uses soul for the mind, will and emotions. It is the heart that is often in conflict with the mind. The mind does the choosing to follow the heart or the flesh.

Spirit = heart
Soul = mind

 

[tturt]

And how can we get our minds to follow our spirits --As believers, our spirits believe The Word (John 6:63) and His Word is the way to get our spirits as the priority over our bodies and souls.

Our thoughts come from 3 sources - our own thinking, Yahweh gives us thoughts (such as John 14:26) plus the enemy as he did it with Eve (2 Corinthians 11:3).

We're to take every thought captive (II Cor 10:5) and renew our minds with His Word (Rom 12:2). This doesn't mean that we don't know His Word but we let the enemy give us a thought and we stay with it which creates doubt, worry, stress, etc.

So how can we do this - and it's something we have to do with Yahweh's help - When that first thought comes that needs to be eliminated, immediately replace it with what Scripture says - whatever meaningful Scripture you like. For me - because of Yeshua's sacrifice, I am forgiven (John 3:16).

It may be difficult for the first few days but it will get better because "I have strength to overcome all things in the One who strengthens me." (Phil 4:13) - He's always there to help us (Psa 46:1). As someone posted the other day, there's nothing in the Bible for us to do that we can't do with Yahweh's help.

We're all a work in progress.

 

[HolySpiritWOF2]

@ HolySpiritWOF2

The problem is that I dont even know how it should normally feel and work when you speak in tongues. I have a very analytical and pedantic mind and I try to understand everything and so on and I cannot simply speak words without thinking them up in my mind first but from what I was told when you speak in tongues you do NOT hear or think the words before speaking them. I absolutely cannot do that.
I also tried speaking in tongues but to be honest it doesn't seem like a real fluent language to me rather like made up stuff and I also never felt being built up by speaking in tongues. I heard tongues from others which sounded so real and fluent and I wish I could do that, too.
For example when I try to speak in tongues and then think of real words then those real words will mingle themselves with the tongues. Another indicator that it's not genuine, imo.

i would have to say that i was for most of my life the same kind of person as you - very analytical and pedantic. i was like that when i first got saved - and i needed to work out praying in tongues with the HOLY SPIRIT privately at home because i did receive but i was having difficulty with the same things you are.

i was tempted to think that i did NOT really receive the baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT and the gift of speaking in tongues but GOD gave me this when i asked HIM about my concerns:

LUKE 11:9-13

9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread[d] from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”


so i stopped doubting and started asking the HOLY SPIRIT to help me become fluent in the gift of tongues at home each day. i felt embarrassed even at home in private BUT i kept practicing at it daily until one day even my analytical perfectionist mind had to admit that this was the real and perfect thing.

i continued daily practicing/ speaking in tongues as a form of worship and prayer and very shortly i became extremely fluent in tongues to the degree that people at church who spoke foreign languages could interpret what i said when i prayed in tongues. one man knew several languages and told me he heard me praising GOD in all the languages that he knew.

it is a gift of the HOLY SPIRIT and HE will perfect it. HE will take out what is the mind so that you end up with the perfect gift that comes from HIM if you ask HIM to. praying for you to receive all HIS best.



PS. i was (and still to some degree am) a perfectionist. i ONLY thought things were from GOD if they were perfect. i learned that everything that comes from GOD is perfect BUT my soul was trying to control and judge all things and got in the way - so i had to learn to trust GOD and let HIM move my soul out of the way, so that my new creation spirit that was fused to the HOLY SPIRIT, could function without interference from my soul.

it took some time because i was used to controlling everything with my soul. i had a hard time letting the HOLY SPIRIT move unhindered with my human spirit. my soul (mind/will/emotions) eventually learned to not interrupt anymore because my spirit would not allow it. it took awhile for me to learn how to flow with the HOLY SPIRIT in everything and say no to my soul (mind/will/emotions) whenever it tried to contradict what GOD or HIS WORD said about things.

 

[Alive_Again]

I have heard prophetic words where the Lord make distinctions between the heart and the spirit. The Word makes distinctions between the mind and the soul. These are frequently mentioned synonymously, and are similar, but I think their are differences. I'm inclined to think that the heart is referred to as the center most part of our being. (Although I may be reaching here) It actually really may be physical, since the life of the body is in the blood, and the heart (organ) pumps this throughout the body. When the heart stops beating, it seems to be demonstrated that the soul and spirit leave the body. Either way, the Word seems to refer to it as the core of your being. There definitely seems to be a connection to your spirit (apparently the center most part of your eternal being) and your physical heart.

The eternal spirit has an eternal soul. I personally believe the soul is linked to the mind (in the physical brain while in the physical body). When the brain dies, your soul is still intact, although I would surmise that it checks out of the body.

It has been said by those Christians who have died and come back, that you still have your senses, which are even more acute than when in your body. The rich man in the Lazarus account suffered in Hell. He had a spiritual body which suffered. Doubtlessly his soul, connected to his spirit sensed all that our minds (via our brain) would sense when in our physical body.

Our spirits are in union with the Holy Spirit. Our souls, at least while on this earth, are somehow connected to our minds and bodies. What they "know" outside of the renewal by the Holy Spirit is derived by our physical environment. Obviously, we're renewed in the spirit, and our soul (also connected to the spirit) communicates with our spirit.

I don't think the soul and the mind can be the same because the mind (in the body) can have no activity at all, while the soul will live on.

To answer the OP, I think it can be said that the innermost part of us which is not sensually led by our bodies, the part in union with the Spirit of truth, must receive illumination by "hearing". Following this hearing of faith (the result of hearing), it must believe (which is an action).

Since we are not disjointed beings, it stands to reason that our souls must be on board, although sometime they seem to be the last to know! We can know something in our heart (really spirits), and our intellect doesn't understand it. The renewal is from spirit out and your spirit can having a knowing that your intellect can't figure out. The Spirit can renew our minds, It seems to be a process that doesn't necessarily occur at the same time.

It's kind of a mystery and I've asked the Lord for a greater understanding of these things. Until then, suffice it to say that we can have small faith, and still believe in our hearts. If faith can be compared at times to a mustard seed, and that is only the beginning, not the end, then we can act on that faith (by believing) even when what they can bring has not achieved its full potential.

It's a little mind juggling to review this kind of thing because it isn't really a precept upon precept thing. It's an observation compared to an observation, with a speculation attached!

 

[Juelrei]

First of all what is the heart? The brain, where you think?

The bible often says things like "think in your heart" or "reasoned in their hearts". This sounds like it simply means the mind, where you think thoughts.

But then why do christians make a difference between heart and mind?

How can you even know wether you believe in the heart or not?
Or how can you know if you doubt in the heart or somewhere else?

The big difference is between the kind of thoughts a person has. A person believes in their heart by having their mind renewed to think in line with God's word.
Likewise, a person doubts, has unbelief in their mind/heart when they feed on the wisdom of the world, or religious traditions of men and rely on their five physical senses to make a decision.
That is what Jesus said when he talked about the treasure that is in their hearts coming out of their mouths., either good, or evil.

The faith that the Bible talks about has to be developed in the inner man. The human being is triune. Spirit, soul and body. The spirit of man is fed by the word of God in order to have and exercise faith to believe God and thereby bring his thoughts under control, and subject everything in his life to obey God.