Introduction
There is an old hymn titled “Is Thy Heart Right with God.” This hymn beautifully asks if we have surrendered every aspect of our lives to the Lord Jesus, who died on the cross for the sins of the world, and if our hearts are right with God. There are many examples in the Bible where the Lord reveals the hearts of people as being right with Him or wrong. In this blog, we will focus first on Acts 1, which contains the passage where the betrayer of the Lord Jesus is replaced by Matthias, who became one of the twelve apostles. The betrayer did not have his heart right with God and went to his own place. Following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the apostles prayed for a replacement to ensure there were twelve apostles to witness the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and carry out the work of the Gospel. This new apostle had to be a reliable witness to the work of the Lord Jesus and utterly faithful to God’s purposes. This passage can inspire us as followers of the Lord Jesus to allow the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts, prompting us to check in with Him and confirm if our hearts are right with Him. We will now examine several verses in Acts 1 that relate to the two disciples, Barsabbas and Matthias, who were candidates to become the twelfth apostle.
Comments on Acts 1:21-26
21 It behooves, therefore, of the men having accompanied us, during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us,
22 having begun from the baptism of John, until the day in which He was taken up from us, one of these to become a witness with us of His resurrection.
These verses tell all humans that the Lord knows whom He has in plan. As the verse says, until the beloved Son of God is taken up into heaven, He still has a plan for the work to be finished. The betrayer has been replaced with a worthy one, the one who knows the teaching and has a heart worthy to be counted in.
23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was called Justus, and Matthias.
Human eyes and the Lord’s eyes look at a person differently. Humans propose names, but the Lord chooses the heart. This verse is an example of the difference between humans and the Lord’s ways of doing things.
24 And having prayed, they said, Thou, Lord, knower of the hearts of all, show which one of these two Thou has chosen,
25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.
Let the readers pay attention to the fact that the apostles prayed. When anyone has questions or problems, come in prayer to the Lord. The Lord has all the answers for everyone, and if the person comes with true faith and is willing to obey, the answer will be given.
26 And they gave lots for them; and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
“And they gave lots for them.” For humans to avoid conflict at that time, they used a lot casting.
“And the lot fell on Matthias …” The lot has been given from the guidance of the Lord, and the Lord has chosen the person out of it.
Q: Is the lot method still useful today when making similar decisions? A: If people have faith and use the lot method honestly with prayer, they can still use it.
We don’t know much about Barsabbas and Matthias except that they were with the Lord Jesus throughout His ministry on earth (verse 22). This passage invites us to reflect on Barsabbas’ feelings; his name was put forward, but he was not chosen. The Bible teaches us that the Lord does not choose us based on our appearance, status, or achievements but rather on our hearts (verse 24). It’s important to note that both Barsabbas and Matthias had faith, and their hearts were open to following the Lord’s decision. They both agreed to have their names put forth and to be at peace with either result, whether it was in their favor or not. Those who truly trust the Lord will accept His decisions and will not harbor negative feelings about them. However, when we desire to serve the Lord and are not chosen, it’s easy to feel bitterness toward Him or our fellow believers. But, when our hearts are aligned with God, we can trust Him in all circumstances. We should be able to accept His plans for our lives and pray joyfully for our fellow believers, including those we see as competitors. We can all believe that Barsabbas was genuinely happy for Matthias, blessing and supporting him in his work. So, we should ask ourselves: Is our heart right with God? Can we accept the Lord’s will for our lives and find contentment in the roles we are called to fulfill, even if they seem small in the eyes of others?
Hearts Not Right with God
In both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, we encounter numerous examples of hearts that are not right with God. In this section, we will highlight three examples from the New Testament to emphasize the importance of regularly examining our hearts and ensuring they are right with the Trinity of God in every aspect of our lives.
First, in Luke 4:16-30, we see the Lord Jesus visiting the synagogue in Nazareth, His hometown. He reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and tells those gathered that the prophecy from Isaiah 61:1-2 is referring to Him. The Lord Jesus states, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Then, in Luke 4:24-29, He responds to their disbelief about His identity as the Son of God by saying, “Truly I say to you that no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But of a truth I say to you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there was a great famine over all the land; and to none of them was Elijah sent, but only to Zarephath, of Sidon, to a widow woman. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. And they were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things; and they rose up, and cast Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, in order to throw Him over.”
The people in this place did not accept the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. Instead, they viewed Him merely as the son of Joseph, questioning, "Isn’t He just a man? Who is He, and why should we respect and honor Him?" They essentially mocked Him. However, we know what the Bible says, that He did not do many miracles in His hometown because of their unbelief.
Many of us today forget that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God and that He is God the Trinity from eternity past. Some people view the Lord Jesus as a buddy, a regular carpenter, or just another prophet, failing to give Him the honor He deserves as the Son of God and the God of the Trinity. Sadly, in many churches today, some pastors make jokes from the pulpit that target the name and person of the Lord Jesus, along with Bible characters and the Word of God, under the guise of having fun in church. However, we must remember that John 1:1 states that the Lord Jesus is the Word. By making fun of and mocking the Word of God, we risk taking the name of the Lord in vain. This trend of joking at the expense of the Word of God clearly originates from the dark side and not from the Lord. Those who engage in this behavior are in the position of scoffers, as described in Psalm 1. Furthermore, for believers in the Lord Jesus, it is essential to believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which the Lord Jesus grants as a gift to all who believe and seek Him.
Second, in Acts 5, we find the story of Ananias and Sapphira. These two individuals owned property, which suggests they held some social status. They desired to join the ministry alongside Peter and the apostles, so they sold their property and brought a portion of the proceeds to the apostles’ feet. However, the Bible teaches us that it is not our worldly status that determines our significance in God's ministry; rather, it is the condition of our hearts dedicated to the Lord. We cannot serve in ministry simply because we hold a title in society; we must fully surrender our hearts to the Lord and allow Him to elevate us. In the case of Ananias and Sapphira, it is clear that their hearts were not right with God. They lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3), and the consequences of their actions were severe. The Lord knows our hearts and thoughts, as also stated in Psalm 94:8-11.
Third, in Acts 8:8-22, we read about Simon the magician, who clearly had a heart that was not right with God (Acts 8:21). He believed he could buy the gift of God with money, mistakenly thinking that these gifts were for sale. So, why do we desire the gift of the Holy Spirit? Are we testing God and His Word, or do we truly believe in His promises and seek His mercy? It is essential for us to have a right heart with the Lord and to believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as described in the Bible. We must also follow His commandments—there are no alternatives. The Holy Spirit is a gift from the Father. We cannot practice the gifts of the Holy Spirit outside the boundaries of biblical commandments. God is not a man who changes His mind regarding how these gifts operate in the church, and we should not be swayed by distorted interpretations from human minds.
Conclusions
In conclusion, we should regularly examine our hearts and ask the Holy Spirit to check our hearts and reveal any unrighteousness within us so we can repent (Psalm 139:23-24).
This article teaches us the importance of surrendering to the will of the Lord God Almighty, allowing Him to be the Master of our lives, and being grateful for whatever He provides for us. Also, we must understand three important ways to be right with God. First, if we don’t honor the Lord Jesus as the Son of God and a God of the Trinity of God, we cannot understand the Scriptures, and our hearts will not be right with God. The Lord Jesus must be the Master and Lord of our lives; we are called to love and honor Him as God. So, is your heart right with God? Do you recognize the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, not simply the Son of Joseph? Is He the Lord God of your life and the God of the Trinity for you? Furthermore, is He the Redeemer of your soul, the One who washed away your sins? And do you believe that He sends us the gift of the Holy Spirit as the Promise of the Father for us to be the guide in our lives on this earth? Second, as followers of the Lord Jesus, we need to recognize that we cannot hide anything from the Holy Spirit; He knows our hearts and minds. There are consequences if we neglect to pray and ask for forgiveness. If we try to lie to the Holy Spirit, our hearts are not right with God. Third, the gifts of the Holy Spirit should be applied in faith and accordance with the commandments and requirements found in the Word of God. The Lord remains the same from eternity past to eternity future, and He will not change His rules and commandments to conform to our modern lifestyles. If we try to misuse the gifts of the Holy Spirit, our hearts are not right with God.
Meditation Tasks
- Please take a look at our article titled “Baptism in the Holy Spirit for Christians.”
- Reflect on why the Lord refers to David as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).