God's Righteous Verdict on the Heart

God's Righteous Verdict on the Heart

by Rich Amick

Unlike people who judge appearances, God looks at the heart.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
(1 Samuel 16:7 NASB 2020)

God searches every motive (Jeremiah 17:10). He looks at the heart/mind, sees our faith, and credits our faith as righteousness. He declares us in right standing (justification) through faith in Christ's flawless obedient life and His substitutionary death (Romans 4:5). God imputes Christ's perfect righteousness to us through faith, declaring us justified despite our imperfect thoughts and actions. This imputation brings peace: "Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). We receive the benefits of Christ's atonement (at-one with God) by God's grace.

Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:6). "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19). Paul wrote, "We have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers" (1 Timothy 4:10). In making this statement "Savior of all mankind, especially of believers,", Paul used a rhetorical device of particularization—"general to particular"—to mark out a special subset within a larger group. He singled out a particular group that experiences salvation. He identified the group that experiences salvation as "all believers." When God looks at us, He does not see as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance. God looks at the heart, sees our faith, credits our faith as righteousness, and He knows we belong to Him.

Rest in grace—God views you through Jesus, not your merit.