Table of Contents

Appendix A Detailed Contents

Chapter 4.5

Desires of the “Heart”

The Drive of the Heart

Overall Objective

To understand the sources of our desires, and how to change them so that we can please God.

Table of Topics

A) The Sources of Human Desires

A.1) Divine image

A.2) Human reason variously influenced

B) The Nature of Human Desires

B.1) Beliefs vs. desires in God & us

B.2) Moral & amoral desires

C) Divinely Desiring: Spirit-controlled reasoning

Extras & Endnotes

Primary Points

The desires that God has created us to experience are merely a reflection of the perfect desires of God Himself.
More specifically, we would suggest that human desires are a reflection of God the Father.
Desires are essentially decisions made by our reason, based on beliefs produced by reason, all guided towards what will bring us happiness.
Not all beliefs result in desires, and therefore have very little effect on us.
We are much more aware of the desires that control our life, than we are the beliefs that produced those desires and ultimately control us.
Scripture does not tell us so much what God believes, but what He desires.
Likewise, the Scriptures speak much more of human desires than beliefs.
It is not conflicting desires of a “will” that describes our struggle for holiness. It is the conflicting beliefs of two belief systems within us.
Our desires can be categorized into moral and amoral. By amoral desires we do not mean immoral. Amoral issues are extra-biblical in the sense that God does not speak of them in Scripture, and therefore leaves to our own reasoning and preferences. And because sinning against God involves morality, you cannot sin in an amoral desire. This is contrary to many “Christian” legalists and mega mystics.
Logical reasoning and personal preferences play a large part in forming our desires and thus control our life.
The Spirit’s primary function is controlling our desires, rather than providing more revelation as the mystics claim.
In the end, sinful desires and sin is a result of faulty reasoning.

A) The Sources of Human Desires

A.1) God’s image

The desires that God has created us to experience are merely a reflection of the perfect desires of God Himself. When we think about what is meant by a human “will” and “volition” we certainly recognize a divine, not just a human, attribute. For example, the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy defines the human will as the “ability to desire an outcome and to purpose to bring it about.” ^[1] We immediately think of the first chapter of Ephesians:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will . . . And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ . . . In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him Who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, (Eph 1:3-5, 9-11)

While the desires of people are often thwarted, sometimes by God Himself (cf. Ps 33:10), God’s “perfect will” (Rom 12:2) never is (cf. Eph 3:11; Isa 14:27). ^[2] And God’s will is always perfect, while ours is not. Nonetheless, the desires of our “heart” are a reflection of the desires in God’s “heart.”

More specifically, we would suggest that human desires are a reflection of God the Father. Where is the will of the Godhead primarily placed in Scripture? God the Father. This is explicit in the passage from Ephesians above which describes the decisions regarding the plan of salvation as originating from the Father. Thus, Christian theologians have routinely observed that the plan of our salvation was generated by the will of God the Father, obtained by the works of God the Son, and applied by the indwelling of God the Spirit.

Christ Himself points to the Father as the source of the divine will in the Godhead when He taught us to pray, “Our Father in Heaven . . . Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven” (Matt 6:9-10). Likewise, the King said, “For I have come down from Heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). The desires of our heart are especially a reflection of God the Father.

A.2) Human Reason Variously Influenced

Ultimately it is because God created us with the ability to reason like He does, that we have desires. As described elsewhere, our desires are not produced by some separate faculty called the “will” apart from and against our reason. ^[3] Desires are essentially decisions made by our reason, based on beliefs produced by reason, all guided towards what will bring us happiness. While reasoning is what produces desires, there are many things that influence that reasoning such as our New Nature, sinful nature, conscience, personal experiences, personality, and spiritual gifts, many of which are discussed elsewhere. ^[4]

Here we wish to illustrate some of our suggestions concerning the sources of moral desires in the “heart” of a Christian. First, of course, is Scripture, which is the revelational foundation of all other uniquely Christian influences on our desires.

Secondly, the New Nature we receive at regeneration is an important source of desires. Accordingly, we read in Ephesians:

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;to be made new in the attitude [including desires] of your minds;and to put on the new self [New Nature], created to be like God in [desires for] true righteousness and holiness. (4:22-24)

How else does our New Nature affect us except by producing desires to be acted upon? That is certainly how our old nature affects us (cf. v. 22). The conflict between our “old self” and “new self” involves desires and is vividly illustrated in Galatians:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. (Gal 5:16-17 NASB; cf. Rom 7:14-25)

In other words, the desires of the “flesh” impede the desires of our New Nature from being the sole influence on us and therefore acting as a Christian desires to with their New Nature. The Apostle goes on to add that we can be “led by,” “live by,” and “keep in step with” the desires of the Spirit (Gal 18, 25) as opposed to the “passions and desires” of the “sinful nature” (v. 24). Therefore, we see that these two “natures” in us are a significant source of the moral (or immoral) desires that affect our reasoning. ^[5] In addition, we see why our desires are not perfect like God’s desires. His mind has not been trained to sin as ours has. ^[6]

Another primary source of our moral desires is our conscience. Obviously, for the Christian, Scripture is to be the supreme source of the moral knowledge with which the conscience is to be trained with. However, consciences can also produce different desires (and dislikes) in people according to influences from culture, family and personal experience. Accordingly, in the context of the Christian’s conscience, the Apostle Paul writes: “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind (i.e. conscience)” (Rom 14:5). Therefore, we see that the conscience is also an important source of the moral desires that act upon our will. ^[7]

The final uniquely Christian source of moral desires we will suggest is spiritual gifts. Elsewhere we point out that such gifts as evangelism, pastoring, teaching, mercy, giving, and leading (cf. Eph 4:11; Rom 12:6-8) essentially produce unique desires to serve God and people in certain ways.

B) The Nature of Human Desires

B.1) Beliefs vs. Desires In God & Us

Not all beliefs result in desires, and therefore have very little effect on our life. My belief that daffodils are yellow is true, but such a belief has little, if any opportunity to turn into a desire that would affect my life. This is why our beliefs concerning God are especially important, for they are the most fertile ground for the growth of the most valuable and life-changing desires.

Because beliefs are beneath desires and often do not even result in them, desires are a more evident part of our life. We are much more aware of the desires that control our life, than we are the beliefs that produced those desires and ultimately control us. However, while beliefs are more epistemological fundamental to the direction of our life, desires are practically so. This has at least two effects.

One, this may be one reason why we have been so tempted to conceive of a human faculty of the “will.” It is rather easy to imagine that particularly those beliefs that do not turn into desires remain in our reason, but that those that result in desires move to a “will.” Nonetheless, reason is the only mental faculty we have, or need, as it is fully capable of producing, holding, and acting upon our desires.

The second reflection of the fact that desires are the more evident and practical controlling aspect of a person is that even Scripture speaks much more about their effect than beliefs. For example, Scripture does not tell us so much what God believes, but what He desires. While we are told clearly and repeatedly that He wanted to save us, we have to dig some in Scripture to understand why? What are the beliefs of God that led to His desires to save us? This can be illustrated in the following passage that speaks clearly and repeatedly of God’s desires, but not His underlying beliefs:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For He chose [desired] us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love [a desire] ⁵ He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure [happiness] and will [desire]— ⁶ to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.

⁷ In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that He lavished on us with all wisdom [sophia] and understanding [phronēsei: thinking, beliefs!]. ⁹ And He made known to us the mystery of His will [desires] according to His good pleasure [happiness], which He purposed [desired] in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

In Him we were also chosen [desired], having been predestined according to the plan [desire] of Him Who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will [desires], ¹² in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory. (Eph 1:3-12)

The Bible describes even God being controlled by His desires. But what are the contents (beliefs) of God’s “wisdom and understanding” that resulted in the many beliefs described here? More specifically, what divine beliefs are behind God’s ultimate desire for pleasure and glory (cf. vs. 5-6, 9, 12), an idea discussed elsewhere, ^[8] and clearly reflected in this passage? Now we are getting to the point where the Apostle said elsewhere:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? (Rom 11:33-34)

In both Ephesians 1 and Romans 9-11 the Apostle is sharing all he knows and understands about why God wanted to save us. In both passages he tells us that God desires to save us because He desires to be glorified (cf. Rom 9:18, 22-23). Yet the Apostle does not tell us why God desires these things, or the beliefs that resulted in these desires.

Elsewhere we have suggested that by experience our human reason produces beliefs regarding what will make us happy, therefore creating desires for those things. ^[9] But this will not do for how God comes to His desires, for all of His beliefs and subsequent desires have existed perfectly from eternity past. The most we can conjecture is that God’s desires to be glorified and happy stem from a belief that these things are the most valuable and virtuous attainments of any being, including God Himself.

Likewise, the Scriptures speak much more of human desires than beliefs. While beliefs are the underlying principle controlling us, Scripture is more interested in practical theology than the philosophical kind. No doubt there is a great emphasis on the fundamental need for truth and right beliefs, but the life of the Christian is more often described as a matter of desires. For example the Apostle writes:

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. ¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

¹⁸ I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law [desires] at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law [desires] at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law [desires] of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law [desires] of sin at work within my members. (Rom 7:14-23; cf. Gal 5:16-25)

One gets the impression that we are merely a bundle of desires. However, it is important to remember that we do not change by merely changing our desires. We will only change our desires by changing our beliefs and a change in desires will automatically flow from that.

At bottom, it is not conflicting desires of a “will” that describes our struggle for holiness. Actually, it is the conflicting beliefs of two belief systems within us. The “sin living in me” programs us to believe sin will ultimately make us happy, and part of us therefore desires those things. The Spirit (New Nature) is the Person (not just a will) in us that knows holiness will ultimately make us happy, and therefore desires those things. Which system of beliefs and desires we choose to abide by will direct our actions.

The Apostle described this process when he wrote:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern [e.g. beliefs and resulting desires] of this world [which has trained the sinful nature], but be transformed by the renewing of your mind [including its beliefs which will change your desires]. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Rom 12:2). ^[10]

B.2) Moral & Amoral Desires

Our desires can be categorized into moral and amoral. Webster’s defines moral as: “relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior . . . sanctioned by or operative on one’s conscience or ethical judgment.” ^[11] Here we can distinguish between holy and evil desires. How do we do that? Every desire explicitly supported in Scripture is holy, and every desire explicitly condemned by Scripture is evil.

For example, the Apostle’s description of what love is, and what it is not, in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is a clear list of holy desires (e.g. to be patient, kind, forgiving, truthful, to protect, trust, hope, persevere) and evil desires (to be envious, boastful, proud, rude, self-seeking, angry, evil). All of God’s moral desires are communicated in Scripture and reflected by the Holy Spirit that dwells within us in our New Nature. And it is good that we know them because evil desires are sin, and if we are consumed by them we are not even saved.

However, it is important to recognize that God does not have an opinion on everything. Whether we choose grilled prime rib or boiled lima beans for dinner does not matter to Him, although we may have a fairly strong desire in this regard. Such desires are amoral in nature. By amoral desires we do not mean immoral. Webster’s simply defines amoral as, “being neither moral nor immoral; lying outside the sphere to which moral judgments apply.” ^[12]

Accordingly, amoral issues are extra-biblical in the sense that God does not speak of them in Scripture, and therefore leaves to our own reasoning and preferences. And because sinning against God involves morality, you cannot sin in an amoral desire.

This is contrary to many “Christian” legalists who add to Scripture with their extra-biblical traditions concerning a variety of things. They label too many desires regarding dress, music, etc. as sinful because they’ve made amoral issues into moral ones. Likewise, mega mystics who claim God desires to give us specific direction in all sorts of amoral, extra-biblical issues (who to marry, what job to choose, etc.), have also greatly increased the number of sinful desires we may have because they have unnecessarily made many amoral issues regarding such decisions into moral ones, if indeed God has a specific opinion as they claim. ^[13]

A good example of personal preference and logical reasoning (instead of legalistic traditions and mega mystical signs and promptings from the Spirit) working to create desires that effect an important decision is in the area of marriage. Accordingly, the Apostle Paul writes:

If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. (1 Cor 7:36-38)

While there are other biblical rules concerning a decision to marry, ^[14] after these have been followed, it is an amoral decision, ultimately based on the personal desires of the person. These desires may come from logical reasoning regarding the costs and benefits of marriage, which the Apostle mentions in this very passage (cf. v. 2, 28-35). Our wants in such a matter will also be dependent upon desires produced by our marital gift as well (cf. v. 6). ^[15] Finally, desires regarding marriage may depend a great deal on simply personal preferences, the reason for which may be difficult to discern. Therefore, we see that logical reasoning, and personal preferences play a large part in forming our desires and thus control our life.

C) Divinely Desiring: Spirit-controlled reasoning

As our beliefs are transformed by the Word of God, our desires are changed to align with the desires of the Holy Spirit living in us. While He always desires holiness, we do not. Nonetheless, as our beliefs become more conformed to Scripture and our desires more conformed to the Spirit, we find ourselves living more “in the Spirit.”

God knows if He changes our desires, He therefore changes virtually everything else about our life. The essence of being born again is having the Holy Spirit come to live inside of us. Subsequently, His primary function is controlling our desires, rather than providing more revelation for our beliefs or guidance as the mystics claim. The Spirit’s inspiration of Scripture and liberation of our reason goes a long way to providing the revelation we need, but what we also need is holy desires and this is the main work and “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal 5:22).

We need to recognize the importance of our being regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Those without the Spirit have only one nature, the sinful one, which “is hostile to God. . . . does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so” (Rom 8:7). But the born again Christian has been indwelled with the Holy Spirit, dethroning the sinful nature, and making His fruits the normal operating principles in their life (cf. Gal 5:22-25).

The affects of spiritual regeneration on the whole “heart” of humans is illustrated by the Apostle Paul when he writes: “God did not give us a spirit [Spirit] that makes us afraid but a spirit [Spirit] of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1:7 NCV). As Christians, the indwelling Holy Spirit gives us “power” to overcome sinful emotions such as fear, empower holy desires such as “love,” and liberates our reason to exercise the “self-control” necessary to steer our emotions and desires according to God’s will.

In the end, sinful desires and sin is a result of faulty reasoning. When we have wrong beliefs (e.g. what will make us truly happy) influencing our desires, we will desire sinful things. However, emotions can play a critical part in properly reasoning as well, as we discuss in the next chapter.

Extras & Endnotes

A Devotion to Dad

Our Father in Heaven, we praise You for the Holy Spirit in us Who gives us the opportunity to live the same desires You have. We commit ourselves today to taking full advantage of that blessing.

Gauging Your Grasp

1) Why do we suggest that desire is especially a reflection of God the Father?

2) How are our desires formed?

3) What is the ultimate goal of our desires?

4) Even though beliefs are at the foundation of even God’s desires, why does Scripture primarily speak of the latter instead of the former?

5) Why do you think Scripture speaks much more of human desires than beliefs?

6) How do we describe in psychological terms the struggle for holiness? Do you agree or disagree and why?

7) What is the difference between moral and amoral desires?

8) Why is it important to distinguish between moral and amoral desires?

9) Why do we claim that sin is essentially a result of faulty reasoning? Do you agree or disagree?

Publications & Particulars

Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Simon Blackburn, ed. 2^nd ed. (Oxford Press, 2005), 388. ↑
When we claim that God’s will is never thwarted we need to recognize different aspects, or a hierarchy, of His will. For example, while human sin and the death of His Son could be said to violate God’s moral will (i.e. He has established laws against evil and murder), they perfectly fulfill His ultimate will (cf. Rom 9:17-18; Acts 4:27-28). God has the power to work “out everything in conformity with the purpose of His [ultimate, perfect] will” (Eph 1:11), and “in all things God works for the [ultimate] good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). ↑
For further discussion of the error of “faculty psychology” see chapter 4.2. ↑
For further discussion of the desires produced by our spiritual gifts see chapter 7.13. ↑
NT scholar R. N. Longenecker writes regarding Galatians 5:17:

[B]ehind the individual believer Paul sees two ethical forces that seek to control a person’s thought and activity. . . . Here . . . Paul gives a précis of his basic soteriological anthropology, which underlies . . . his whole understanding of humanity. . . . Since “sin entered the world” “the flesh” and “the Spirit” are diametrically opposed to one another, with the result that one cannot do what he or she knows to be right when in the “flesh”. . . .

In effect, Gal 5:17 sets out in rudimentary fashion what is later spoken of more fully in Rom 7:14-25, with both passages expressing the plight of humanity . . . as being torn between direction by “the flesh” or direction by “the Spirit.” (Galatians, WBC [Nelson, 1990], 245-6. ↑
For further discussion of the divine purpose for our New Nature see chapter 7.12. ↑
For further discussion of the development of the conscience see section 2.5.C. Concerning the practical importance of the conscience see chapter 3.2. ↑
For further discussion of God’s own desires for happiness and glory see section 4.1.C. ↑
Regarding how desires are developed see section 4.1.B-C. ↑
The definitions, nature, and relationships of all the components that make up the Christian and operate for their sanctification (e.g. flesh, Spirit, etc.) is quite complicated. A good discussion can be found in George Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament rev. ed. (Eerdmans, 1993). ↑
Webster’s Dictionary online at http://www.webstersdictionary.org. ↑
Ibid. ↑
For further discussion of the error of mega mysticism in regards to divine guidance see Book 14. ↑
For further discussion of decision making as reflected in getting married see section 7.15.D.1. ↑
For further discussion on marital gifts see section 7.13.B.4. ↑