Topical Bible: Truth: Saints should Write Upon the Tables of the Heart

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In the Christian tradition, truth holds a central place as a divine attribute and a guiding principle for the life of believers. The concept of writing truth upon the tables of the heart is a metaphorical expression that underscores the importance of internalizing God's truth, allowing it to shape one's character and actions.

Biblical Foundation

The imagery of writing upon the heart is rooted in the Old Testament, where God commands His people to internalize His laws and commandments. In Proverbs 3:3, the Berean Standard Bible states, "Let kindness and truth never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." This verse emphasizes the necessity of making truth an integral part of one's being, suggesting that it should be as close and constant as a necklace worn around the neck.

Similarly, in Jeremiah 31:33, God promises a new covenant with His people: "But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people." This prophetic declaration points to a future where God's truth is not merely external but internalized, transforming the believer from within.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

In the New Testament, the role of the Holy Spirit is pivotal in writing truth upon the hearts of believers. Jesus, in John 16:13 , assures His disciples, "However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come." The Holy Spirit acts as the divine agent who inscribes God's truth upon the hearts of the saints, guiding them in understanding and living out the truth.

Practical Implications for Believers

For Christians, writing truth upon the heart involves a deliberate and ongoing process of engaging with Scripture, prayer, and reflection. It requires a commitment to study God's Word diligently, allowing it to penetrate deeply into one's thoughts and emotions. Psalm 119:11 reflects this commitment: "I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You." By internalizing Scripture, believers equip themselves to resist sin and live in accordance with God's will.

Moreover, the internalization of truth is not a solitary endeavor but is supported by the community of faith. Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages believers to "spur one another on to love and good deeds" and to "not neglect meeting together." The fellowship of the saints provides accountability and encouragement, helping individuals to keep God's truth at the forefront of their hearts and minds.

The Transformative Power of Truth

When truth is written upon the heart, it transforms the believer's life, aligning it with God's purposes. Romans 12:2 exhorts, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God." The renewal of the mind through God's truth enables believers to discern and pursue what is righteous and pleasing to Him.

In summary, the call for saints to write truth upon the tables of their hearts is a profound invitation to internalize God's Word, allowing it to shape their identity and actions. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the support of the Christian community, believers are empowered to live lives that reflect the truth and glory of God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Proverbs 3:3
Let not mercy and truth forsake you: bind them about your neck; write them on the table of your heart:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Sin's Writing and Its Erasure
... little acts of temper, or triflings with truth, or yieldings ... like an illuminated
missal with fair saints and calm ... If all that be true, should it not produce a ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/sins writing and its erasure.htm

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity Gospel Transcends Law.
... Such truth never would have been heard nor preached, would ... self-grown doctors that
they are, saints all-powerful ... our heart and mouth what we should say, and ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/twelfth sunday after trinity gospel.htm

Habakkuk-On his Watch-Tower
... one-thousandth part so horrible, and so hated of all God's saints, as is ... So truly
does our God also, in His grace and truth, still make His ... "Why should I answer ...
/.../whyte/lord teach us to pray/ix habakkuk-on his watch-tower.htm

God Hath Made Manifest
... may perceive was the case, not of the saints in the ... For the lessons of the truth
are like this; and the ... for us, not with commands that it should be embraced ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily i god hath made.htm

Luther --A Stone on the Cairn
... strangely out of place amongst doctors and mediaeval saints. ... firmness with which
that initial truth of man's ... the claim that God's Word should speak directly to ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/luthera stone on the cairn.htm

Effectual Calling
... many who receive the light of the truth, without the ... hated and opposed this light,
yet it should shine in ... This is what the saints will stand wondering at to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/effectual calling.htm

Introduction
... sad to see how little this elementary truth is grasped ... is why sinners (Rom.3:19)
and saints (Jas.2 ... Should any object against our definition of the distinction ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the law and the saint/introduction.htm

What are Evidences of Backsliding in Heart.
... Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to ... What should we
think of a child coming to its ... in God's Word, and in religious truth generally ...
/.../finney/the backslider in heart/iii what are evidences of.htm

The Backslider in Heart.
... Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints, according to ... What should we
think of a child's coming to ... in God's word, and in religious truth generally ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xxi the backslider in.htm

Letter xxix. (AD 395. )
... of which they would most suitably celebrate the saints' days ... of expounding to them
the word of truth, and had ... 9. Lest, however, any slight should seem to be put ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter xxix a d 395.htm