The Heart Issue: Why Some Leaders in Churches, Seminaries, and Ministry Fail to Have the Heart of Christ

Integrity is becoming a rarity these days, particularly within the Church and even Christian Academia.  I have encounted leaders who have founded Bible colleges but they will not be held accountable to the Bible or commandments of Christ. This experience can be demoralizing to many disicples, making them cry out, "Why God? Why are those who proclaim your Name, will not practice what you taught?" The answer for why is found in Christ's own words, "So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach." (Matthew 23:3). Jesus was speaking of Pharisees, the elites of religious law, who knew the Scriptures like they knew their shoulders, but who never lived them, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to." (Matthew 23:13). There are plenty of these types in ministry, especially churches and seminaries that are content to fufill this verse, "but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." (Mark 4:19).


The key is not to let their behavior and lack of adherence and application of God's word to effect your own heart, your own soul. That is exactly what the evil one intends, to make you bitter and to turn your love cold, "Because lawelessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold." (Matthew 24:12). As disciples of Christ, we daily seek the heart, mind, and Will of Jesus and what we discover very early is there is discrepancy between His ways and the ways of the 'ecclesia' of the most 'learned' instituions. These Pharisees of Academia and Church have wealth, not the Word of God in their hearts, and so we see the Savior's rebuke a new, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cummin, but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. In the same way, you appear to be righteous on the outside, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness " (Matthew 23:23-28). Unpacking this rebuke by our Redeemer we see that religious people, Pharisees neglect "justice, mercy, and faithfulness," that is to uphold the justice of God, His words and commands, to show mercy to stumbling saints who need support, and to be faithful in tender loving care and correction of the flock. Instead the ecclesia with hardened hearts tithe and seek praise, but they are "whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones, impurity, hypocrisy, and wickedness." Here we see Jesus addressing the heart matter to religious people, not unbelievers and godless Gentiles, but Jews who knew the Scriptures but do not do it.

The matter is the heart, Jesus says, "The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful." (Matthew 13:22). Hearers of the word are not going to be heralded before Holy Trinity, but rather, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1:22). Those who do the word of God, and obey Him are not those seeking eternal merit and rewards, but people whose hearts are one with Christ and who through an intimate relationship by "loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, this is the greatest commandment," (Matthew 22:37-38) have turned the words into their own will, the words of God becomes their everyday walk as they endeavor to live it out in love. We have a deficit of doctors of theology and learned leaders, but they do not have hearts after God and so they become "whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside, but inside full of dead men's bones, and every impurity." Many have even entered the ministry with wild ambitions that they can make money by exploiting the ignorant and using their emotional witchcraft to beguile young Christians to fill their coffers. What the church needs more of is devout disicples of Jesus Christ who will hear the word and do it! (James 1:22). Otherwise we will keep having leaders who take in tithes for their Bible colleges, Missions, and churches, but who never can be corrected by the words of God (it should be 2 Timothy 3:16), and the deadness will only increase until more hearts are turned to stone by the hypocrisy, and lack of "justice, mercy, and faithfulness." (Matthew 23:23).

Those who refuse to conform their hearts to Holy Trinity's hand (Will) will become like the Pharisees, "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!" (Matthew 23:15). For those who do not do, that is live their faith fully and obey the Comands of Christ and the words of Scripture shall be treated thus, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws." (Matthew 7:23). To know Christ is to know His heart, to be close to Him, to obey the words He has spoken in Scripture and through His Apostles. To know Christ is to do more than speak about Him and fill offering plates, it is to offer the life of Christ on display through our bodies, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20). Jesus Christ said we must be better than Pharisees, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20). This is not a heavy requirement, Christ has laid out in previous passages that these Pharisees were hypocrites, hindered the word of God, and did not live what they preached. Jesus is saying we must exceed them by becoming doers of the word, and practicing what we preach, and showing people Christ through action and deeds as much as through word and exegesis.

The Apostle Paul illustrates the importance of our heart in matters of ministry, he says, "If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-2). What love is Paul talking about, this love, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength, this is greatest commandment, and the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:36-39). If we live the words of God and live our faith then we connect to Christ and we build that relationship and He "knows us," and then we can bring "justice, mercy, and faithfulness," through love (Ephesians 4:15) to our brethren.

The point is not to try to change these Pharisee leaders in churches, seminary, missions, and other ecclesiastical positions; they likely will not, even if Christ spoke to them directly, change. They are too bound by the "worries of life and deceitfulness of riches," and "the word is choked out." (Mark 4:19). What you need to do is confront them if it is viable, and move on, and keep your heart from being corrupted by bitterness, disillusionment with the church, and anger (albeit righteous indignation) that has its place, but beyond the Outer Courts you need to relinquish that anger and put down the whip. These men and women in offices of ministry that are corrupt, misguided, and controlling are Satan's instruments to harm you, make you feel marginalized, abused, and heartbroken. While certainly the feelings are real and it is a shame that you are mistreated, do not let the devil take it one step further by transforming you into them by their behavior. Instead, utilize these tough situations to learn to not become like the Pharisees, and to improve a closeness with Christ. These men and women who are hypocrites may never keep their word, correct issues, or live the Bible, but that doesn't meant you should follow them, remember what Jesus said, "do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach." (Matthew 23:3). Remember to also pray for these people, not because it may benefit you, but that their hearts if possible, like Pharaoh's may be changed to "let my people go," and never forget that Jesus commanded, "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44). Few realize that Jesus is talking about enemies in the church, and even family members (Matthew 10:35-36).

The spirit in these ecclesiastical leaders wants to destroy your love, so do not let them. Somewhere, and someone helped create these hypocrites and lead them to not want Holy Trinity more than riches, prestige, and pride. Certainly the evil one had a hand, but others did too; and so do not let the devil and these hypocritical religious leaders develop in you the same "self indulgence, dead bones, every impurity, hypocrisy and wickedness." (Matthew 23:23-28). Instead choose to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 23:36-39).