Go! And Examine Your Heart - Jeremiah 17:9-10 Series

Go! And Examine Your Heart - Jeremiah 17:9-10

Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NLT): "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve."

Introduction:

Today’s message in our Go! And… series is both a warning and a wake-up call. It’s a message of grace and truth, of challenge and invitation. The title of today’s sermon is “Go! And Examine Your Heart.”

We live in a world that tells us to "follow our heart." But what if the heart we’re following is broken, bent toward sin, and far from God? What if the very core of our being—our heart—is deceitful and desperately wicked?

The prophet Jeremiah delivers a piercing word from the Lord that shatters illusions of self-righteousness and points us to our desperate need for a Saviour.

1. The Deceitful Heart

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT)

Jeremiah prophesied to Judah during a time of great idolatry and hypocrisy. Outwardly, the people claimed to follow God, but inwardly, their hearts were far from Him. This verse is a divine diagnosis of human nature.

“Deceitful” (Hebrew: aqob) – from the same root as Jacob’s name, meaning twisted, insidious, or crooked.

“Desperately wicked” (Hebrew: ’anash’) – meaning incurable, sick beyond remedy.

Have you ever looked at a beautiful apple on the outside, only to bite into it and find rot inside? The outside looked perfect, but inside, decay had taken over. That’s the condition of the human heart without God.

“People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives.” (Proverbs 16:2 NLT)

We can deceive others. We can even deceive ourselves. But we cannot deceive God.

Tim Keller once wrote, “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”

That’s the tension we live in. Our hearts are deceitful, but God’s grace is greater. The truth is sobering—but so is the hope.

2. The All-Knowing God

“But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives.” (Jeremiah 17:10a NLT)

God doesn’t just observe actions; He reads hearts. The word search (Hebrew: chaqar) means to explore deeply. God doesn’t glance—He investigates.

In Hebrew understanding, the heart (lev) is not just the seat of emotions, but the centre of the intellect, will, and moral character. God examines not only what we do but why we do it.

Imagine a courtroom where every thought, every intention, every motive is played on a screen before the judge. That’s God’s level of scrutiny. Yet in His mercy, He invites us not to hide from Him—but to run to Him.

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” (Hebrews 4:13 NLT)

Charles Stanley said, “God’s plan for enlarging His kingdom is so simple—one person telling another about the Saviour. Yet we’re busy and full of excuses. Just remember, someone’s eternity is at stake.”

We must not delay in responding to the One who already knows everything about us—and loves us still.

3. The Righteous Rewarder

“I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:10b NLT)

If we were rewarded according to our actions, none of us would stand. But Jesus took our sin, bore our punishment, and offers us His righteousness.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (Romans 3:23–24 NLT)

“He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 NLT)

“Freely makes us right” (Greek: dikaioó) – to declare righteous, to justify.

Imagine a debtor standing before a judge with an unpayable fine. But the judge steps down, takes off his robe, and pays the fine himself. That’s the Gospel. Justice satisfied. Mercy extended.

John Piper wrote, “The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God. It’s about being reconciled to Him.”

That reconciliation only comes through Christ. There is no other way.

4. The Call to Examine Ourselves

“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT)