"...the imagination of man’s heart is
evil from his youth."
Genesis 8:21
"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man
was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
Genesis 6:5
"Then I sent to him, saying, 'No such things as you say are being
done, but you invent them in your own heart.'"
Nehemiah 6:8
"They... walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their
evil heart, and went backward, and not forward."
Jeremiah 7:24
(Jesus said) “You have heard that it was said to those of old,
‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that
whoever
looks at a woman to lust for her
has already committed adultery with
her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it
out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one
of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into
hell."
Matthew 5:27-29
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows,
that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the
flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the
Spirit reap everlasting life." Galatians
6:7-8
"...they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one
in the imagination of their evil heart..."
Jeremiah 11:8
“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you.
They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart,
not from the mouth of the Lord. They continually say to those who
despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, 'You shall have peace' and to
everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart,
they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’”
Jeremiah 23:16
“Just as they have chosen their own ways,
and their soul delights in their abominations,
So will I choose their delusions, and bring their fears on them;
Because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not hear;
But they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight.”
"Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word:
“Your brethren who hated you, who cast you out for My name’s sake...
they shall be ashamed.”
Isaiah 66:3-5
"Thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and
devising a plan against you. 'Return now every one from his evil
way, and make your ways and your doings good.’ And they said, 'That is hopeless! So
we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one
obey the dictates of his evil heart.”
Jeremiah 18:11-12
"This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in
the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to
serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which
is good for nothing." Jeremiah 13:10
"He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts."
Luke 1:51
"For the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal but
mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments
and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of
God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of
Christ, and being ready to punish all
disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."
2 Corinthians 10:4-6
"For we did not follow cunningly
devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."
2 Peter
1:16
Only one
Scripture shows why God created man with the capacity to imagine
that which cannot be seen:
“I know also, my God,
that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As
for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all
these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are
present here to offer willingly to You. O
LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in
the imagination
of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto
thee." 1 Chronicles 29:17-18
The next two verses
remind us that what we see and imagine can distract us from truth and
entice us to delight in sin and deception:
Jesus said,
"But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already
committed adultery with her in his heart." Matt 5:28
"...each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is
full-grown, brings forth death." James 1:14-15