“CHARGE IT TO THE HEAD AND NOT THE HEART”

What does the saying “Charge it to the head and not the heart” mean? Is the heart more important than the head? Or is the head more important than the heart?

We are continuing our study of the Book of Ephesians. Paul wrote Ephesians as a letter to the churches in Ephesus. The Ephesians were Gentiles (Non-Jews) who had accepted Christ.  He wrote the letter to encourage them not to lose hope despite their opposition.

This week we look at Ephesians 4, in which Paul continues his theme of unity. Here unity is defined from the perspective of a body with many members operating harmoniously with Christ functioning as its head.

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You can obtain the study guide for this series at Sabbath.School or ssnet.org, all of which are at no cost to you. (Split)

Let Us Inviting God’s Presence:  

Holy Father, give us the heart not to focus merely on where we are standing and give us a head to see the bigger picture.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“Charge it to my head and not my heart” implies that my statement or action was made from logic and reasoning (the head) rather than from my feelings and emotions (the heart). Does this mean that one is more important than the other?

The Book That I May Know Him, suggests that operating effectively requires both the head (mental) and the heart (feelings) work together. The head and the heart must be sanctified through the truth, God’s word. When both are sanctified, we do not just focus selfishly on ourselves and what we are doing, but we look at what we do in relation to the bigger picture. Both the head and the heart move in unity with the whole.

In this context, it is important to use our head (logical thinking) and heart (emotions) to make decisions. Understanding the truth and seeing the bigger picture can help guide our actions in a balanced way, considering both the practical aspects (head) and the emotional aspects (heart).

Likewise, Paul uses the human body as a word picture to make a spiritual point in Romans 12:3–8 and 1 Corinthians 12:12–31. Pause here, read these texts, then continue.

Paul’s point is that the human body is made of many parts. Each part has a different job to do. All the parts must work together to keep the body healthy. The church, as the body of Christ, is the same way. The church has many members. Each member has different skills and abilities. Each member has a different job to do in the church. All members must work together so that the church stays healthy.

If members of the body lose focus, operate selfishly, see things only from where they stand, and do not see the bigger picture, it causes the church to become unhealthy.

In Ephesians 4:1–16, Paul again uses the word picture or metaphor for the body. In this metaphor, he explains that Jesus is the “Head” or Leader of the church. As our Head, Jesus supplies us with the gifts needed to help us work together as a unified body. Each member of the “body” or church works together using the gifts that Christ has given them to help the body function effectively.

Paul’s word picture of a healthy, unified body helps us understand God’s plan for His church: God wants us to work together, united in Jesus Christ. (Split)

How can this be accomplished when we humans tend to be selfish and focus only on the part of the picture that includes us? To find out, pause this video and read: Ephesians 4:1-16 then continue to Part 2: The Unity of the Spirit.

Ephesians

(Lesson 7)

The Unified Body of Christ

Part 2 The Unity of the Spirit

Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians has 6 Chapters; He starts the second half of Ephesians (chapters 4–6) with an appeal for unity. He asks the church members to be at peace and in agreement with each other. He makes this stirring appeal in two parts. (Split)

First, in Ephesians 4:1–6, Paul asks the church members to strive for unity through the power of the Holy Spirit. And in poetic form, he provides a list of seven ones that can help the church be in unity:

(1) one body, (2) one Spirit, (3) one hope, (4) one Lord, (5) one faith, (6) one baptism; and (7) one God (Ephesians 4:4–6). (Split)

Second, in Ephesians 4:7–10, Paul points out that Jesus is the one who offers grace to His people and leads them to share the Gospel, the Good News, about salvation through Him for everyone who accepts His saving grace. Then in Ephesians 4:11–16, Paul describes how all the members of the church working together help the church stay healthy, grow strong, and unified in Christ Jesus.

At the onset of Ephesians 4, Paul offers an invitation in which He invites all the followers of Christ to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Eph. 4:1, ESV). 

Now Paul is using the word “walk” is using it symbolically. In this verse, walk means to “live” or “to behave.” 

Walk means the same in the following verses.

Ephesians 2:2, 10

2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:2, 10)

Ephesians 4:17

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, (Ephesians 4:17)

Ephesians 5:2

2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:2)

Ephesians 5:8

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8)

Ephesians 5:15

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise (Ephesians 5:15)

When he uses the word calling, he is talking about our call to the Christian faith as in

Ephesians 1:18

18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (Ephesians 1:18)

Ephesians 2:4-6

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:4-6)

And Ephesians 2:13

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)

Paul desires that our behavior and how we live our lives reveal to others God’s plan to save humanity. So, in Ephesians 4:1–3, Paul calls for us to do things that unify the church. He invites us to practice virtues that lead to peace and togetherness. He defines these virtues as lowliness, gentleness, and longsuffering.

Lowliness in Ephesians 4:2 refers to living without pride in your heart. In humility, we value others above ourselves, as in Philippians 2:3.

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, (Philippians 2:3 NIV)

Now this is not to say that being humble and not having any pride in your heart means you feel you have no worth.   This is what Paul in Colossians 2:18 and 23 calls false humility.

Colossians 2:18

18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. (Colossians 2:18, 23)

In other words, humility means seeing the worth in other people and enjoying serving them.

A gentle or loving spirit means being kind or nice, courteous, and considerate of others. 

Finally, patience or longsuffering can be gentle or loving. This virtue means we can withstand hassles, frustrations, hardships, or trials. A patient person is someone who stays calm and trusts God during hard times. 

Certainly, one cannot argue that these attributes can bring about unity in any situation, the family, marriage, the church, the community, and even the workplace. In diversity, there can be unity. How do we move from self-centeredness and looking at things only from our point of view to looking at them from the bigger picture, God’s point of view? Keep watching. View part 3: Together as One in the One.

Ephesians

(Lesson 7)

The Unified Body of Christ

Part 3 Together as One in the One 

We discovered previously that in Ephesians 4:4–6, Paul lists seven things that aid in the unity of the body, the church.

Let’s review the list in Ephesians 4:4.

1. One body. This is a word picture symbolizing the church as the body of Christ. We find references to the church as a body in
   1. Ephesians 4:12, 16 – the body is for the edifying or building of the church.
   2. Ephesians 1:23 – the church is Christ’s body;
   3. And in Ephesians 5:23, 29, and 30 – in which Christ is the head of the body, He loves the church, and when we accept Him, we become members of his body.

Number 2 on Paul’s list:

2. One Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our leader, guide, teacher, and comforter.
3. One hope, the hope of eternal life.
4. One Lord. Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.
5. One faith. Belief in Christ as our Savior and in his teachings is the foundation of our faith. (Split)
6. One baptism. Ephesians 5:26 Baptism is the process by which we are cleansed and made holy by the washing with water through the Word of God,

Finally,

7. One God and Father. God is the one who created us. God is our Father and ruler of everything.

In Ephesians 4:1–6, Paul teaches us two important ideas about unity in the church.

First, unity comes from the seven things he lists in Ephesians 4:4–6.

Second, unity in the church depends on us. We must work with the Power of the Holy Spirit to help keep peace, maintain harmony, and nurture unity if we expect the church to experience growth.

This does not say that, at times, we may fail and forget the bigger picture. Sometimes we may even fail to operate from our heads and hearts. But this does not mean we stop trying.

We may often cry about our mistakes as we strive for unity. However, regardless of our mistakes, we can rejoice in God working through Christ to unify the church.  God is working through Jesus to help maintain peace and harmony.  Therefore, we can rejoice in what Paul in Ephesians 4:3 calls the Unity of the Spirit.

When we remember that the Spirit is working in the church to bring about unity, it should encourage us to work harder to be at peace and agreement with one another, knowing that we are doing what God has ordained us to do, that is to share the gospel of peace by living it and telling others about Jesus.

Unity in diversity is God’s plan. Among the followers of Christ, there is to be the blending of diverse elements, one adapted to the other, and each to do its special work for God. Every individual has his place in the filling up of one great plan bearing the stamp of Christ’s image. (Our High Calling, p. 169.)

For it is not because of us and what we have done that we are accepted into the family of God. God accepts us because of what Jesus has done through us. How does Christ bring about unity in the church? View Part 4: The Exalted Christ, Giver of Gifts

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Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Church

 7902 Wheatly Street

Houston, TX 77088

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