A Pierced Heart

Before a person can become obedient in a true biblical sense, he first must humble himself before God. As we look to Jesus as our example, we read that “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). Regardless of what a believer may profess to believe, he will not make any significant spiritual progress until he is fully submitted to the Lord. And he will never be able to fully submit until he has been cut to the heart. Keep in mind that the first response of the people who heard Peter preach on Pentecost was not that they were glad to be baptized; it was that they were “cut to the heart.” So let’s examine what this phrase actually means.

James Strong says that the word “cut” means “to pierce thoroughly or agitate violently” (Greek katanusso, NT:2660). W. E. Vine says it means “to strike or prick violently, to stun,” and is used of strong emotion. Since the heart represents the deepest part of man, to be cut to the heart means to be struck to the very core—to be impacted at the deepest level possible.

This word is found several times in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) where it means to be distressed or grieved, as in Genesis 34:7 when the sons of Jacob heard that Shechem has slept with their sister Dinah. The Bible says they “were grieved (katanusso) and very angry....” The idea being conveyed here is that they were stunned and violently agitated by this news. Their response was not merely intellectual or one of moral indignation; these men reacted with strong emotion.

Likewise, the listeners of Acts 2, having heard Peter’s message, were suddenly struck with strong emotion, shaken to the very core of their being. In Acts 7:54 we read of those who were cut to the heart with indignation against the preacher; but the people in Acts 2 were cut to the heart with indignation at themselves for having been accessories in the death of the Messiah. They were stunned and jolted by this horrifying realization; it seems that by charging them with Jesus Christ’s death, Peter had awakened their consciences, their hearts being pierced just as they had pierced Christ.

When a sinner’s eyes are truly opened, he cannot help but be cut to the heart for his sins. He cannot help but experience an inward uneasiness, a seeping nervous agitation that disquiets his calm and disrupts all pretense of self-confidence. This is what it means to have a “heart rent” and a “broken and a contrite spirit” (Joel 2:13; Psalms 51:17). Those who are truly sorry and deeply ashamed for their sins are suddenly struck by a fearful realization of the consequences of them. When a man has been smitten to the core, he makes no excuses, seeks no vindication, and offers no defense.

A dagger plunged into the heart inflicts a mortal wound resulting in instantaneous death. Likewise, those who are cut to the heart by the sword of the Spirit are brought instantly to a place of death—all self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and self-worth are vanquished by the mortifying power of the cross. Those who are brought to this place feel themselves to be standing before the judgment seat of Christ as men condemned for their sins, with no remedy, no escape, and no hope. They are immediately unnerved and undone. They stand as naked and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom they must give account. They tremble under the penetrating gaze of the One who has eyes like flames of fire. Their hearts are bursting with the panicked cry, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:16-17).

As a man stands in this place of utter frailty and conviction before God, his good opinion of himself is cut to the ground; his confidence and self-assurance evaporate like the morning dew; and he rapidly spurns every passion and vain desire of his mortal humanity. He stands severely humbled, dependent, and eager to change the direction of his life. Out of the abundance of his pierced and bleeding heart his mouth cries out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” At that crushing moment a person will eagerly do anything he can to save himself from the divine retribution mounting up against all who would commit such a monstrous crime against the Innocent One. This is what divine humbling ought to look like.

The foundation of salvation may be Jesus Christ Himself, but the foundation for receiving Jesus is a pierced heart. We must preach so as to bring men to this point. Unless they are truly cut to the heart, their repentance will be shallow and their baptism a mere formality. Let us prepare the way of the Lord by preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified—crucified not only because of our sins, but also because of our arrogance, our egotistical lifestyles, and our utter disregard and disdain for the judgments of God. Let’s make it personal when we preach, because it is personal. People need to be persuaded beyond all doubt that they helped to put Jesus Christ on the cross. Adam may have driven the first nail, but every one of us had our hand upon the hammer. Is it any wonder that the Righteous Judge would be willing to cast every unrepentant sinner into hell-fire, for they have all perpetrated the monumental sin of crucifying the sinless Son of God.

A pierced heart, along with the attitude of brokenness and submission that naturally flows from it, is the doorway into a relationships with Jesus and all that derives from it. Those who have experienced the piercing will only need to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. Many times the Lord will not even wait for the baptism but will fill the person immediately. Whenever this happens, baptism should follow post-haste, as it did with Cornelius (see Acts 10:43-48). A foundation thus laid is ready to have a life of holiness set upon it.