Lesson 5: Holiness Is an Undivided Heart

By the end of this lesson, the student should:

(1) Understand that the Old Testament term perfect refers to an undivided heart.

(2) Recognize the spiritual danger of a divided heart.

(3) Surrender with an unquestioned “Yes” to God.

(4) Memorize Psalm 86:11-12.

The people of Israel were ready to enter Canaan. God had brought them through the desert, and they were only a short journey from the Promised Land. Moses sent 12 spies to study the land. After 40 days, the spies returned with beautiful grapes and reports of the wonders of Canaan. But, they said, the Canaanites are strong and live in great cities. We seemed like grasshoppers next to them!

Only two spies, Joshua and Caleb, believed God’s promise of victory. Caleb said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30). Joshua and Caleb saw the same land as the other spies. They saw cities with huge walls. They saw great warriors.

But Joshua and Caleb saw something that the other spies did not see - they saw that the God who brought Israel out of Egypt would bring Israel into Canaan. They saw that the God who destroyed Pharaoh’s army would destroy Jericho’s walls. They saw that the God of Abraham was the God of Moses. God said that Caleb “has a different spirit and has followed me fully” (Numbers 14:24).

Because they did not believe him, God condemned the adult generation to die in the wilderness. Forty years later, Israel entered Canaan, and it was time to divide the land. Caleb was more than 80 years old. He said to Joshua, “I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me…. So now give me this hill country.” Yes, there were strong cities and powerful warriors. But Caleb had confidence in God’s promises. “I shall drive them out just as the Lord said” (Joshua 14:11-12).

What gave Caleb such confidence? An undivided heart. Caleb said, “I wholly followed the Lord my God” (Joshua 14:8). Caleb trusted God with his whole heart. Caleb was a man with an undivided heart.

The Historical Books of the Bible[1] tell of Israel’s tragic failure to be what God called his people to be. The Historical Books show how Israel wandered from God’s plan. Israel was called to represent God to other nations. Instead, she turned to false gods. Because of her failure, Israel was defeated and carried into exile. Her glory was turned to shame.

Alongside tragic pictures of unfaithfulness, the same Historical Books show holy people who faithfully served God. While many in Israel were unfaithful to God (Judges), a young Moabite widow was faithful (Ruth). Even in exile (2 Kings), a young Jewish girl obeyed God’s call and saved her people (Esther). These people obeyed God with their whole heart. They were holy in the sense of being fully devoted to God.

The Historical Books teach that to be holy means to serve God with compete loyalty. Holiness does not mean perfect performance. Holiness means to serve God with an undivided heart.

Older English translations of the Old Testament used the word perfect to translate the Hebrew word shalem. Shalem has the idea “to be complete.” To be perfect is to be complete. To be holy means to belong completely to God.

Shalem is related to the Hebrew word for peace, shalom. To be perfect before God means to be at peace with him (“wholly true to the LORD,” 1 Kings 8:61). To have a perfect heart is to have a heart that is complete or undivided, a heart that has only one loyalty. Let’s look at some examples of the word perfect or undivided in the Historical Books.

An Army with an Undivided Purpose

After Saul’s death, the northern tribes crowned Ishbosheth as king while Judah followed David. There were two years of civil war in which David led Judah against the northern tribes. After two years, Ishbosheth was murdered by his own captains. The army united to crown David as king over all Israel. The nation was now united under one king.

"All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king" (1 Chronicles 12:38).

The army came to Hebron with a whole heart (shalem) to make David king. Older translations use the phrase “with a perfect heart” (KJV). “Perfect” does not mean that no one in the army had sinned. It means that the nation was completely loyal to David. They were united under one king. In this verse, shalem is not a religious term; it is a political term. Shalem means to have undivided loyalty to the king.

An Altar with Uncut Stones

When Israel arrived in the Promised Land, Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal. Joshua built the altar “of uncut (shalem) stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool” (Joshua 8:31). “Uncut” is the same word as whole or perfect. To be shalem is to be undivided.

An Undivided Heart

At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon called the people of Israel to serve God with undivided hearts.

"Let your heart therefore be wholly true (shalem) to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day" (1 Kings 8:61).

This is the same word used to describe the united army under David. It is the same word used to describe uncut stones. Solomon called Israel to undivided faithfulness to God. If the people of Israel had this undivided heart, they would walk in his statutes and keep his commandments. A person with an undivided heart willingly obeys God.

[1] The books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther are the 12 Historical Books of the Bible.

The history of Israel’s kings shows that God calls his people to serve him with undivided hearts. God is looking for holy people. God is looking for undivided hearts.

King Solomon: A Divided Heart

At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon called Israel to serve God with undivided hearts. Sadly, Solomon did not follow his own advice. “For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true (shalem) to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father” (1 Kings 11:4).

Solomon’s heart was divided. He wanted to worship Israel’s God while worshipping other gods. You cannot be loyal both to Jehovah and to other gods. The author of 1 Kings does not say that Solomon abandoned the worship of Jehovah. Solomon continued to offer sacrifices in the Temple, but his heart was divided. He tried to serve God with a divided heart.[1]

King David: An Undivided Heart

In 1 Kings 11:4, we read God’s perspective on the hearts of David and Solomon. David’s heart was undivided; Solomon’s heart was divided. From a human perspective, we might consider David’s adultery and murder far worse than Solomon’s backsliding. Why does the writer of Kings say that David’s heart was wholly true to the Lord?

The difference is David’s response to sin. When the prophet confronted David, David immediately repented. David did not defend himself. Instead, he confessed to God, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). David served God with an undivided heart. His heart was shalem. His heart was undivided.

Psalm 86 illustrates David’s hunger for an undivided heart. In Psalm 86, David prays for deliverance from enemies who are trying to kill him. In the middle of this prayer, David cries, “Unite my heart to fear your name” (Psalm 86:11). David is praying for an undivided heart. David sought to serve God with a perfect heart.

King Asa: A Divided Heart

Asa came to the throne of Judah in 910 B.C. He was committed to Jehovah; he destroyed the altars to false gods; he broke down the high places that were used for idol worship. When the Ethiopian general Zerah attacked Judah with a huge army, Asa cried to God for deliverance:

"O LORD, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let not man prevail against you" (2 Chronicles 14:11).

God answered Asa’s prayer. “So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah” (2 Chronicles 14:12). Asa put complete trust in God, and God gave him a great victory.

Twenty years passed, and Asa faced a new test. This time, Baasha, the king of the northern tribes, threatened Judah. In his fear, Asa decided to build a military alliance with another nation. He signed a treaty with Ben-Hadad, the ruler of Syria. Instead of trusting God alone, Asa put his trust in a pagan ruler.

In response, the prophet Hanani reminded Asa of his past victory over the huge army of the Ethiopians. He reminded Asa that when “you relied on the LORD, he gave them into your hand.” Why did God do this? Because “the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless (shalem) toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:8-9).

When Asa trusted God fully, God gave him a great victory. But now Asa was relying on a Syrian ruler. Because Asa no longer trusted God alone, God would no longer deliver him from danger. Hanani warned that Asa would have wars through the rest of his reign.

The final years of Asa’s reign are a mere shadow of the bright promise of his early years. Late in life, Asa became ill, but even in his disease he did not seek the Lord (2 Chronicles 16:12).

Asa’s reign was better than many other kings. Asa never abandoned the worship of Jehovah, but his heart was not undivided towards God. He failed to trust God completely. Because of this, Asa did not achieve God’s best.

The life of Asa is a powerful illustration of the danger of a divided heart. In the first story, Asa trusted God completely. In the second story, he continued to serve as the leader of God’s people, but his heart was not perfect. Instead of fully trusting God, he signed a treaty with the enemy of God. Asa had a divided heart.

King Amaziah: A Divided Heart

Amaziah shows the danger of a divided heart. Amaziah’s reign began with great promise: He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (2 Kings 14:3; 2 Chronicles 25:2). Like Asa, Amaziah started well.

However, both Kings and Chronicles warn of danger. The author of Kings says Amaziah did what was right, yet not like David his father. The author of Chronicles says that Amaziah did what was right, yet not with a whole heart. He did not remove the high places. Because of this, the people continued to sacrifice to false gods. A leader with a divided heart led the nation into trouble.

Like Asa, Amaziah found that serving God with a divided heart brings trouble. Although Amaziah’s reign began well, he later worshipped the gods of Edom. In judgment, God allowed the northern kingdom to defeat Amaziah. The promise of Amaziah’s early reign was never fulfilled because he had a divided heart. Amaziah’s heart was not perfect.

[1]A Prayer for Holiness “May I die to myself that I may live in you; May I be emptied of myself that I may abound in you; May I be nothing to myself that I may be all to you.”
- Erasmus

Jesus spoke to religious leaders who were very careful about outward appearance, but careless about the heart.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!" (Matthew 23:23-24).

These religious leaders carefully followed the ritual laws, but they did not follow the more important inner law. Jesus condemned their false religion. “You strain out a gnat (you are careful about small things), but you swallow a camel (you ignore big problems).” Holiness begins in the heart.

If we think only of outward appearance, we may say:

• “I am holy because I don’t wear _______________.”
• “I am holy because I don’t go _______________.”
• “I am holy because I don’t watch _______________.”

When we claim to be holy because of what we do or do not do, we may become like the Pharisees. Jesus told of a Pharisee who prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get” (Luke 18:11-12). This Pharisee defined holiness by his actions: “I do not cheat; I am not unjust; I fast; I tithe.” He claimed to be holy, but his heart was not holy.

The Pharisees were proud of their separation from the world, but their hearts were not holy. Jesus said, “For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). Outwardly, the Pharisees were separate; inwardly, they were sinful.

► Which seems easier to measure – outward appearance or inward holiness? Which is easier to fake – outward appearance or inward holiness? Which do we tend to emphasize more – outward appearance or inward holiness?

An Example from Hezekiah

The laws of separation were important for teaching that God requires a holy people. But God was always more concerned about the hearts of his people than about the rituals.

A story from Hezekiah’s revival illustrates this principle. After the Temple was cleansed, Hezekiah reinstituted the Passover. He invited the nation to “come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel.” Messengers from Hezekiah traveled through Israel inviting the nation to this ceremony. In many places, the people “laughed them to scorn and mocked them. However, some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 30:1, 10-11).

As they began to kill the Passover lambs, there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves (2 Chronicles 30:17). Because the nation had gone so long without Temple worship, the people were unclean and not ready to observe Passover. What were the priests to do? God allowed the people to observe Passover because their hearts sought God, even though they were not yet ritually clean.

"A majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.” And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people" (2 Chronicles 30:18-20).

God was looking for undivided hearts. Even when the people could not follow the rituals of separation, God looked for hearts that were set apart to seek God.

Holy People Consecrate Their Hearts to God

Holiness always begins with God. Anything holy belongs to him. God sanctified the Sabbath, the ground at the burning bush, the firstborn of Israel, the Tabernacle, the altar, and the Levites. God claimed these for himself. They were made holy by the presence of God.

Holiness begins with God, but God calls us to consecrate ourselves to him. If we read only the verses in which God says “I will sanctify you,” we might decide that sanctification is only an act of God. However, the Bible shows that holiness requires a response from man.

Exodus 19 gives an example. God commanded Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them.” “So, Moses… consecrated the people.” Moses set the people apart for God’s purposes. Later, God said, “Let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves” (Exodus 19:10-22). The priests were commanded to set themselves apart for God’s purposes. They were to be holy; they were to separate themselves to God.

An undivided heart involves two aspects:

1. God promises to set his people apart: “I, the Lord, sanctify you” (Exodus 31:13). God makes his people holy.
2. God commands his people to set themselves apart: “Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44; Leviticus 20:7).

We consecrate ourselves in response to God’s grace. Holy people willingly consecrate themselves to God. They give themselves without reservation to God.

In Leviticus 20, the command “Consecrate yourselves” is followed by the promise, “I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” It is the same Hebrew word in both verses. It can be translated like this: “Set yourselves apart…. I am the Lord who sets you apart” (Leviticus 20:7-8).

Sanctification involves both God’s work and our response. We do not become holy by our own efforts, but neither do we say, “If God wants me to be holy, he will make me holy without my response.” We respond to God’s grace by consecrating ourselves to him. An undivided heart requires full consecration.[2]

Holiness originates only with God. However, God calls us to yield ourselves to him. We are made holy as we yield to God’s call. Paul wrote, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). Paul called us to surrender ourselves fully to God’s purposes. Because God promises that he will make us holy, we must surrender ourselves. Holiness is both a command (“consecrate yourselves”) and a promise (“I will sanctify you”).

Holy People Say a Complete “Yes” to God

The lives of Solomon, Asa, and Amaziah show the dangers of a divided heart. A divided heart is not God’s purpose for his people. A holy heart is an undivided heart. So, what does it mean to have an undivided heart? What does it mean to have a heart that is shalem or perfect?

Christians are called to be servants of God. The job of a servant is to do whatever his master asks him to do. A good servant does not ask, “Is this what I choose?” A good servant willingly does what his master commands. The job of a servant is to say a complete and unreserved “Yes.”

In the same way, a person who serves God with an undivided heart willingly responds “Yes” to God’s call. This is an undivided heart. Moses called Israel to serve God with undivided hearts:

"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?" (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).

As a college student, Elisabeth Elliot wrote in her diary, “Lord, I have said the eternal ‘Yes.’ Let me never, having put my hand to the plow, look back. Make straight the way of the cross before me. Give me love, that there may be no room for a wayward thought or step”.[1] Elliot had an undivided heart; she was perfect in God’s eyes.

In the years following this prayer, Elisabeth Elliot faced many challenges. Her husband, Jim Elliot, was killed in 1956 while trying to evangelize the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador. Elisabeth later became a missionary to the people who killed her husband. Only a person who has said the “eternal Yes” could go as a missionary to the killers of her husband.

A holy person serves God with an undivided heart. A holy person says the “eternal Yes” to God. This means a complete surrender to God. When a holy person knows God’s will, he willingly obeys. His heart is not divided; he belongs entirely to God. A holy person says “Yes” to God in a moment of full surrender.

A holy person continues to say “Yes” daily. After Elisabeth Elliot “said the eternal Yes,” she continued to face decisions. There were many times when she once again said, “Yes, Lord.” Some Christians believe that a “once for all yes” will remove all future tests of your commitment. A once for all surrender is important, but Satan will continue to test your commitment. Over and over again, you will continue to say, “Yes, Lord. My life belongs to You.” This is the ongoing “Yes” of the holy life.

[1] Elisabeth Elliot, Passion and Purity (Old Tappan: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1984), 2

[2]“We can be used by God only after we allow Him to show us the deep, hidden areas of our character. We don’t even recognize the envy, laziness, or pride within us when we see it. But Jesus will reveal to us everything we have held within ourselves before His grace began to work.”
- Oswald Chambers

George Muller[1] was a great Christian in the 19th century.[2] He built five large orphanages and cared for more than 10,000 orphans. Muller raised millions of dollars to support his orphanages and to give to other missionaries. By his death, Muller had provided education for 122,000 children, distributed nearly 2 million Bibles, and more than 100 million books and pamphlets. He did this without ever asking a single person for money. He determined to ask only God for help.

When God called Muller to build his orphanages, Muller had 50 cents in his pocket! Muller answered God’s call in complete dependence on God’s provision. Muller had only 50 cents – but he gave it to God and trusted God for all the rest. Muller later testified that the orphans never missed a meal; God provided every need.

Muller lived a wicked life as a young man, even spending time in prison at the age of 16. However, at the age of 20, George Muller gave his life to Christ. For the next several years, Muller experienced periods of spiritual victory but also recognized areas of struggle. Finally, at the age of 24, Muller came to “an entire and full surrender of heart. I gave myself fully to the Lord.”

At 70 years of age, Muller began traveling overseas to preach. Between the ages of 70 and 87, he traveled to 42 countries and preached to more than 3 million people.

Late in life, George Muller was asked the secret to his life of service. He replied, “There was a day when I died to myself (my opinions and desires), to the world’s approval or disapproval, and even to the approval or blame of my friends. Since then, I have cared only for the approval of God.” George Muller had an undivided heart. He was perfect in God’s eyes.

[1] Image: "Mr George Muller" by Frank Holmes, George Müller, The Modern Apostle of Faith (1898), retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mr_George_Muller.jpg, public domain.

[2] Adapted from Roger Steer, Spiritual Secrets of George Muller (PA: OMF Books, 1985) and J. Gilchrist Lawson, Deeper Experiences of Famous Christians (Anderson: Warner Press, 1911)

(1) To be holy means to have an undivided heart.

(2) The Hebrew word shalem means “undivided.” This word is related to shalom, which means “peace.” To have a “perfect” or “undivided” heart is to have a heart with a single loyalty.

(3) Solomon, Asa, and Amaziah show the danger of a divided heart. Each of them failed to please God fully because their hearts were divided.

(4) Holiness begins in the heart. Jesus condemned those who care for outward ritual without a pure heart.

(5) We must consecrate ourselves fully to God. God sanctifies his people. God calls his people to consecrate themselves in response to his grace.

(6) Holy people say a complete “Yes” to God. Like a devoted servant, they willingly say yes to their master.

(7) After we have said the “eternal Yes,” we must continue to say “Yes” daily.

(1) Prepare a sermon on “Living with an Undivided Heart.” You may develop your own outline, or you may use the following outline:

A. A biblical example of a divided heart
B. The dangers of living with a divided heart
C. The cure for a divided heart

(2) Begin the next class session by quoting Psalm 86:11-12.

(3) Remember to work on the final project that will be due at the end of this course.

You will preach three sermons or teach three Bible studies on the doctrine and practice of holiness. You should record these sermons to submit to the class leader for your final project.  You will prepare one sermon or Bible study on each of the following topics:

(1) A sermon or Bible study on one theological aspect of holiness. Choose one:

• Holiness as Relationship
• Holiness as the Image of God in His People
• Holiness as a Separated Life
• Holiness as an Undivided Heart
• Holiness as a Righteous Life
• Holiness as Perfect Love
• Holiness as the Fullness of the Spirit
• Holiness as Christlikeness

(2) A sermon or Bible study on a practical aspect of holiness. You may choose a topic discussed in this course, or you may select your own topic.  Possible topics include: 

• Spending Time with God
• Holiness and Personality
• What Does It Mean to be Separate from the World?
• Holiness and Business
• Holiness and Family Life
• Maintaining Victory Over Willful Sin           
• Holiness and the Life of the Church

(3) A sermon or Bible study on a biblical character who demonstrates holiness.