Picture Of A Converted Heart

Q: What does the Bible say about the human heart's conversion?

The Bible illustrates the human heart's conversion through the story of Abner, who moves from self-reliance to submitting to King David. The conversion of the human heart is vividly illustrated in the story of Abner, who transitions from fighting against God's chosen king, David, to acknowledging and submitting to him. This journey reflects the change that occurs in every believer’s heart, where reliance on self and personal pride is replaced with a heartfelt trust in Christ the King. Abner's story serves as a metaphor for how sinners often resist God's authority until they face the futility of their own efforts and concede to the truth of Christ’s sovereign kingship.

Q: How do we know that submission to Christ is necessary for salvation?

Submission to Christ as King is necessary for salvation as it reflects a true acknowledgment of His authority and our need for grace. Submission to Christ is an essential aspect of genuine faith and salvation. In Romans 10:9, we are reminded that confessing Jesus as Lord is crucial for salvation. Acknowledging His sovereignty means that we surrender our efforts to control our own lives. Just as Abner ultimately recognized David's kingship, sinners must acknowledge the authority of Christ and submit to Him on His terms, not their own. This divine intervention is necessary for salvation, where we cease our rebellion and willingly accept Christ's lordship over our lives.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to share the gospel with others?

Sharing the gospel is crucial because a true believer seeks to draw others under the rule of Christ, reflecting their own transformation. The importance of sharing the gospel stems from the believer's transformation and desire to see others come to know Christ. As seen in Abner's story, once he acknowledged David as king, he felt compelled to bring others to recognize his rule. Likewise, when a person is genuinely converted, they desire to share the good news of Jesus' kingship with friends and family. This evangelistic zeal is a natural outflow of a heart changed by grace; it reflects both an understanding of the gospel's power to save and the heart's deep longing for others to experience the same peace with God that they now enjoy.

Q: What does Abner's story teach about the nature of conversion?

Abner's story illustrates that conversion involves a process of opposition, acknowledgment, and alignment with God's will. Abner’s journey from opposing David to ultimately seeking peace with him provides a vivid depiction of the conversion process. First, he experiences opposition, reflecting our initial resistance to God's authority. Then, God exposes the emptiness of Abner's self-reliance, leading him to acknowledge David as king. Finally, this acknowledgment prompts submission to David's authority and an eagerness to align with him, mirroring the true essence of conversion. We see that true conversion is not merely intellectual assent but involves the whole heart turning from self to Christ, surrendering control, and joyfully embracing His lordship.

OK, turn with me to 2 Samuel chapter 3 again tonight. 2 Samuel chapter 3. I titled tonight's message, A Picture of the Converted Heart. In tonight's study we have just that. We have a picture of the human heart being turned to trust in Christ the King.

And the verses before us tonight deal with Abner, who is a striking picture of how a sinner is brought from self-reliance to resting in the true King. It's not a perfect type. There are no perfect types. We've said that many times because the types themselves are imperfect.

But the movement of Abner's heart mirrors that which happens in the believer's conversion. And there are five divisions in these verses, and I'm going to give them to you in the beginning, and then we'll comment on them individually. And I trust again tonight that the Lord might be pleased to show us how they picture the believer's own heart's conversion.

First, Abner fought against the rightful king before he submitted to him. You know what we've looked at in the past studies. Abner supported Ish-bosheth, Saul's son and set him up as king and David was made king of Hebron and the two Parties fought one another.

Abner knew who David was. They had had history together. Abner had seen, as all Israel had, God's hand upon David for some time now. And yet Abner spent his strength upholding Saul's house. Look at verse six here in chapter three. And it came to pass while there was a war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul by setting Yishposheth up as king. Really Abner was running things. And that was his purpose for setting Saul's son up.

And that pictures our natural hearts. The natural heart wants to have its own way. Men and women by nature resist the kingship of Christ. They endeavor to maintain their own kingdom of self and pride and personal control, but a converted heart is a heart of surrender and a heart of submission. Secondly, in these verses before us tonight, it's a personal crisis that exposes the emptiness in which Abner trusted. In our story, the alliance that Abner put his confidence in, it begins to collapse. As we will see, Abner's pride here is wounded. And this wound becomes a turning point.

And that's often how God deals with sinners. He loosens their grip. Sometimes it's hard, but He's gonna loosen our grip on any false security that we put our trust in. And whether it's reputation, whether it's religion, whether it's self-effort works, Everything the called sinner trusts in, other than Christ, eventually crashes.

And the Lord sees that that's so with His people. And then thirdly, we're going to see that Abner acknowledges what he already knows about God's chosen King. Abner plainly confesses in these verses that God had given David the kingdom. And he knew it, but he ignored it. And he ignores it no longer. Our conversion is not discovering that Christ exists. It's finally bowing to what we already know. And that's what this pictures.

Fourthly, Abner turns and seeks peace with the true King. He sends messengers to David, and he asks him to make a covenant with him, and he comes on the king's terms, not on his own. If we're going to come to Christ, we come to Christ on his terms, not on ours. Abner sends messengers, and he sets up a meeting with David, and this reflects us coming to Christ. We don't come to Christ negotiating. We don't come to Christ making deals like, well, I'll do this if you'll do that. We don't come offering merit. The converted sinner comes seeking mercy.

And our trust shifts from self to the true King, Jesus Christ. And then fifthly, Abner begins to bring others under the rule of King David. Abner goes to all of Israel and he persuades them to receive David as King. He has a change of heart. And once a man or woman is turned, they don't just change privately and quietly. They desire for others to come under the same rule. You remember when the Lord first saved you? Couldn't wait to tell others about it. May God give us that kind of zeal even now. It's the fruit of genuine faith. So Abner's story here follows first opposition and then exposure. and acknowledgement, and submission, and then alignment. That's the path that the saved sinner's heart follows when God converts it.

And as I said, there's no perfect type. And as we'll see, Abner still falls short. And that in itself should be very alarming to us. But Abner never actually makes it into David's kingdom. We'll see that in a future study, the Lord willing. He dies before he gets there.

So again, this is not a perfect picture. It's not a picture of saving faith completed. Abner here pictures a man brought to the door of grace. Though seemingly convinced and stirred in his heart, though outwardly aligned with David as king, Abner comes short of truly resting in the king.

And that's just so alarming to me. A believer doesn't just admit Christ as king. They don't just feel the failure of self, though they do those things, they must and they will entrust everything, everything to Him alone. Abner also shows us how close a man can come and still not get into the kingdom of God. And what a warning scripture here gives us. We must not simply move toward the King, but by His grace, He must bring us all the way. He must cause us to trust and rest in Him alone. And I pray that that's what the Lord does for us.

So, what we have in our text tonight is more than just division because of political tension. We have a picture of the human heart. We have a picture of the gospel. And Abner displays how a man moves from resting in his own king, his makeshift king, and then submitting to God's king. That's exactly the movement that every sinner must make. Abner goes from fighting against David to openly supporting him as God's king. And that's true of the converted heart. We go from not having Christ to rule over us. We will not have this man to rule over us. That's what that parable is about and we go to gladly submitting to Him as our King. We wouldn't have it any other way. We wouldn't have it any other way.

Look at verse six, and it came to pass while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul. And Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, And Ish-posheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine? Then Abner was very wroth for the words of Ish-posheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do show kindness this day, and to the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends?

And he's talking, especially to you, is what he's saying here. And have not delivered thee into the hand of David that thou chargest me today with a fault concerning this woman. In other words, what Abner is saying to Ish-bosheth is, you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be this king if it hadn't been for me. And look in verse 9, he says, So do God to Abner, so God do to me, and more also, except as the Lord hath sworn to David, even so I do to him. I'm done with you. You dare insult me. He said, I'm going to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah from Dan even to Beersheba.

And he, Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner a word again because he feared him. Now Abner here is admitting what he already knew was God's will. He knew that God had anointed David to be king. And he knew that he'd been resisting it. And it was because of his own selfishness, his own pride. He acknowledged God's sovereign choice here of David. He indirectly confesses his guilt in opposing that. And he resolves to change sides and align with God. And let me just add this.

Many today don't reject Christ out of ignorance. They reject Him with willful resistance. I'm not going to have Him rule over me. He may be God's anointed King, but I'm not going to bow to Him. And Abner represents a sinner who knows the truth. represents those who fight against it, and He represents the sinner who, in the end, yields to God's will.

That's a divine intervention. That's the difference between us before and us now. The difference that God made. Who maketh thee to differ from another? We know who does, don't we? The only one that can. And He causes us to see that all that we have, whether it's especially faith, is because He gave it to us. What do we have we didn't receive? He gave it to us. We received it from Him. So the first thing I want us to see of the five things is the strength of the flesh cannot stand.

Abner strengthens himself in Saul's house. He holds power. He's got position. But it's built on a kingdom that God's already rejected. Long time before, back in 1 Samuel, I forget which chapter, 16 or 17, God rejects Saul as king. And this is just coming to fruition now. And when confronted here by Ishbosheth, Abner reacts with anger and pride.

He's like, who are you, you little whippersnapper, to question me about what I do? I'm the true king. You're just a figurehead. And he boasts of his loyalty, his strength, and his achievements. And, you know, men and women can build their life of strength, reputation, self-will, whatever. But if it stands against God's King, it's going to fall and it's going to fail. Abner represents the sinner.

He's trusting in self. That's what we do by nature. We trust in ourselves. We usually won't cry out to God till we've tried every avenue that we ourselves can come up with. I'm gonna work this out myself. And then we, by God's grace, we often come to the point where like, we can't, I can't, nothing I can do. And we begin to trust in Christ.

Abner represents a sinner who defends himself. and justifies himself regardless of what he is that he does. But underneath it all, the foundation is crumbling. I remember that in my life very vividly. No sinner's ever brought to Christ until his confidence in his flesh is crumbled. People won't come to Christ while they believe that they're fine without him. Those that are well, what? Have no need of a physician. We won't come to Christ, we won't ask for the Great Physician until we see we're really sick, we're diseased.

Verse 12, And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying, Also make thy league with me. And behold, my hand shall be with thee to bring about all Israel unto thee. And he, David, said, well, I will make a league with thee, but one thing I require of thee, and that is thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michael, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face." Now you remember that Saul took Micah away from David and gave her to another man. And David's saying, I'll meet with you, but you're going to have to bring my first wife with you. And David sent messengers to Ishebosheth, Saul's son, saying, deliver me my wife Micah, which I espoused to me for a hundred poor skins of the Philistines. And Ishebosheth sent and took her from her husband Even from Fatil, the son of Laish, and her husband went with her along, weeping behind her, to Behirim.

Can you imagine that sight? He undoubtedly loved her, and she's taken away from him, and he's following her, crying, weeping. No. Then said Abner and him, go return. You can't you can't go any further. And he returned. The turning point here is acknowledging God's king. Something changes in Abner. He essentially says God is sworn to give the kingdom to David. But he already knew that, as I said a moment ago. This wasn't any new information. This wasn't something he just found out. What changed? The truth had not changed, but Abner's submission to the truth had.

You see, Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He's always been. That's where salvation begins. Not when you hear the truth, but when you bow to it. I heard for years that Jesus Christ is King, King and Lord of Lords. But I was saved when I bowed to it. Abner moves toward David. He's the rightful King. That's the gospel.

God's already declared His King. It's the Lord Jesus Christ, and all of us live under His authority. There's people right now that are not serving Christ, not submitting to Him, not bowing to Him, not worshiping Him, but they're under His authority, whether they know it or not, because He is the King. He's the one that rules all things after the counsel of His own will. He's the one who is in control of all things. And the question is not, is Christ King? The question is, have you submitted to Him as King? Submitting to Christ as King, it's a genuine surrender of control.

The control that we don't have, we just imagine we have control. We just imagine that we are in control of something, but we're not in control of anything. A man by nature lives under his own rule, his own will, and his own judgment, and his own way. But afterward, he bows to Christ's rule, and that takes a divine intervention from God.

Scripture speaks plainly about this. In Luke 6, verse 46, Christ asks, Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Submission isn't in giving Christ the title of Lord. You remember what our Lord said? He said, in the judgment, you're going to say, Lord, Lord. You're going to say, Lord, Lord, haven't we done this and haven't we done that? But when you call the Lord Lord, what you're going to say is you're going to acknowledge what He's done for you, not what you've done for Him. If you ignore the Lord's commands, Resist his authority, then the title of Lord doesn't mean anything. It's empty and it means nothing.

You know, titles are just words. You know, words are cheap. You know, as a kid, we say, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me. Well, titles are words, but obedience is proof that you mean those words. When you call the Lord, Lord, you bow to Him. You submit to Him. That's the proof. Obedience.

Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom you've crucified, both Lord and Christ. We don't make Jesus Lord. I don't know where folks came up with that. Make Jesus Lord. God made Him Lord before the foundation of the world. God made Him Lord before you and I were ever born. We don't make Him Lord, He is Lord. We bow to Him as Lord, and that's by the mercy and grace of God. Christ does not share His throne. He is the Lord of all lords. He is the King of all kings.

Thirdly, there's a cost to coming to Christ. Well, you always say, Brother David, that it's free. It is. Salvation is free. It didn't cost you and I anything. But there is a cost to coming. David here makes a demand to Abner. He says, you shall not see my face unless you bring Micah. There's a condition of reconciliation here. And I'm not talking about salvation by works. But coming to the King is not casual. That's why I detest this walking an aisle and saying a prayer and coming to the front. It just cheapens the whole thing of coming to Christ.

It's not casual. It involves a real turning. Micah had been taken from another man, and that was a painful and a costly separation. I'm sure it was to her, too. We just read here a moment ago, he followed behind her, crying, I feel sorry for the old boy's name not mentioned. But no one comes to Christ while clinging to what belongs to the old life. Did you hear what I said? You see, there's gotta be a break. There's gotta be a turning. There's got to be a leaving behind. It took me so long to understand.

You know, somebody asked me and asked a lot of believers, you know, when did the Lord save you? I, you know, I, I couldn't tell you. For many years, I confessed to being saved, but I'm not sure I acted much like it. You know, I pray that the Lord, if I'm not saved, Lord, save me now.

But I know this, there's a break, there's a turning, there's a leaving behind. There's no coming to Christ without denying self. And I don't think this is just a one-time thing. I think it's a gradual thing. As we grow in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord, the Lord begins to show us these things that we cling to and hold on to. And we learn by His grace to just let go.

I haven't arrived. I haven't attained, as Paul said. But it's one thing I do, I forget those things which are behind me. And that means a turning from them. Lord, help us. Our Lord Jesus said, he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. So, Lord, help us to do that.

Christ has to be first. Has to be first. Verse 17, and Abner had, there's a call that goes out to all is the fourth point. And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel saying, you sought for David in times past to be king over you. And here's the gospel message right here in verse 18. Now then do it. Pretty simple command, isn't it?

For the Lord hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies. And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin, and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebrew, all that seemed good to Israel, and all that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin." The Lord made Abner a preacher. for a short while.

It's said by many that there are two types of calls. You've heard this. There's a general call, and then there's an effectual call. And an external and general call is the gospel going out to all people without distinction, so that all are without excuse. The general call, it's real, it's sincere, it's sufficient in its proclamation, but by itself, By itself, it does not overcome human resistance. There's many that hear the gospel. Two people can be sitting, one here and one there, and hear a gospel message, and one not be moved, and the other be moved compassionately, affectionately. What's the difference? God, the Spirit.

And that's the internal effectual call. It's caused by the saving work of God, by the Holy Spirit that no man can resist. You cannot resist this effectual call. He's going to draw you and you can't resist. None can stay his hand. If God grabs a hold of you, you've been grabbed. And he's going to bring you to Christ. And this is God's sovereign summons. It brings a sinner to life in Christ, and it's effectual. It's always effectual. A call that's accompanied with an omnipotent power and with regeneration, it gives us a new heart and a new desire and a wheel, a new wheel. When God effectually calls, the one that He calls comes willingly. Our Lord said, you cannot come. You don't have the ability to come. And then He said, you will not come. You don't have the will to come.

But God makes us willing when? In the day of His power. When He grabs ahold of you, He's going to bring you. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. Why is that? Because of who it is that takes you by His hand. No man can pluck me from His hand. He brought me and He keeps me. Christ's sheep hear His voice and they follow Him. They follow Him.

The general call goes out to everyone under preaching, but the Holy Spirit's effectual call is what actually saves sinners because it comes with life and it comes with sight and it comes, it gives our deaf ears hearing, it gives our dead hearts understanding. We don't hear the gospel and then God gives us life. God gives us life so that we can hear it. If the Lord enables you to hear the gospel, then he's already given you life within.

And you were dead. You had nothing to do with it. Who had saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works. A dead man, woman can't do anything. But according to what? His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

2 Timothy 1.9. So Abner here begins persuading the elders of Israel. He said, you sought David in times past, now then do it. What a statement. What a gospel command. Israel already knew David was the rightful king.

They'd considered it before. They'd talked about it, no doubt, many times. But they hadn't acted on it. And Abner says, now do it. He's God's king. There are many like this today. They know deep within that the Lord Jesus Christ is king, but they're convicted, but they don't bow to Him. The gospel commands, now then do it. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. That's a command, believe. Not tomorrow, not later, but right now. Today's the day of salvation. And then lastly, this brings peace with the King. This is just amazing.

Verse 20, So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast. And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and I'll gather all Israel unto my Lord the King. But just a few days before they were fighting, he was out to kill him. Now he says, I'm going to rise and go and gather all Israel unto my Lord the King, that they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away. And look at that last part. And he went in peace. Isn't this a picture? Abner comes to David. David receives him. They feast together. And now enemies are at peace with one another.

That's my story. It's your story. It's the same with the believer and their king. The one who once opposed the king is now welcomed and now accepted and now at peace with God, who was angry with him every day. God's angry with the wicked every day, but now he's at peace with us. Why? Because of Christ.

Abner says, I'm going to gather all Israel to my Lord, the King. And you see when a sinner is truly reconciled to the King, he wants others brought as well. Don't you want your family saved? Don't you want them to trust in your Lord and Savior? Sure you do. And there's only two positions.

Against the King or at peace with the King. May God enable us to lay down our resistance, and lay down our self-trust, and lay down all the me, myself, and I's, and submit to Christ alone. That's where peace is found. That's the only place peace is found. Now, remember the five things I told you in the beginning? They picture the conversion of our hearts.

Opposition. Abner received some opposition. He didn't like it. It was just a means that God used to turn him. Exposure. He was exposed for going into this woman. He was exposed of his sin. That's what the Lord does. He reveals to us our sin nature. And we see our need of Christ. And then the acknowledgement, and then submission, and then alignment. In Christ, opposition gives way to exposure. Exposure leads to acknowledgement.

When the Lord showed me I was a sinner, the first thing I saw I needed was grace and mercy. I need help. Lord, help me. I am lost. Lord, save me. Acknowledgement of our need. And then acknowledgement leads to submission. Lord, you're the only one that can. I can't save myself. And submission results in just full alignment with Christ as King. He's my Lord and Savior. A true child of God is not going to talk about what they do for God. They're going to talk about what God's done for them. That's just a realization. That's just the truth of it.

May God be pleased not just to move us toward the King, the Lord Jesus, but enable us to come all the way, all the way my Savior leads me. Where does he lead me to him? And may we rest in him alone. It's the only place we can rest. And again, what another beautiful picture of the gospel in 2 Samuel. May God be pleased to make it effectual to our hearts.

Picture Of A Converted Heart

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the human heart's conversion?

How do we know that submission to Christ is necessary for salvation?

Why is it important for Christians to share the gospel with others?

What does Abner's story teach about the nature of conversion?

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Picture Of A Converted Heart

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the human heart's conversion?

How do we know that submission to Christ is necessary for salvation?

Why is it important for Christians to share the gospel with others?

What does Abner's story teach about the nature of conversion?

Sermon Transcript

About David Eddmenson

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