In line with the 2026 theme of The Church of Pentecost, “A Church Unleashed to Transform Their Society Through the Gospel and the Power of the Holy Spirit,” the call to transform society begins with a clear understanding of the human heart as defined by Scripture. While anatomy teaches that the heart is the organ responsible for pumping blood throughout the body, the Bible presents the heart as the inner man – the human spirit – from which life truly flows.
Scripture reveals that corruption entered the world through humanity. Romans 5:12 affirms that sin came through one man, while Genesis 3:1–6 shows how the devil’s strategy was not merely to influence behaviour but to corrupt the heart. Before Satan’s deception, the heart of man was pure. However, through subtle manipulation, the heart was deceived, leading to separation from God. This explains why the enemy targeted the heart: God had given humanity dominion over the earth, and by corrupting the heart, the devil sought to rule the systems of the world through fallen men. As Jeremiah 17:9 declares, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick.
The Scriptures further establish the heart as the source of human conduct. Proverbs 4:23 instructs believers to guard the heart diligently, for out of it spring the issues of life. Jesus also taught in Matthew 15:19 that evil thoughts and sinful actions proceed from the heart. Once the heart is corrupted, everything that flows from it reflects that corruption.
The critical question, therefore, is what can cleanse and restore the heart. If the heart were merely a physical organ, medical science could offer solutions. However, because the heart refers to the spirit of man, only the Word of God—the gospel—has the power to transform it. Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word as living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. Unlike a surgeon’s blade, the gospel penetrates the inner man to produce lasting change.
This truth was demonstrated in Acts 2:37, when Peter’s sermon pierced the hearts of his listeners, leading them to repentance. As Colossians 1:6 affirms, the gospel continues to bear fruit worldwide by changing lives from the inside out. True transformation does not begin with punishment or restraint but with an encounter with the Word.
In conclusion, only the gospel can genuinely transform lives and societies. When the heart is renewed, outward change becomes inevitable. This is the mandate before the Church – to preach the gospel everywhere, always, as agents of transformation, possessing the nations and transforming our world through the power of Christ.
Written by Elder Gideon Monney (Gomoa Eshiem District – Winneba Area)
