Corrupting the Heart

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23

Just as our physical heart is vital to sustaining our life, our spiritual heart is vital to our morality, our moral compass, if you will. Our heart can be trained, along with our conscience, to seek God's ways. Conversely, if we neglect our heart or seek baser ways, it will quickly be corrupted.

Ecclesiastes 7:7 says, "A bribe corrupts the heart." Bribery is defined as a "Crime of giving a benefit (e.g., money) in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust (e.g., an official or witness). Accepting a bribe also constitutes a crime."

How does giving or accepting a bribe corrupt one's heart? By shifting the heart's allegiance from the Creator to a created thing, by corroding the godly principle of justice with covetousness, by leaving the path of light and truth and entering the shadowy realm of darkness and sin.

It's no accident that Article II, Section IV of the Constitution states, "The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." If elected officials engage in bribery, there is no respect for the rule of law. Our Republic cannot survive such corruption. It must be rooted out.

"But there will be no justice, there will be no government of the people, by the people, and for the people, as long as the government and its officials permit bribery in any form." John Jay Hooker