Now, I want to show you the outcomes of the actions that we see in our lives with this polluted heart. And our hearts are polluted; how do we recognize a few of them quickly as we go through them? There are quite a few items just presented to you.

One is stubbornness. We all call it teenage rebellion or stubbornness. The other day I saw a WhatsApp message saying I was about to do that, but since my mama told me not to, I decided not to do it. Does that happen? I wanted to do it, but Mama told me not to do it, so I decided not to do it. That rebelliousness. I don't want to be told. Do you feel it? I don't want to be told. I will do it, but don't tell me to do it. If you tell me, I won't do it. I don't want to be told. That's rebellion. Are you getting that? That comes from a polluted heart. I've given some references. I'm not going through the references. Those who are taking notes can write it down. And in the evening, when you go back home, just read those references and connect so that you will understand where I am coming from. In Deuteronomy, the portion that I've written there, the people decided; God told them to go, and they said, No, we will not go.

And then there was a consequence. And then God said, Now don't go. What did they say? We will go. That stubbornness, stubbornness The Bible has another word for it. Stiff neck, stiff neck; it's like I can't turn it. I will say one line: this is the way it is with stiff necks and hard-heartedness. All those words that we use in the Bible for the same thing, stubbornness, if it is there in your heart, if you're stubborn with your parents, with your teachers, with your church elders, with the law, with enforcing agencies, if you are a stubborn person within you, you feel rebelling against every authority. Anything anybody says, I don't like to hear. I will decide what I will do. If that's the attitude in your heart, You should know that your conscience and your heart are what? Polluted, There is sin in it. Be very clear about it. That's one way of looking at it. Okay, got it? with me? Okay.

Second, independence. What's the independence on the negative side? I am what I am. That's the word. The name of God is what we use in our own lives. I do what I do. We have that independent attitude. Even without God, I will do what I would do. I don't need anyone to tell me what I'm supposed to do. Even God has no need to influence my decisions. I'm not submissive to anyone. Independent attitude. That's independence without God. That's the attitude that we have there. Hardened. I said, I'm not reading those verses. You can write it down and read it for yourself. Psalms 10:4, Except I will tell you, Devoid of God. Hardened heart I'm a hard person. I don't feel it. Matthew 8:16–21 says they have eyes but don't see. They don't listen. They don't remember how God works. Or in Isaiah 6:10, Heavy ears, shut eyes. Dumb ears. Stupid heart sick in heart.

You remember how hardened I was when I told you about that seared conscience. Hardened, you just can't tell this fellow Whatever he listens to, be it in the church, Sunday school, a youth meeting, or at home, It's hardened. It's like a stone, which is of no use. It will go in from one ear and come out of the other. Nothing useful. I don't care. Hardened. I don't feel anything internally either. Even when I'm hearing it. I don't feel it. I feel so hardened, like a stone, in my heart. If that is the feeling that you are having, You have a polluted heart. You should know that. Yeah. a hardened heart. And the other one, the next one that I want to show, would be pride. Pride. If I may put it this way, You are God's gift to mankind. It's a thing that way. There's something wrong. I mean, I'm somebody greater.

I'm somebody bigger, lacking humility. These are all part of growing up, often because of our lack of understanding. I remember my father used to tell me that the one thing that I remember my father teaching me is this: Be humble. And you don't know my father. He was a man of God. He was not a preacher. He was not an evangelist. He was a man of God. And he was a humble man. And that was one he kept telling me I hated the most when I was growing up. I couldn't stand the word humility. I turned there, I turned here, and he was like, Be humble. She must have seen something in me. That was not humble. That was out of pride. Years after I come to realize where it is coming from, it comes from what heart? Polluted heart. You feel proud of yourself because everything that I do is right. Pride.

Then there is self-righteousness. I can't be wrong. If I'm thinking something, I'm right. If I'm saying something, I am right. Some people have these arguments. They will never lose the argument. Never. I mean, you can fail the argument. He will keep speaking and speaking, and somehow, we'll think, Let's leave it. He's not going to accept it. What is that self-righteousness? I am right all the time. If that is in your heart, if that is your attitude, it comes from where? Polluted heart. They'll have you enticed and ready to fall at the drop of a hat. Um, anything can entice me. Anything can entice me.

The other day, I was seeing an advertisement for a body spray deodorant. So this guy stands up, and he comes with his deodorant, and he just puts deodorant on, and then all the girls are falling down. for smell. Come on. That comes from a polluted heart. I am not talking about deodorant. I'm referring to being prepared to fall in love with someone's scent. Has some sense and some weight in life, ready to fall, enticed. That's a polluted heart. All right. So some of the actions that you see here are internal atritudes. Some of them are external attitudes. Okay, both our actions are actions, which is why some of those internal attitudes that you have, God said, I consider that you have already done. If you look at a woman with lust, you've already committed adultery. Why? Because that's internal work, an action that you have taken. It's not shown outside, but it's internal; it's an action from a polluted heart. Hence, that is done as an action. So be it internal or external, somebody's seen it or nobody's seen it. It's an action before God, and that's coming from a polluted heart.