I am struggling with a question for few weeks now. This question has stemmed out from a situation in my life. The question is "Is following Jesus a matter of head or heart?"

Heart.

Yes.

I think it's actually both... when you understand who Jesus is why it makes sense to follow him, over time you begin to love God more.

Jesus said "if you love me, keep my Commandments." Well, that requires both an intellectual understanding of God and what he's about as well as a love for him... it's one thing to know things but when you love someone or something, the knowledge leads to action because of the love you have for that person or thing.

But perhaps it would be best if you described the context for your question to better understand where your struggle lies.

Thanks for responses, WG, Dave and Jake. After lots of thinking I also came to the conclusion HIS commandment can be followed only when we use our head. Otherwise heart tells us to do things which are abhomination to HIM.

The tussle between head and the heart is the same about which Apostle Paul talked in Romans 7. Situation has arose in my life when I finally decided to get married. I am in contcat of a girl with whom I talk everyday for last few months, though have not met her face to face till now. She is a believer and is big in the Bible and heeding the voice of God. Intellectually, I should marry this girl even though I have not been able to develop any love or feelings for her yet. On he otherside, my heart is pulling me to my former girl-friend whom I can not marry because she does not want to walk with my Lord. I also know that change of heart is only in hands of God the Father and no one else. I can not force anyone to follow Jesus. It is HIS department. I can only hold myself from drifting away from HIM.

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Originally Posted by Triund

Thanks for responses, WG, Dave and Jake. After lots of thinking I also came to the conclusion HIS commandment can be followed only when we use our head. Otherwise heart tells us to do things which are abhomination to HIM.

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The question is FOLLOWING JESUS with head or heart. I've changed my mind and am with dwashbur and jakester. We're talking about Jesus here, not girlfriends. Is it better to know lots of facts about Jesus or just simply believe in Him with your whole heart? Is knowledge of Him enough? Or is faith in Him enough? Or do you need both? How does belief arrive? Can you believe in Him without knowing the facts about Him?

It is both, we use our heads and see the proof from different writers, from the Apostles, and from the early authors like the first bishop of Antioch.

And from the OT and from His own words.

Thanks for response, WG and Chuck. They are helpful. I am still thinking on it and talking to others too. I am also looking at that can my this specific situation in life and the result of research on matter of head or heart can explain each other.

"Is following Jesus a matter of head or heart?" If this is the question then my answer would be 'both head & heart.'

Jesus says in, Matthew 22: 37 - 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' Again in John 14:15, He says, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." So following Jesus means obeying Him and obeying Him means loving Him. Thus Bible answers your question.

I hope I helped you understand more clearly though others have answered correctly too.

I think the key word you used is "follow". Anyone who truly desires to follow the Lord uses his head and heart. Sadly, I know plenty of people that simply know about the Lord, they sit in church every Sunday but it is all head knowledge and it never ever affects their heart. Those that truly know him with their heads that knowledge of him will ALWAYS affect their heart.

Your mind is apart of the natural man, which according to the scriptures, " the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, for they are spiritually understood" Your mind in incapable of discovering spiritual truth, but it can believe them! Your mind only believes what you tell it to believe. You can believe a lie if you want to, that's why its not dependable. Spiritual truth is only found and discovered in the heart.

1Co 2:11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
1Co 2:13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
1Co 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

God speaks to us by His Spirit to our spirit. Once you hear him, and he teaches you something, you have to decide, are you going to believe it what your hears, or your mind. Once you decide to believe your heart, God, by His Holy Spirit writes it into your mind. Now you have a mind and heart that agree together.

1Jn 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
1Jn 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
1Jn 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Curtis