“Your Cheatin’ Heart” by Hank Williams
— Friday, February 3rd, 2012 —
In this week’s episode of “The Cross and the Jukebox,” we take a look at an old song by Hank Williams, “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” For many, this song represents exactly the caricature they envision country music to be: sad songs about failed love. But what this song actually reveals is a very sophisticated view of sin and the human heart.
When Williams insists, “your cheatin’ heart will tell on you” he says something very true about the conscience that God has placed inside every human being.
Part of the fabric that God has designed to point men and women to the gospel is this conscience, which testifies to the individual what they know to be true about God, about sin, about judgment and obedience. And while this conscience is individual, on the Last Day this same conscience will bear witness to every human being’s deeds in the flesh. If you have a conscience, one day at judgment your heart “will tell on you.”
In terms of this song, Hank Williams may not be right in the short term. The cheatin’ heart of the woman he loved may not tell on her in this life. But ultimately, her heart will tell on her, and so will yours. So in this week’s episode we’ll talk about this conscience, and how Jesus answers the accusing heart.
Great song. Good word.
Have a Christ filled Lord’s day, and may His peace fill our hearts, and bring contentment to our consciences, as we fix our eyes and minds on the Crucified, and His great love.
Would John 16:8-13 be a good passage to reference the idea of conscience? Or does this passage bring up a different concept entirely?
If you have a conscience, one day at judgment your heart “will tell on you.”
I’m not sure that’s true for the redeemed, if Romans 8:1 means what I think it means (”Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”). No condemnation would be a hollow promise if it meant “Stand there and listen to your conscience testify against you, and THEN you can enter God’s rest.” Or perhaps I’m missing something in the concept of being a new creation altogether. Any help you can give is much appreciated, Dr. Moore.
Cheers,
Tim
This man tells his testimony to the world. Why I Love Jesus || Spoken Word http://youtu.be/ObliXXKpJvY
It looks like John 16:8-13 mainly refers to Judgment. I don’t see anything about conscience. What are your thoughts over it?
As a country novice, this song really doesn’t work for me. I appreciate the Biblical analysis, but no matter how legendary this song supposedly is, it sounds like a guy moaning in a bar to vaguely-Hawaiian sounding karaoke.