Romans 5:5 - " and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
Kardia ("heart") is used 158 times in the NASB. It means more than an organ. It was considered the receptacle not only of food but of intellect, emotion, and physical strength. When it is used int eh Scripture, it has a full, rich meaning.
"In most modern cultures, the heart is thought of as the seat of emotions and feelings. But most ancients—Hebrews, Greeks, and many others—considered the heart to be the center of knowledge, understanding, thinking, and wisdom. The New Testament also uses it in that way. The heart was considered to be the seat of the mind and will, and it could be taught what the brain could never know. Emotions and feelings were associated with the intestines, or bowels." (MacArthur, J: Ephesians. 1986. Chicago: Moody Press)
