SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1268

“A New Heart”

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. – Ezekiel 36:26-27

Our ‘heart’ in the biblical sense is the very core of our being. It is the wellspring of our life, emotions, and desires. We use the phrase ‘the heart of the matter’ in a similar sense to describe the root or core of an issue.

In our fallen nature we are born with a deceitful, sinful heart.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? – Jeremiah 17:9

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” – Mark 7:21-23

God loves us so much that He bore the punishment for our sins in the person of Jesus Christ so that through Him we can be saved and have the heart and mind of Christ.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

Accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior is much more than the ‘head knowledge’ gained through church membership and following the rules and traditions of denominational doctrines. There must be a heart change as well.

…This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men – Isaiah 29:13

Accepting salvation through Jesus is being born-again by the Holy Spirit, receiving a new heart instead of the stone cold, stubborn, and rebellious heart that we are born with.

And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh – Ezekiel 11:19

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” – John 3:3

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – 2 Corinthians 5:17

A new heart manifests itself in our daily life: our thoughts, speech, and actions. Our heart’s desires are no longer worldly but are aligned with the heart of God.

A selfish heart becomes a selfless heart.

A callous and judgmental heart becomes a compassionate heart.

A heart caught up in the rat race of worldliness becomes a heart that seeks first His kingdom and righteousness.

Assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:21-24

Having a new heart is not a guarantee of smooth sailing. We are in the world, although no longer of it. The enemy cannot steal your salvation, but he can tempt your flesh to compromise with the world.

We must remain vigilant and guard our heart.

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. – Proverbs 4:23; Hebrews 3:13

May you yield to the Holy Spirit as He draws you into a closer relationship with Jesus.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts… – Psalm 51:10; Hebrews 3:7-8