A New Heart

Here are examples of stones that resist God: (1) love of money; (2) sin; (3) peer pressure; (4) loved ones when they keep you from following Christ; (5) work when it makes us busy from worshipping God; (6) comfort when it makes us forget God; (7) ourselves when we do not acknowledge God.

The most dangerous part of it is that a “heart of stone” becomes Satan’s throne.

Do we still wholly love, fear and obey God? Or do we love and obey God sometimes; lesser and lesser each time remembering him only when we are sick, in trouble and having problems? Or do we not love, fear and obey God at all? How about our relatives, family members, friends, spouses and children?

New heart and spirit

Whatever is the condition of our hearts, there is hope in Christ Jesus! In our verse, he will give us a new heart and a new spirit. He will take away the “heart of stone” and replace it with a heart of flesh.

A “heart of stone” cannot be transformed into a heart of flesh by human means. Every human effort at spiritual regeneration will fail. We can make various resolutions; have the power of positive thinking; training programs; and books. It will still be more difficult to find motivation to live a Christian life. Only the Holy Spirit can do it.

God will not repair our hearts and spirit because they are beyond repair! Ezekiel 36:26 says he will give a new heart and spirit! When we repair our house or something, the old parts are still there. God doesn’t want that. He wants a total make-over – a new heart and spirit. Brand new! Man may reform himself but only God can give a new heart.

When the physical heart is decayed and ill, a heart transplant is needed. The same is true with our life, when the spiritual heart is sinful and dead as stone, we need a new one. This new heart and spirit are free. Jesus Christ paid for it on the cross. Paid in full my friends. There is no shortage also.

Rick Warren, author of the Purpose Driven Life, says “God can create something from nothing. He can take a heart that is broken, impure or failed and turn it into a heart that is whole, pure and purposeful. God wants to see you pure, so he takes an active role in creating your new heart and bring order to the chaos of your life.”

A fleshy heart is (1) sensitive to the fear of God; (2) afraid of “white lies” and “little” sins; (3) sensitive to divine love; (4) obedient to the will of God; (5) worships God; and (6) the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

With these new heart and spirit, we can (1) live better lives; (2) make better decisions; (3) select better friends, husband or wife; (4) receive abundant blessings; (5) mature relationship with God; (6) live a principled, purpose-driven life; and (6) have eternal life.

Some people would say that they are sinful beyond hope of salvation. This is not true. Know this: no matter how dark or sinful heart is, God can change a person by giving him a new heart and spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.”