Earlier this month we talked about the definition of redeemed. Through faith in Christ we are set free and our bonds are loosened. We are bought back.
God then does another miraculous wonder. He removes our stony, insensible and inflexible heart. The calloused heart closed off to God’s love and mercy.
He doesn’t stop there however! He replaces it with a new heart. A soft and tender heart ready to receive from God. One that is sensitive to His voice.
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT)
Stone. It’s cold, hard and inflexible. My heart has been there. I’ve heard from the time I was young how stubborn I was. To be perfectly honest, I took great pride in that fact. Very few people were going to outwill me on anything. When they dug their heels in, I just dug mine in harder. My heart was stubborn and inflexible.
God puts His Spirit in us and transforms our stony, stubborn heart so we can respond to God with love and obedience. Because God has done this great work in us we’re fully qualified to do the good work He has for each of us. Kingdom work!
It’s important that we recognize this new heart and spirit are a gift from God. We don’t deserve them. They aren’t a result of any kind of human effort. We receive these gifts by repenting and then receiving. You can’t WILL a new heart into being! Trust me, I’ve tried.
God shows his redeeming power through the transformation in our lives. He renews us with a new heart and because our hearts are sensitive we’re ready for God’s direction in our lives.
This is for the glory of God, not us! I don’t know about you but I need a daily reminder of that. I’m so excited about this new found release from bondage that I jump up and down with excitement proclaiming God’s power. But then one day turns into the next and my wandering mind gets in the way of my new heart.
I’m forgetful in my own flesh. GOD redeemed me. I had NO power in it. The guilt that used to hold me in slavery is gone. My new heart knows this. But I need the Holy Spirit to help refresh my mind each day to this truth.
John 7:38 Jesus tells us that “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (NLT)
Rivers of living water flow from my new heart. Seriously, I had to read that again really slow. River implies great abundance. So not only am I blessed by believing in God and getting Holy Spirit ‘surgery’ done on my heart but those around me are blessed.
Blessings spill out of the abundance of the living water in my new heart. Tweet
I don’t know about you but that makes this girl very excited! Not only does God remove something – guilt, shame, pain, fear – He replaces it with the living water of the Holy Spirit. Our guide in this dark world.
Walk forward in faith and receive the new heart and Spirit God has for you.
I am so thankful! Yay! This really encouraged me today. 🙂
Love how you presented the living water given to us, Laura! Beautiful!!
I love what you wrote here, "It’s important that we recognize this new heart and spirit are a gift from God. We don’t deserve them. They aren’t a result of any kind of human effort. We receive these gifts by repenting and then receiving. You can’t WILL a new heart into being!"
I need to be reminded of this often. 'It is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.' It's actually freeing knowing I can rest in Him.
I'm visiting from the 'Faith Filled Friday' link-up. : )
Thanks! I'm so glad you're encouraged by what God shared with me. Blessings to you.
Thanks Julie! I appreciate you stopping by.
Love this! God has been teaching me something similar these past few weeks. We can't trust our own stubborn hearts to lead and guide us, but we can trust the new heart He has placed within us. Thank you for sharing this!
Alyssa
Amen, it's so freeing! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by Alyssa! Blessings to you.