TRANSFORMED HEARTS

“And I will give you a NEW HEART, and a NEW SPIRIT I will put within you…” – Ezekiel 36:26a

Authentic Christianity begins with TRANSFORMED HEARTS: “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” (Eze.36:26). A new heart is the result of a changed heart; and a change of heart is the most powerful catalyst of life transformation; one that takes place from the inside to the outside. God described and promised the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. He promised to remove our sin-soaked hearts (stony, rebellious hearts), in favour of spirit-filled hearts – obedient hearts (Jer.32:29; Eze.11: 19-20).

Israel was in a perilous state, having chased after foreign gods and turned their backs on the true God. A string of kings did evil in the eyes of the Lord such that Israel's heart became rebellious, idolatrous, and hardened against God. They became spiritually dead as they headed off into captivity under the Babylonians and Assyrians. Through it all, God kept promising to bring them back and transform their hearts. Despite breaking the conditions of their first covenant with Him, the gracious Lord promised to make a New Covenant with His people; this time, an unconditional covenant devoid of any legal conditions that they could break. Israel’s story offers great hope to Believers who have strayed from the Lord and want to return.

The Lord promised to sprinkle clean water on His people and cleanse them of all their filthiness and idolatry. He pledged to bring them back to the land, which He had promised to their forefathers. He pledged to multiply the fruit on the tree, the produce of the fields, and to fill their granaries to overflowing. He foretold of when would recognise their faults, repent of their sins, and deeply regret their foolish ways, pledging that in that day, he’ll give them a new hearts! The total fulfilment of this stunning prophecy and wonderful promise will be fully ratified and finally completed when the regathered, repentant, and regenerated nation of Israel, will recognise the One Whom they pierced, and collectively call on Christ for salvation.

Like Israel, the entirety of humanity is soaked in sin, and the human heart is infected and flooded with degenerate desires. There is a pervading propensity towards arrogance, disobedience, pride, ingratitude, and ungodliness. Everyone was born dead in sin and at enmity with God. But the Lord of Grace promised to give us a new heart in His New Covenant, to purify our hearts; and cleanse our souls, through the spilt Blood of our sinless Mediator. Despite centuries of rebellion, God has promised to remove the stony heart, and replace with a heart that is sensitive to the Lord and responsive to His Word.

This wonderful promise to humanity, which came through the nation of Israel, was cut at Calvary, and fulfilled in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. All who trust in Him as their perfect, sinless, Kinsman Redeemer – Jew and Gentile alike, are beneficiaries of the gracious promise of renewed hearts and enlightened minds, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The transformed heart experience is the portion of all who trust in the Lord Jesus as Saviour of their souls and Lord of their lives. The God of the universe chose to dwell and reign sovereignly as King, in the hearts of those who live by faith.

The human heart, however terribly infected with sin, can be changed and cleansed, to become God’s holy habitation. The only person who can transform us is JESUS. He alone brings true transformation. He brings us back from spiritual death and renews our heart by the Spirit of Grace, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We can have transformed hearts. No matter what state we’re in right now, our lives can be radically changed by Jesus Christ. As we put our trust in Him, He will come in and transform our hearts. Gone will be the filth, the guilt, and the shame; full will be our Purity, Joy and Peace!