A new heart for the old heart?

Jay Guyer
02/05/16 - A New Heart for the Old Heart

A New Heart For The Old Heart? - Part I

Recognizing Our Spiritual Bankruptcy

 

     “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ez 36:26).  A wonderfully encouraging promise for an exiled people.  Receiving such a promise sounds simple and easy, and it was.  It also sounds like everyone might be attracted to it, and they should have been.  But it was conditional. 

 

     Ezekiel penned these words while Israel was in captivity.  To make the message more believable about Israel’s restoration, to convince them that the Lord was serious about their return to His favor and to their homeland, Ezekiel tells the famous story of the “dry bones” in chapter 37.  So, that which was dry and dead (bearing “the shame of the nations” because of their sin, Ez 36:6), was soon to be given life, it was to be restored.  Unfortunately, only a small remnant believed the prophet and received a “new heart.”

 

     Israel’s “heart of stone” was well known on at least three levels.  1) She took pride in her own ability and strength (33:28,29).  But Jehovah said, that when He made the land desolate (had taken her away into captivity), she would know “I am Jehovah.”  2) She was zealous for her religious activities and self-righteousness (33:30-33).  But the Lord said, while they pursue their own gain and brag about inviting people to hear the prophet speak the words of the Lord, they will know that a prophet (one who speaks for the Lord) has been among them.  3) She had no shame in profaning God’s name among the nations (36:20,21).  But God said, He would make His name great among the nations, even though she had not in humility done so.  Even the hearts of Israel’s shepherds (Chp 34) were as “stone” before the Lord, because they emphasized their own selfish ideas and not the teachings of Jehovah; they failed to feed His sheep.  All had failed to hallow Jehovah in their hearts and lives; they had failed to heed His Word as others observed their selfish hearts, and misguided deeds.

 

     Consider the parallel with our lives.  When Jehovah God is holy in our minds, when He is sanctified in our hearts, our lives will testify of His Holiness (I Pe 3:15-17).  1) When we as His people stop trusting ourselves and stop being judgmental of others, both we and our neighbors will know that He is Jehovah.  2) When we put away our bragging, about how well we function religiously, and begin glorifying the One who is the source of all good for us, we will honor the true work of His prophets, the men of God.  3) When we live among and interact with our neighbors and friends, so as to always glorify Him and not ourselves, the world will truly know Jehovah God.  We must empty ourselves, we must realize our bankrupt spirit!

 

     This future blessing for Israel and her restoration from captivity was to be glorious in deed.  However, her return to favor with Jehovah, her going back to the homeland would not be for her to glory in, it would not be because of how righteous she had been or even was trying to be.  “Thus says Jehovah God:  I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My Holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.  And I will sanctify My great name...the nations shall know that I am Jehovah, says Jehovah God, when I am hallowed in you before their eyes” (36:22,23).  All must see how weak we are!

 

     Yes, Ezekiel’s promise from the Lord was specifically and primarily concerning Israel, but the principle applies for all His people.  Of course His promise sounds simple and attractive, but it is conditioned on humility, a continual repentance from and confession of sins before Him (I Jn 1:7-10).  With this humble, bankrupt spirit (Mt 5:3) He removes our “heart of stone” and gives us a “new heart...a new spirit.”  Praise be to Him and to Him only, forever!

Jay Guyer

A New Heart For The Old Heart? - Part II

Guarding The Gift

 

     In our text Jehovah our God said:  “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ez 36:26).  In place of the old attitude, a selfish purpose in life, a prideful, arrogant spirit that focused everything on and brought all attention to me, our Great God is promising a new heart for those, who are truly converted and remain truly humble.

 

     Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”  Notice that He did not say theirs shall be the Kingdom.  His disciple must have a present and continuous mindset of helplessness and weakness, one of total and absolute inability to do anything to cover any sin committed (past, present or future).  This attitude is preparation for a “new spirit/heart” from the Lord.  Initial conversion cleanses and purifies one to be raised to a “new life” (Ro 6:4).  The goal and focus, then, is to guard that “new heart” and maintain that “new life” as an “instrument of righteousness” (Ro 6:12,13), to keep “ones self unspotted from the world” (Js 1:27). 

 

     With this gift of a “new heart” the saint should “rejoice in the Lord...have no confidence in the flesh” (Ph 3:1-3).  However, like Paul had done (Ph 3:5,6), we like to make everyone aware of our great achievements, education, and experience.  Satan loves for us to parade ourselves arrogantly.  He loves the resulting judgmental spirit we develop and our air of superiority.  That is precisely the spirit that led Israel into captivity.  Please re-read Ex 33:28-33.  Paul said, all these “things were gain to me” but now “I have counted them loss for Christ...I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Ph 3:7,8).  I must carefully guard my “new heart,” keep my life humbly fit, admitting and “boasting in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (II Co 12:9,10). 

 

     Jesus is the most wonderful example of all this.  His guard was always up, because of His continual communion with the Father, His continual dependence on the Father’s help, His continual praise for the Father’s will being done in His life, and His daily openness to the Father’s rule,    Thus, Jesus dwelt in the Father and the Father in Him.  What a powerful and beautiful illustration of holiness!  Jesus made Himself holy, because the Father is holy; so must the Lord’s saints be holy (I Pe 1:16).  Jesus maintained the “new heart/spirit” given by God.  Jesus guarded his own holiness in order that the Father could dwell in him and he in the Father.  Thus, as a man he was humbled before God, always giving credit to God for his knowledge and strength, he kept himself as an instrument in the Father’s hand, interacting with all disciples to encourage their personal growth, and never talking about his deeds but glorifying God for all he did.  He continually guarded how he lived and spoke, so as to hallow the Father in the eyes of all who knew the Son. 

 

     So, it is with any and all who would believe in and expect to receive from the Lord a “new spirit”.  All personal ambitions and achievements must be considered as nothing!  All thoughts, plans, words and efforts must be kept in submission to Jehovah’s will and rule.  This can only be accomplished by maintaining a bankrupt, humble spirit before Him and before men, by being holy as He is holy, by making sure all eyes see Him as hallowed, by loving the Lord our God with our whole being.  The spirit, who indwells, yearns jealously for this loyalty and commitment (Js 4:5).  This humble dedication will guard the gift, the “new heart.”

Jay K. Guyer