The Commandment, the Promise, and the New Heart

 "Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?" - Ezekiel 18:31

Can a person receive a new heart and a new spirit? Yes — if they turn to the One who gave this commandment and also promised to fulfill it: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you." (Ezekiel 36:26).

We must go to the One who made the promise and receive it. God has both commanded us to have a new heart and a new spirit and promised to give them to us. Our part is to ask and receive. A person who is satisfied with their sinful heart will not seek to receive a new one. Likewise, one who doubts God’s power to transform will not seek the new heart.

When God gives a commandment, He also provides a promise, and that promise becomes the foundation of our prayers. The commandment reveals our powerlessness against sin; the promise shows us that God alone can give us the power to overcome it. Prayer is the means by which we access that power.

The commandment reminds us of our lost and corrupt hearts. The promise gives us hope for salvation and the gift of a new heart. Prayer allows us to receive the fulfillment of that promise. Both the commandment and the promise are from God, but prayer is the response He requires from us.

From my diary,

November 28, 2024