The Gift of a New Heart – Today’s Devotional – December 19, 2023
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” —2 Corinthians 5:17
God performs the spiritual transformation of our hearts. The Holy Spirit [the Spirit of God] works within us to change our hearts [our minds] and character into the righteousness of Christ. Still, the human effort of surrender and faithful obedience is the requisite for the Spirit of God to exercise His transforming power within us.
“If you love me, keep my commandments.” —John 14:15
Blended human concepts say we can be half-Christian and half-worldly. Yet, Jesus gives us the simple explanation that loving Him means total obedience to His righteous commands. Every day, we fight an internal battle to receive a new heart. Will we surrender to God or the innate cravings of our carnal hearts and appetites?
Our dilemma: “The heart is deceitful above all things And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” —Jeremiah 17:9
Our thoughts always gravitate toward ourselves. Think deeply about your desires. The human heart [without Christ] naturally desires pleasure. Two areas that we easily succumb to are material treasures and appetite [food and sex]. The desire for tangible possessions and self-seeking gratification is inherent [within us] from birth.
God’s Goal: For Us to Reflect, Reveal, and Resemble Jesus
“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.” —Ezekiel 36:26
The power of God supersedes all hereditary traits, learned behaviors, habits, and addictions. With our measure of faith, we accept Christ as our Savior. The Bible teaches us about the righteousness we must possess. By studying Christ’s life in the Gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John] we learn by His example the character and lifestyle required for eternal life.
As followers of Christ, God expects us to represent and reveal the Righteousness of Christ in our behaviors, attitudes, and spoken words.
“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” —Deuteronomy 6:5
Our love for God is the catalyst for letting go of relationships with unbelievers and all worldly pleasures and practices that fail to reflect a life of holiness. The human effort of daily prayer of surrender invites the Holy Spirit to give us the spiritual strength required for the transformation of our hearts.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” —Proverbs 3:5
Loving God includes trusting Him with our earthly lives because He is the only One who can lead us into eternal life. His promise to give us a new heart also includes receiving the spiritual power to overcome and be victorious over all of our carnal desires!
“He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31).
Prayer: Lord, we pray for the strength to surrender and to faithfully obey You. We desire new hearts. Help us to become the people You created us to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries
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