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Verse:“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. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. … You shall be my people, and I will be your God.” —Ezekiel 36:26–28, ESV
Recently, as I was studying Hebrews 8, I asked myself the following questions: What does this text say about God? What does this text say about me? And what does this text say about my walk with God? Then one sentence caught my attention: “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people” (Hebrews 8:10, KJV). I was reminded about a text that I teach regarding the gospel—today’s theme text—Ezekiel 36:26–28.
As I paused to comprehend the meaning of these verses, the reality of no sin came into focus: “I [God] will remember their [my] sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12, ESV). The new heart and new spirit are the work of, and a gift from, the Holy Spirit when we say yes to Jesus. This newness isn’t something I work for or strive to become. When I choose to believe today, God does all the work on my new heart and spirit that He places within me. That is the reason God can say, “I will remember [your] sins no more.” Because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, He took the sin for me, and I am without sin from the moment I believe. But I live as a sinner, a sinful woman, because of my birth.
Yet it is the blood of Jesus Christ who died on the cross that gives Him the right to gift us with the new heart and spirit that is only from the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:22–28). And He promises to be our God. Oh, my dear sisters, when you and I choose Jesus, He claims us as His daughters —daughters of the King— with the new hearts and spirits He has placed within us. As we begin this new year, may we grasp the meaning of these texts. I have chosen Him to be my God because He chose me first.
Now, in newness of life, by the grace of the cross, I can live a triumphant life, daily in His presence. I challenge you to study prayerfully and meditate on these promises. In Him, we can live fuller, freer lives.
Savor your relationship with Jesus Christ as you watch Him show up and show off His glory through your new heart and new spirit.
Mary H. Maxson