Christian's New Heart

The word "heart" is used in a variety of ways in Scripture. At times it is used to mean the human spirit; the innermost part of the person's being.

The writer of Hebrews said, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinked from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pre water" (Hebrews 10:22, NKJV, emphasis added).

In other words, the heart is the seat of conscience, the "spirit" man.

At other times, it refers to the soul, or one particular function of the soul which consists of the intellect, mind, will, feeling and emotion of a person. And, there are occasions when it signifies the spirit and soul together. An example is:

"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord" (Psalm 27:14, NKJV, emphasis added)!

The heart is also the seat of understanding - the intellect:

"Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart" (Job 38:36)?

Notice that understanding comes from the heart and wisdom comes from the mind.

When we consider the spirit and soul of a person together as his heart, it determines his personality, character and attitude. A good example is:

"But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart" (Jeremiah 5:23).

Let us now look at the differences between the old heart and the new heart of a person.

The Old Heart

Before a person is born again, he has a dead spirit. His heart is corrupt because of self-motivation from his dead spirit. It is at the mind of a person that Satan builds his strongholds (read 2 Cor. 10:4,5). Because his spirit dead, demons can come in and "demonize" the person. In other words, he can be possessed by demons.

Jesus said, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (Matthew 15:18,19, NKJV).

In other words, whatever exists within the heart will be expressed in a person's words and deeds. If the heart is corrupt or unclean, then he will speak and act in ways unacceptable to God. Notice that in all His teaching, especially His preaching on the Beatitudes (Matt. 5) Jesus aimed at the heart. If the heart is pure and consecrated to God, the person's thoughts, attitudes, words and actions will be pure and so glorify God.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matt, 5:8).

Because of the sinful nature of the heart in the natural (unregenerated) man, it proved impossible for him to keep all the commands of Christ and so he is not able to please God, or make himself acceptable to Him, through his own determined strength and efforts.

The New Heart

The New Covenant is foretold by the Lord through Ezekiel concerning the need of a new heart.

"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. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statute, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezekiel 36:26,27, NKJV, emphasis add).

Notice, the Lord will give three things, a new heart, a new spirit and His Spirit. First, He must take away the heart of stone (the old heart) and replaces it with a new heart in a person. This is to prepare him to receive a new spirit. Then He puts a new spirit in him. The moment a person repents of his sins and turns to God, He puts His Spirit within the person. This new heart with the new spirit quickened by the Holy Spirit will enable a born again person to walk with Him and to keep His commands.

Only God can give a new heart. Religious people try to rebuild or "renovate" the old corrupt heart of a person. It is like putting a rotting apple into a refrigilator. They can slow down the corruption process but the apple still not edible. A religious person may try to do good works or try to act blamelessly before men, but all their efforts are futile in the sight of God!

When a person is born again by the spirit of God, God's spirit is in the new heart of this regenerated person. This enables him to relate to God and to worship Him in spirit and in truth. God sees him as a son:

Paul said, "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His son into your hearts, crying out 'Abba, Father!' Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Gal. 4:6,7).

Paul also said, "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee" (2 Cor. 1:21,22).

Galatians 5:16 - 26 gives a clear picture of the fruitfulness of a person with a new heart and a new spirit. The new spirit in a person led by the Spirit of God enables a person's soul under the control of his spirit so that he is set free to worship God and to do the things of God effectively.