Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NASBStr)
Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
Through out the book of Ezekiel, the nation of Israel is being warned and admonished to forsake her ways and live for God; the way He intended. They are told what God will do with the surrounding nations who have tormented them and have been told why they are, themselves, living in captivity. Throughout the book Ezekiel tells them that these things are happening "so that they would know God." Yet, they still don't. The only way they would know God would be if they had a change inside their hearts. Like Pharaoh of old, their hearts were hard against God. It would only be by God's grace and mercy that their hearts would be soft for God and yield to God. In the above passage we see the heart transplant that God states He will do on them. He is going to "change" their heart. He is going to put a new heart in them and place His Spirit in them. For centuries Israel had showed that it could not obey God in their own efforts and own flesh. Despite favored status and Divine miracles they still had a heart of stone. God would have to soften their heart and make them walk in His statues. Without that work of God they would continue to be a hard hearted people. God must do that same work in all of our ives. All of our hearts are hard against God. Only God can do a heart transplant. Only God can place His Spirit in us. We don't do any of it on our own. If you have a heart for God rejoice that He did a work in you. Without His grace you would have nothing but a hard heart bent on disobedience.
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