When the Bible talks about receiving a new heart, what does that mean?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible teaches that humankind is sinful and that only through God’s intervention do we have any hope. God created all things perfect, including humankind (Genesis 2:2). Adam and Eve’s disobedience resulted in sin being passed down to all humankind (Genesis 3). Through Ezekiel, God promised to give His people a heart that would enable their obedience to Him (Ezekiel 36:26). This promise was fulfilled through Christ. Those who trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection are “born again” and become “new creation[s]” (John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17). At salvation, believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19), which enables us to live a life in keeping with our spiritual renewal (Galatians 5:22-24). Through Christ, believers can live a transformed life on Earth with renewed hearts that follow God, as we await the hope of eternal life.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• In the days of Noah, God saw that man’s heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5)
• After his sin with Bathsheba, David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right[a] spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
• Through the prophet Jeremiah, God said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
• God promised, “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” (Ezekiel 36:26).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus confronting the Jewish religious leaders’ hypocrisy, Jesus said, “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).
• Our sinful heart can be traced back to Adam’s rebellion from God in Eden (Romans 5:12)
• It is with a new heart of faith that we believe unto salvation (Romans 10:10).
• The apostle Paul wrote, “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). We are “born again” when we place our faith in Christ (John 3:3).
• James describes how cultivating our sinful desires leads us to sinful behavior: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The book of Ezekiel mentions the concept of a "new heart" several times (e.g., Ezekiel 18:31; 36:26). In Ezekiel 11:19, God says: "And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh." God was talking to the Hebrew people who had been scattered. He was promising to restore them to their land into a right relationship with Him. Just as they have been physically divided as a people, their hearts have been divided in their devotion to Him. Upon receiving a new heart, they would be capable of being obedient to God's commands (Ezekiel 11:20).

Believers today have that same promise when we place our faith in Christ. God requires His people "to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with” Him (Micah 6:8). We cannot fulfill that in our own strength. To fully turn our hearts to the Lord, we must receive a new heart. This happens when we surrender our hearts to God and are saved by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. Another name for this is being born again (John 3:3). When we are saved, we receive a new heart and the Holy Spirit dwells within us, enabling us to know God and live for Him (John 14:15–17; 2 Corinthians 3:18). A battle between our heart's fleshly desires and God's Spirit still wages within us, but as we renew our minds, our hearts become more and more inclined toward what pleases God.

UNDERSTAND

• Through the prophet Ezekiel, God promised the Israelites a “new heart” that would make them able to obey Him.
• Believers today become spiritually renewed upon placing faith in Christ as Savior.
• Though we still struggle with sin, believers become progressively sanctified to lead lives pleasing to God.

REFLECT

• How have you noticed God transforming your desires and attitudes since receiving a new heart in Christ?
• In what areas of your life do you still struggle between your old sinful desires and the new heart God has given you?
• How has your relationship with God deepened as His Spirit has transformed your heart?

ENGAGE

• How can we encourage each other to live in the reality of a new heart even though we still face our struggle with sin?
• What practical steps can help us cultivate a heart that reflects God’s character and heart?
• How can understanding the sinfulness of the human heart shape the way we share the Gospel with others?