Topical Bible: Heart: Renewed: Enlightened

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In the biblical context, the heart is often seen as the center of human emotion, will, and intellect. A renewed and enlightened heart is a transformative concept that signifies a profound change brought about by the work of God in an individual's life. This transformation is essential for understanding and living out the Christian faith.

Renewal of the Heart

The renewal of the heart is a central theme in Scripture, emphasizing the need for a spiritual rebirth and transformation. In Ezekiel 36:26, God promises, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." This passage highlights the divine initiative in renewing the heart, replacing hardness with receptivity to God's will.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this renewal in the New Testament. In Romans 12:2, he urges believers, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Here, the renewal of the mind is closely linked to the renewal of the heart, as both involve a fundamental change in how one perceives and interacts with the world, aligning with God's purposes.

Enlightenment of the Heart

Enlightenment of the heart refers to the opening of one's spiritual eyes to understand and embrace the truths of God. In Ephesians 1:18, Paul prays for the believers, "I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints." This enlightenment is not merely intellectual but deeply spiritual, allowing believers to grasp the depth of God's promises and their identity in Christ.

The enlightened heart is characterized by a deeper understanding of God's wisdom and revelation. In Colossians 1:9, Paul expresses his desire for the Colossians to be "filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding." This knowledge is not self-derived but imparted by the Holy Spirit, who guides believers into all truth (John 16:13).

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in both renewing and enlightening the heart. In Titus 3:5, Paul explains that God "saved us, not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit." The Spirit is the agent of renewal, transforming the believer's heart and mind to reflect the character of Christ.

Moreover, the Spirit enlightens the heart by revealing the deep things of God. In 1 Corinthians 2:10-12, Paul writes, "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God... that we may understand what God has freely given us." This divine enlightenment enables believers to comprehend and live out the truths of the gospel.

Practical Implications

A renewed and enlightened heart results in a life that bears the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and reflects the character of Christ. It leads to a deeper love for God and others, a commitment to holiness, and a desire to fulfill God's purposes. The believer with such a heart is equipped to discern God's will and walk in His ways, empowered by the Spirit to live a life that glorifies God.

In summary, the renewed and enlightened heart is a testament to God's transformative work in the believer, enabling them to understand and live out the truths of the Christian faith. This transformation is both a gift and a calling, inviting believers to continually seek God's presence and guidance in their lives.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

A Penitent Heart, the Best New Year's Gift
... repentance is true, you are renewed throughout, both in ... and body; your understandings
are enlightened with the ... should be, to get the heart thoroughly affected ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/a penitent heart the best.htm

The Monk of Thagaste
... he did not feel either the overflowing energy swelling his heart renewed by Grace ...
of the richest in thought, charity, and works which have enlightened history. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/iii the monk of thagaste.htm

The Deceitfulness of the Human Heart
... lights on Satan." But these more enlightened gentlemen have ... become new." So that
his heart is no longer desperately wicked, but "renewed in righteousness ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 123 the deceitfulness of.htm

The Circumcision of the Heart
... in Christ Jesus; the being so "renewed in the ... thing implied in circumcision of the
heart, " that faith ... eyes of his understanding being enlightened," he sees ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 17 the circumcision of.htm

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
... the necessity of our being entirely renewed in righteousness ... in heaviness indeed,
in sorrow of heart, in anguish ... fall away, who were once enlightened and made ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 21 upon our lords.htm

Love of Religion, a New Nature.
... is hid with Christ in God; whose heart is religious ... sanctified from their mother's
womb, visited, guarded, renewed, strengthened, enlightened in a ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon xiii love of religion.htm

Final Perseverance
... and if grace die out in his heart"he is ... and it is impossible for him ever to be renewed. ...
apostle says, "These people have been once enlightened; they have ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/final perseverance.htm

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
... of that inward man of the heart which is renewed after the image of God, cannot
but strike every eye which God hath opened, " every enlightened understanding ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 24 upon our lords.htm

Turn or Burn
... born and educated in this land without having his conscience so far enlightened
as to ... Do you feel that God has changed your heart and renewed your nature? ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/turn or burn.htm

Of the Ordering of all the virtues through the Seven Gifts of the ...
... needful." And the Holy Ghost makes the heart expand and ... should crave that all men
may become enlightened, and may ... that we may each time be renewed and become ...
/.../john/the adornment of the spritual marriage/chapter lxiii of the ordering.htm