Topical Bible: Heart: Renewed: It should Render to God Obedience

◄ Heart: Renewed: It should Render to God Obedience ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical context, the heart is often seen as the center of human will, emotion, and intellect. A renewed heart signifies a transformation that aligns one's inner being with the will and purposes of God. This transformation is essential for rendering true obedience to God, as it reflects a change from a state of sinfulness to one of righteousness and devotion.

Biblical Foundation

The concept of a renewed heart is rooted in the promises of the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament through the work of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In Ezekiel 36:26-27 , 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. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances." This passage highlights the divine initiative in renewing the heart, enabling believers to live in obedience to God's commands.

Obedience as a Fruit of Renewal

A renewed heart naturally leads to obedience, as it is transformed to desire what God desires. In Romans 6:17-18 , Paul writes, "But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." This passage illustrates that obedience is a result of the heart's transformation from bondage to sin to freedom in righteousness.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in renewing the heart and empowering believers to obey God. In John 14:15-17 , Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to His disciples, saying, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth." The presence of the Holy Spirit within believers is a testament to their renewed hearts and a source of strength for living in obedience to God's will.

Evidence of a Renewed Heart

The evidence of a renewed heart is seen in the life of a believer who consistently seeks to obey God. In 1 John 2:3-6 , it is written, "By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. Whoever says, 'I know Him,' but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him." This passage underscores that obedience is a tangible sign of a heart that has been renewed by God.

The Call to Continual Renewal

While the initial renewal of the heart is a decisive act of God, believers are called to continually renew their hearts and minds. In Romans 12:2 , Paul exhorts, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God." This ongoing renewal is necessary for maintaining a life of obedience and aligning one's desires with God's purposes.

In summary, a renewed heart is essential for rendering obedience to God. It is a work initiated by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and evidenced by a life committed to following His commandments. Through continual renewal, believers are equipped to live in accordance with God's will, reflecting His righteousness in their daily lives.

Nave's Topical Index

Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
Nave's Topical Index

Deuteronomy 11:13
And it shall come to pass, if you shall listen diligently to my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
Nave's Topical Index

Deuteronomy 26:16
This day the LORD your God has commanded you to do these statutes and judgments: you shall therefore keep and do them with all your heart, and with all your soul.
Nave's Topical Index

1 Kings 2:4
That the LORD may continue his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, If your children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 119:112
I have inclined my heart to perform your statutes always, even to the end.
Nave's Topical Index

Ephesians 6:6
Not with eye-service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Test of Discipleship
... When we speak of faith, there is a distinction that should be borne in mind. ...
Through this faith the heart is renewed in the image of God. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 7 the test of.htm

Prayer and Obedience
... If any should complain that humanity, under the fall, is ... to the natural man removed,
but a heart which gladly ... But to declare that, after one is renewed by the ...
/.../bounds/the necessity of prayer/ix prayer and obedience.htm

The Deceitfulness of the Human Heart
... For who should "know the things of a man, like the ... is no longer desperately wicked,
but "renewed in righteousness ... he may stand, he has still a deceitful heart. ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 123 the deceitfulness of.htm

Letter viii. --Our Dependence on God.
... should bow before Him, that all should be cast ... it in their preservation which is
creation renewed unceasingly. ... At this thought, our spirit, our heart, our soul ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter viii our dependence on god.htm

Sin in the Heart the Source of Error in the Head
... If the Psalmist, a renewed man, yet not entirely free ... Were the heart only conformed
to the truth, the ... Should the pagan, himself, actually obey the dictates of ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/sin in the heart the.htm

Against Rash and Vain Swearing.
... me with their lips, but their heart is far ... The dignity of his rank should render
his word verbum ... once most solemnly taken, and frequently renewed) hath engaged ...
/.../sermons on evil-speaking by isaac barrow/against rash and vain swearing.htm

General Character of Christians.
... be obvious truths, and wonder that they should be matter ... The renewed are chiefly
restrained by love to God and ... yea not only in every field, but in every heart. ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xi general character of.htm

The Backslider in Heart.
... down, and see that your love and zeal are renewed. ... They will pray for that, which,
should they obtain it ... prayer meeting, and while they have any heart to pray ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xxi the backslider in.htm

Through the Fall and Revolt of Adam, the Whole Human Race Made ...
... had bestowed on the first man, that man should lose as ... appetites be suppressed, but
that we be renewed in the ... has seized both on the mind and heart, we shall ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 1 through the fall.htm

New Haven Orthodox Creed.
... the voluntary perverseness of the sinner's heart, or disinclination to ... That all who
are renewed by the Holy Spirit ... sincerely desires that all men should come to ...
/.../hayward/the book of religions/new haven orthodox creed.htm