Topical Bible: Heart: Renewed: Tested

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The concept of the heart in biblical theology often refers to the inner being of a person, encompassing the mind, will, and emotions. A renewed heart is a central theme in Scripture, signifying a transformation that aligns one's desires and actions with God's will. This renewal is not merely an external change but a profound internal transformation brought about by the Holy Spirit.

Renewal of the Heart

The renewal of the heart is a divine act, initiated by God and made possible through the work of Jesus Christ. 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 promise highlights the transformative power of God's grace, replacing a hardened heart with one that is responsive to Him.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this transformation in 2 Corinthians 5:17, stating, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!" This renewal is a fundamental aspect of the believer's identity in Christ, signifying a departure from the old sinful nature and an embrace of a new life characterized by righteousness and holiness.

Testing of the Renewed Heart

While the heart is renewed by God's grace, it is also subject to testing. This testing serves to refine and strengthen the believer's faith, revealing the genuineness of their transformation. In Jeremiah 17:10, the Lord declares, "I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve." This divine examination ensures that the believer's heart remains aligned with God's purposes.

The testing of the heart is also evident in the life of King David, who, despite his failings, was described as a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). In Psalm 26:2, David invites God's scrutiny, saying, "Test me, O LORD, and try me; examine my heart and mind." This openness to divine testing reflects a desire for purity and integrity, acknowledging that only God can truly know and purify the heart.

Purpose of Testing

The testing of a renewed heart serves several purposes. It reveals the depth of one's faith, as seen in James 1:2-4, which encourages believers to "consider it pure joy... whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." This perseverance leads to spiritual maturity, equipping the believer for greater service in God's kingdom.

Moreover, testing refines the believer's character, as described in 1 Peter 1:6-7: "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials, so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Conclusion

The renewed heart, while a gift of God's grace, is continually tested to ensure its alignment with His will. This testing, though challenging, is a vital part of the believer's spiritual journey, leading to greater faith, character, and ultimately, a deeper relationship with God.

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1 Chronicles 29:17
I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy your people, which are present here, to offer willingly to you.
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Psalm 7:9
Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God tries the hearts and reins.
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Psalm 26:2
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
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Proverbs 17:3
The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD tries the hearts.
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Jeremiah 11:20
But, O LORD of hosts, that judge righteously, that try the reins and the heart, let me see your vengeance on them: for to you have I revealed my cause.
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Jeremiah 12:3
But you, O LORD, know me: you have seen me, and tried my heart toward you: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
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Jeremiah 20:12
But, O LORD of hosts, that try the righteous, and see the reins and the heart, let me see your vengeance on them: for to you have I opened my cause.
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1 Thessalonians 2:4
But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which tries our hearts.
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Hebrews 11:17
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
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Revelation 2:2,10
I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and how you can not bear them which are evil: and you have tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars:
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Library

Papal Infallibility Explained, and Tested by Tradition and ...
... Papal Infallibility tested by Tradition ... but it is unquestionably official, and was
renewed and approved ... religious persecutions, from which his heart would have ...
/.../ 34 papal infallibility explained.htm

The Ancient Fathers Clement of Alexandria.
... 12.) MACARIUS The true death consists in the heart, and is ... man is renewed day by
day." How is it renewed? ... become, as gold which is examined or tested by much ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/the ancient fathers clement of.htm

He Illustrates the Apostle's Saying, "I Will Destroy the Wisdom of ...
... that the cause of their hardness of heart may not ... new man, which after God is renewed
in righteousness ... be put into the bank, accurately tested, to accumulate ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xviii he illustrates the apostles.htm

Love's Logic
... We shall view the text as a fact which we have tested and proved in our own ... Love
to God is as natural to the renewed heart as love to its mother is to a babe. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/loves logic.htm

Consecration.
... This mother's consecration was tested. ... sent from God as they fell into that mother's
heart. ... With renewed energy she sought daily to strengthen that cord which ...
/.../byrum/the value of a praying mother/chapter v consecration.htm

The Wedding Garment
... Everything will have to be tested by a heart-searching God, and if, when he ... in the
church of God to his own advantage unless his heart is renewed, unless he ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the wedding garment.htm

The Morning Watch in the Life of Obedience.
... that our spiritual life is both tested and strengthened ... vow of obedience can every
morning be renewed in power ... power streams in on your waiting heart, and from ...
/.../murray/the school of obedience/iv the morning watch in.htm

Twenty-Seventh Lesson. Father, I Will;'
... At first sight, our heart shrinks from the expression ... entirely shall find it again
renewed and strengthened ... and bring each separate petition, tested and touched ...
/.../with christ in the school of prayer/twenty-seventh lesson father i will.htm

In the Second Place, Repentance and Grace are Obscured. ...
... more truly punishments than are true terrors in the heart. ... concupiscence, so that
they may be renewed by the ... of the man might be exercised and tested even in ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 17 in the second.htm

Believing on Jesus, and Its Counterfeits
... had been convinced, but his heart had never been renewed. ... a tiny spark of faith in
a man's heart, though it ... be saved, his faith will have to be tested by his ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/believing on jesus and its.htm