Topical Bible: The Heart: God: Creates a New

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In the biblical narrative, the heart is often seen as the center of human emotion, will, and intellect. It is the seat of moral and spiritual life, and its condition is of utmost importance in one's relationship with God. The concept of God creating a new heart is a profound theme that underscores the transformative power of divine intervention in the life of a believer.

Old Testament Foundations

The idea of God creating a new heart is rooted in the Old Testament, where the heart is frequently depicted as deceitful and in need of renewal. In Jeremiah 17:9, the prophet declares, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" This highlights the inherent sinfulness and corruption of the human heart, necessitating divine intervention for true transformation.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 provides a pivotal promise of this divine transformation: "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." Here, God promises to replace the hardened, unresponsive heart with one that is tender and receptive to His will, empowered by His Spirit to live in obedience.

New Testament Fulfillment

The New Testament continues this theme, emphasizing the role of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in the creation of a new heart. In John 3:3, Jesus tells Nicodemus, "Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." This new birth is a spiritual rebirth, involving a transformation of the heart through faith in Christ.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this transformation in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!" This passage underscores the radical change that occurs when one becomes a follower of Christ, as the old, sinful nature is replaced with a new, righteous one.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in the renewal of the heart. In Romans 8:9, Paul writes, "You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you." The indwelling of the Holy Spirit empowers believers to live according to God's will, transforming their hearts and minds.

Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities reflect the new heart that God creates within believers, enabling them to live in a manner that pleases Him.

Practical Implications

The creation of a new heart by God has profound implications for the believer's life. It involves a complete reorientation of one's desires, priorities, and actions. Psalm 51:10 captures the essence of this transformation in David's prayer: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." This plea for a pure heart reflects the ongoing need for God's grace and renewal in the believer's life.

Believers are called to guard their hearts diligently, as Proverbs 4:23 advises: "Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life." This involves a conscious effort to align one's heart with God's will, through prayer, study of Scripture, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

In summary, the biblical theme of God creating a new heart highlights the transformative power of divine grace, enabling believers to live in obedience and fellowship with Him. Through the work of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God renews the heart, making it responsive to His will and reflective of His character.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 36:26
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

God Rejoicing in the New Creation
... joy among the angels, and joy in our heart over God's ... shall indeed be glad in that
which God creates, as the ... day when he has fully fashioned the new earth and ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/god rejoicing in the new.htm

New Haven Orthodox Creed.
... voluntary perverseness of the sinner's heart, or disinclination ... in this country,
especially in New England, but ... of the human mind, which God creates, is itself ...
/.../hayward/the book of religions/new haven orthodox creed.htm

On Living Without God
... Spirit of the Almighty strikes the heart of him that was till then without God in
the world, it breaks the hardness of his heart, and creates all things new. ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 125 on living without.htm

The Believer a New Creature
... The heart wills to do what God wills, yea, it ... Grace doth not reform us, but re-creates
us; it doth not pare away here and there an evil excrescence, but it ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 15 1869/the believer a new creature.htm

The Test of Discipleship
... the soul; it creates a new being in the image of God. While the work of the Spirit
is silent and imperceptible, its effects are manifest. If the heart has been ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 7 the test of.htm

Nicodemus
... the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms ... comes when by faith
the soul surrenders itself to God. ... which no human eye can see creates a new ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 17 nicodemus.htm

Article I: of God.
... unless we acknowledge that our heart is naturally ... are liars, ie, not thinking aright
concerning God. ... to mortify the concupiscence, and creates new movements [a ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 1 article i of.htm

"If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have ...
... reforms it, he strikes out lights in the heart, and, by ... makes the eyes open to see;
he creates a new ... in the very perfection of it, and God new, because another ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxiv if so be.htm

Defense of Eusebius Pamphilus.
... and announces his Christ unto men": the word "creates" being used ... Create in me a
clean heart, O God," [323] said not this as if he had no heart; but prayed ...
/.../chapter xxi defense of eusebius pamphilus.htm

Third Day. Holiness and Creation.
... Goodness is the work of omnipotence, an attribute of nature, as God creates it:
holiness is something infinitely ... O my God! may my heart be Thy resting-place. ...
/.../murray/holy in christ/third day holiness and creation.htm