Message from the Monthly Flyer from May 2007

What is the heart made of?

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

You can read a lot about the heart of a person in the Word of God. It is not referring to the organ, which pumps and circulates the blood and causes a person’s heart to beat - keeping that person alive as long as it still continues to beat. No, it is talking about the place in you, where either God is ruling or your “I”, which is influenced by evil and is against God’s ordained powers.

In the old Covenant, the Law was written on tablets of stone. It is interesting to notice that the word “shall “is to be found in every single one of the ten commandments. It reveals that the stony heart has to be reminded again and again: you shall, you shall not – many rules and laws were necessary for mankind bound in sin. Nobody could have managed at that time to completely keep the Law of God, and thereby, be justified and pleasing to God. It is just simply not possible for the sinful individual and the stony heart to achieve this. The Law could only be fulfilled by one individual, this happened to be Jesus Christ. Romans 3:23-24 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. When talking about “all”, it includes every single individual, without any exceptions; including those who were very pious and god-fearing people who lived under the old Covenant. During the time of being under the old Covenant, the Law of God was written on the stony tablets of the heart. Stone is hard and heavy, and is incapable of absorbing things. No matter how long you leave a stone in water, it will only get wet on the outside, but it will not get wet on the inside.

The new heart is completely different, it is soft. Under the new Covenant, it is not the Law which rules, but rather, the heart is ruled by the Spirit of God. Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our the hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. The Spirit of God makes us to be a people who walk as according to his commandments, and who keep and obey his rules and regulations. It is the Spirit of God who works this in us, and it is not a result of our own self-will or efforts. The new heart has the desires of God within it. The heart can be compared to a sponge, A sponge is soft and bouncy, and is light; but when it is immersed in water, it completely soaks it all up. If you squeeze it, the water comes back out again. It is exactly the same with the new heart, it takes in the Word of God and the love of God and gives it back again, passing it on. It does not just take, but it gives what it receives from God, flows over and starts again from the beginning. In the case of stone, no matter how long you try to work with it, it will not get soft. This is the reason why God takes the old heart of a person out and puts a new heart in. The old stony heart is unable to fulfil the law of Christ, therefore, God has made a new covenant with mankind. In this covenant so much has been given to us, therefore, more is required of us. If the Spirit of God rules and reigns, then the love of God is also in us and we will bring forth fruit.

When a person is born again of water and Spirit, God plants this new heart into us. At different times, God had made different agreements with mankind. Through obedience to the covenant which was valid at that particular time, people were made righteous, in regards to looking ahead towards that which would be accomplished on the cross. However, God has saved the best to last. Under the new Covenant - the dispensation of the church - the reborn person receives peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, is a child of the King and is a heir to all of God’s promises. God himself comes and lives in the person by his wonderful holy Spirit. God has kept his promise and made a way for every individual to receive this new heart. When Jesus comes back again to fetch his church, it is necessary that you have this heart in you. It is the heart of flesh which will be changed.

What is your heart made up of? If you still do not have a new heart, then God is willing to give it to you, if you believe and obey his gospel. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38) ra

Esekiel 36:26-27 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.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 Behold, the days come saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.