“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” Ezekiel 36:26-27 (ESV)
Remove the activity of God and hope dissipates. God initiates the love relationship made available to us by His grace. The only way a person can come into a right relationship with God and be reconciled is by responding to God’s redemptive activity. The only way to know God personally and to obey God completely is by God’s enabling.
Ezekiel prophesied the Word of the Lord affirming God’s redemptive activity. God said that He would give them a new heart and put a new spirit within them. God would remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. God would put His Spirit within them and cause them to walk in His statutes and enable them to obey His rules.
You cannot live the life God has for you outside of God’s provision. God does not expect you to live the Christian life in your own strength. In fact, you will fail. To live in the center of God’s will requires God’s power.
At the moment of your conversion, God removes your sin, imputes the righteousness of Christ, adopts you into His family, and fills you with the Holy Spirit. You become the walking tabernacle of His presence. God empowers you to walk in His ways and to fulfill His will on the earth. Yield to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to have His way in your life.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 250: Ezekiel 34-36)
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
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