Years ago, our young neighbor Steven, desperately needed a new heart. A childhood illness had damaged his heart muscle and left it unable to adequately do its job. He watched life happen around him. His body did not get enough blood supply or oxygen to allow him to play outside or keep up with the other middle-school kids.
Finally, after years of waiting, Steven received a new heart and everything changed. His small body began to grow. His bluish-toned skin now looks healthy. He roams the outdoors with his father and camps and skis. He does things that before the heart transplant he could only dream of. All because of a new heart.
Each of us needs a heart transplant. Sin hardens our hearts against God. Our rebellious hearts of stone cannot obey Him, worship Him, or love Him. And they don’t want to. But God has a solution – a heart transplant!
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. Ezekiel 36:26-27, NLT
Our salvation is like a heart transplant. It will completely change our life because it completely changes us. Steven’s entire life drastically changed because the new heart changed everything about his physical body.
When the Holy Spirit saves us, He transplants our spiritual heart. He changes us. He completely remakes our will, desires, emotions. He transforms the core of who we are. The new heart not only wants to follow God, the indwelling Spirit enables us. As we yield to the Spirit and respond to God in love we will begin to live a life that imitates Christ – a life of love from the inside-out.
Do we live like we have new hearts? Are we soft and responsive to God every day?
Your analogy between Steven’s need for a heart transplant and our salvation is a good one. I worked as a cardiovascular nurse specialist for 25 years. I often thought of this similarity with our spiritual lives. Heart muscles like Steven’s become enlarged and stiff. I think of people becoming full of themselves and hard hearted towards God. Only the Holy Spirit can soften and prepare a heart for Him. Love this Kathy.
Blessings and love,
Debbie
Debbie, thanks for sharing your experienced insight with us! No wonder God used this as an analogy to help us understand our need for Him!