A NEW TENDER HEART

By David Pam McQuel

One fundamental difference between God's language, which is scriptural language and human language which is the root of modern day vocabulary is the word, Heart. And this basic word cuts across all nations and cultures.

In biological terms, the heart is the organ on the left thoracic cavity with tubes connecting all parts of the body for the circulation of blood. In a layman's explanation, with an extremely accurate 

coordination, through the arteries and veins, oxygenated and dioxigenated blood circulates in the body to supply oxygen, food nutrients and medicinal properties as well as evacuate waste products from the body thereby keeping the body working normally.

Surprisingly, this biological heart does NOT appear in the bible. However, in Bible language the heart is the most prominent part of a man's existence. It is the centre of everything he is and does. The heart is the SPIRIT of man.

Take Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart,
                 for everything you do flows from it.

And Elihu spoke in this regard in Job 32.
7 I thought, ‘Age should speak;
    advanced years should teach wisdom.’
8 But it is the spirit in a person,
    the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.

Here we can see that the heart is the centre of gravity in human life. It is also the primary place of contact between God and man. God's purposes, His Word and Spirit dwell in the heart.

Therefore when God was disappointed with what rebellious man turned out to be, He decided to not just remake man's actions, but change the root of his actions, the Heart.

In an extremely plain prophecy God through His prophet Ezekiel spoke of the new covenant which was coming.

Ezekiel 36:
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

Therefore, the great and earth shaking change of God was the recreation of the heart. Its therefore important that we understand the place of the heart of man in conversion to the faith, development of one's early life in Christ and the maturity of a disciple.

What man needed first was not a mere pardon. It wasn't just an overlooking of his faults. And it most certainly wasn't a punishment.

Man needed a new heart, for a new life.

It was easy for God to forgive man. In fact, God has forgiven man since the Fall in Eden. But man's evil, hostile heart desperately needed a change. To behave differently, man must have change from his roots.

Jeremiahm17:9,10 puts the dire situation of the heart as worst as it is. He said by the Spirit of God,
   "The heart is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?

  “I the Lord search the heart
    and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
    according to what their deeds deserve.”

When God wanted to save man, He aimed for the heart. That's where everything went wrong and that's where every wrong is made right. When a man's heart is transformed his rebellion against God will disappear. Love will replace hate, peace replaces anger and humility replaces arrogance!

It is a new life.

Here are the important truth you need to understand:
1. The first step to receiving the free gift of salvation is hearing the gospel of Christ preached and understanding it. This provides conviction of every heart that is dead, meaning separated from God.

2.According to Romans10:9,10, if the sinner confess the Lord Jesus with his mouth and believes in his heart, he shall be saved.

3. The new believer will have to continually feed, that is, his new heart with the pure milk of God's word. Otherwise, his new faith will stagnate and starve to death. Acts 2:41-42

4. The new believer needs a new company. A new company of God loving and tenderhearted believers who will give him the example of a believers way of life. Acts 2:42-47

5. For a new believer to properly grow, he needs to develope a humble, tender, godfearing heart. This will keep him tenderhearted, reverential as he grows in God. Galatians 5:22, 23

6. Every believer needs a compassionate heart, that will enable love the sinner, grant him the patience to minister salvation until they are saved.

God bless you!