September 1

The New Birth

Ezekiel 36

This passage reaches the same heights that Jeremiah’s “New Covenant” passage reaches in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Both of these promises bring us to the very heart of the message of hope. This message of hope starts with God. He will do this great work not because the people have earned it, or deserve it, but “for the sake of my holy name.” (vs 22) The first step of this new birth will be the regathering of Israel from the lands where they had been dispersed. And the world will say in response to this that God is truly a promise keeping God. By regathering them, his holy reputation and character will remain untarnished. This is why I believe God still has a future plan for Israel, because if God simply abandons the physical line of Abraham he is not a promise keeping God. But this is just the start of the new birth. God is going to cleanse the nation from all idols. Physical idolatry was never a problem after the Jews returned from the exile. God also promised to give them a new heart and put a new spirit in them. The heart of stone would be removed and a living heart would be given. This is the passage Jesus was referring to when he was speaking to professor Nicodemus in John 3. Jesus was incredulous that professor Nicky, an esteemed teacher of the law, was completely ignorant of the new birth that occurs when the Spirit of God changes our hearts. How could a teacher miss this high point of the book of Ezekiel? Even though Professor Nicky missed it, we shouldn’t.

So how is your heart today? Would you say it is a heart of stone ... cold, callus, focused on the things of earth or is your heart a living heart... alive to God, filled with the Spirit, a heart that is totally in love with God?

If you really want to live life to the fullest... ask God for a living, new birth heart.