- May 22, 2008
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Our next proof of salvation, is both personal and mysterious:
“A changed heart”
Ezekiel 36:26
“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.”
When we are saved, we are changed, on the inside.
The Bible calls this thing that is changed within us, a heart;
(Not the one that pumps blood, but the one that makes our decisions.)
But it is also called a “mind”........
Romans 12:2
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
This change of heart, is felt subtly at first, but as we grow in Christ, this change becomes more pronounced and we can see this change within ourselves.
--------------------------------------------------
This change in us, actually makes us a different person(on the inside):
Like changing a zebra into a giraffe..........
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
We are a new creature, in Christ Jesus.
And as this verse teaches, this change is “ongoing”, as we grow in Christ:
(We become more and more, like the Lord Jesus Christ, every day.)
--------------------------------------------------
One of my personal favorite verses on this subject is........
Romans 7:22
“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:”
This change, changes our hearts desires.
After we are saved, our desires are going to change:
For instance, we will no longer “want” to sin.
Now we still will sin, but inside we won’t want to.
This is what this mysterious passage(Romans 7:14-25), is all about;
Sometimes we do the things that we really don’t want to do, because God has changed our “wants”.
Every Christian, aught to able to look down deep into their hearts, and tell if this change has taken place.
(By the way you feel about sin.) Do you enjoy it, or does it make you feel bad.
Now, there is a difference in the pleasures of sin, and enjoying it.
Sin will always “feel” pleasurable, but if your saved, the second that the pleasure is over, you will feel bad about it.
This happens because of our changed heart!
--------------------------------------------------
Another aspect of this changed heart, is it needs input from the Lord and His Word, to make the change more defined and easer for us to see..........
2 Corinthians 4:16
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
As we are faithful to go to Church, read our Bibles and pray, we will change more rapidly, because these things renew our changed heart, every day.
--------------------------------------------------
This change in heart, to also described as a hidden man........
1 Peter 3:4
“But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
Here a Christian woman, is told that this change in her heart, will cause her to have a meek and quiet spirit.
--------------------------------------------------
Also, there can be a time, that this changed heart can be very difficult to see.
When we are backslidden or hypocritical ......
Matthew 15:8
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with [their] lips;
but their heart is far from me.”
Sometimes, if we have fallen out of Church or have stopped reading our Bible or praying, our Spiritual life kind of drys up.
We might be putting on a good show for others, but we know that it’s all a fake.
Since we are talking about “knowing that your saved”, it’s important to know, that during these times of having a dried up Spiritual life, we really have no way of telling, if we are saved or not.
“A changed heart”
Ezekiel 36:26
“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.”
When we are saved, we are changed, on the inside.
The Bible calls this thing that is changed within us, a heart;
(Not the one that pumps blood, but the one that makes our decisions.)
But it is also called a “mind”........
Romans 12:2
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
This change of heart, is felt subtly at first, but as we grow in Christ, this change becomes more pronounced and we can see this change within ourselves.
--------------------------------------------------
This change in us, actually makes us a different person(on the inside):
Like changing a zebra into a giraffe..........
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
We are a new creature, in Christ Jesus.
And as this verse teaches, this change is “ongoing”, as we grow in Christ:
(We become more and more, like the Lord Jesus Christ, every day.)
--------------------------------------------------
One of my personal favorite verses on this subject is........
Romans 7:22
“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:”
This change, changes our hearts desires.
After we are saved, our desires are going to change:
For instance, we will no longer “want” to sin.
Now we still will sin, but inside we won’t want to.
This is what this mysterious passage(Romans 7:14-25), is all about;
Sometimes we do the things that we really don’t want to do, because God has changed our “wants”.
Every Christian, aught to able to look down deep into their hearts, and tell if this change has taken place.
(By the way you feel about sin.) Do you enjoy it, or does it make you feel bad.
Now, there is a difference in the pleasures of sin, and enjoying it.
Sin will always “feel” pleasurable, but if your saved, the second that the pleasure is over, you will feel bad about it.
This happens because of our changed heart!
--------------------------------------------------
Another aspect of this changed heart, is it needs input from the Lord and His Word, to make the change more defined and easer for us to see..........
2 Corinthians 4:16
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
As we are faithful to go to Church, read our Bibles and pray, we will change more rapidly, because these things renew our changed heart, every day.
--------------------------------------------------
This change in heart, to also described as a hidden man........
1 Peter 3:4
“But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
Here a Christian woman, is told that this change in her heart, will cause her to have a meek and quiet spirit.
--------------------------------------------------
Also, there can be a time, that this changed heart can be very difficult to see.
When we are backslidden or hypocritical ......
Matthew 15:8
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with [their] lips;
but their heart is far from me.”
Sometimes, if we have fallen out of Church or have stopped reading our Bible or praying, our Spiritual life kind of drys up.
We might be putting on a good show for others, but we know that it’s all a fake.
Since we are talking about “knowing that your saved”, it’s important to know, that during these times of having a dried up Spiritual life, we really have no way of telling, if we are saved or not.
