The holy spirit heart transplant

THE HOLY SPIRIT HEART TRANSPLANT
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them singlenessof heart
and put a new spiritwithin them; I will remove their
heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Spiritual Transformation
Ezekiel11:19
J.R. Thomson
This promise is one of the most precious to be found in the Old Testament
Scripture. Relating as it evidently does in this passageto the nation of Israelas
a whole, it has generallybeen takenby Christians as having applicability to all
who yield themselves to God, to be dealt with by his renewing and
transforming grace.
I. THE NATURE THAT NEEDS TRANSFORMATION. This is
characterizedby hardness. It is "the stony heart" which Divine grace
undertakes to soften and renew. The hard or stony heart is that which is
insensible to spiritual realities, upon which neither Law nor gospelmakes any
impression, which resists every appealwhether of righteousness orof mercy.
II. THE POWER THAT EFFECTS THE TRANSFORMATION. The
powerlessnessofall human agencyand endeavour is apparent. Man's
influence can do much; but here is the most difficult of all problems to be
solved; here is the necessityfor something more than reformation - for actual
renewalHence God, the Almighty, undertakes the work himself. He speaks

here with authority, as the Being who needs no counsellor, no helper, who has
infinite resourcesathis disposal, who exercises his own prerogative. It is not
here explicitly stated what are the means he employs; but we know that they
are means in harmony with the moral nature of man, that his appeal to us is
an appeal of truth and love. In the Christian dispensation, the agentof
transformation is the Holy Spirit given at Pentecost, andperpetually abiding
in the Church, and the instrumentality employed is the gospelof our Saviour
Jesus Christ, appropriated by the faith of the believing hearerof the Word.
III. THE EFFECTSAND EVIDENCES OF THIS TRANSFORMATION.
1. Newnessofspirit supersedes the old disposition to disobey and rebel. Every
reader of the New Testamentknows what stress is laid upon the new
covenant, the new birth, the new life, newness ofthe spirit, etc. In fact, this
verse from Ezekielis peculiarly in harmony with the Christian dispensation
and all that belongs to it.
2. Unity of heart is one form of newness;for it comes to supersede the division
and oppositionwhich prevail where God's authority is rejectedand where
God's Word is despised. It is our Lord's prayer concerning the members of
his Church, that they "all may be one" - one in him and in the Father, and so
one eachwith the other.
3. Sensitivenessis what is intended by the heart of flesh. The nature which
God by his grace renews is a nature which responds to the love of God by
gratitude, faith, and consecration. A heart delighting in what pleases God,
dreading what offends him; a heart loving all whom God loves, and inspiring
a life of scrupulous and hearty obedience; - such is the new heart, the heart of
flesh, which is the best gift of God to his children.
"A heart resigned, submissive, meek,
My dear Redeemer's throne;
Where only Christ is heard to speak,
Where Jesus reigns alone." T.

I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you.
Ezekiel11:19, 20
The nature of genuine religion
W. Jay.
I. GOD APPROPRIATESTHIS WORK TO HIMSELF. Realreligion is of a
Divine original: it never would have had an existence in the world without the
revelation of God; and it will never have an existence in the soul without the
operationof God.
1. The doctrine has been much abused. It has often been so managedas to
make the sinner, while in his natural state, to appearunfortunate rather than
criminal, and to render the use of means and exertions needless.
2. If "all things are of God," is religion to be excluded, and to form the only
exception? "Doesthe river of the waterof life" spring from a source on this
side "the throne of Godand of the Lamb"?
3. To know things in their causes has beendeemed the highest kind of
knowledge:to know salvation in its source is indispensable.(1)It is necessary,
to guide and to encourage the concernof awakenedsinners, who are asking,
"Menand brethren, what shall we do?" Seeing so many difficulties and
dangers before them, and feeling their corruption and weakness, aftera few
unsuccessfulstruggles, theywill sink down in hopeless despair;unless, with a
sense oftheir own inability, you exhibit that grace which is sufficient for them,
and meet them in their conviction with the promise, "Ask, and it shall be
given you"; etc.(2)It is necessaryto call forth the acknowledgments, andto
regulate the praises ofthose who are sanctified by Divine grace.
II. THE DISPOSITIONwhich it produces.
1. He promises to give them one heart; and this shows the sameness of
religion, as to the leading views, sentiments, and pursuits of its possessors.

2. "I will put a new spirit within you" — not only different from that which
still animates others, but distinguished from that which once influenced them.
In this manner the Lord qualifies His people for their situation and
engagements:and thus they are at home in them: there is a suitableness
productive of ease and enjoyment.
3. He gives "them an heart of flesh." It was a heart of "stone" before. Takea
stone — feelit — how cold! Strike it — it resists the blow. Lay upon it a
burden — it feels no pressure. Apply to it a seal — it receives no impression.
Such were your hearts once. What a mercy to have this curse removed, — to
be able to feel; to feelspiritually; to be alive to "the powers of the world to
come!" to be no longerinsensible to Divine and heavenly things, when they
come in contactwith us!
III. THE PRACTICE WHICH RELIGION DEMANDS — "That they may
walk in My statutes," etc.
1. Observe the order in which these things are arranged. Principle precedes
practice, and prepares for it. Behold a man hungry — he needs no argument
to induce him to eat. See that mother — she needs no motive to determine her
to cherish her darling babe — nature impels. The obedience of the Christian
is natural, and hence it is pleasantand invariable: "he runs and is not weary,
he walks and is not faint."
2. It is equally true that practice must follow principle. The one is the
necessaryconsequenceofthe other, This influence will operate:if it be fire, it
will burn; if it be leaven, it will pervade and assimilate;if it be in us "a well of
water," it will "spring up into everlasting life." The one is the proper evidence
of the other. The cause is ascertainedby the effect.
IV. THE BLESSED PRIVILEGE OF THE RIGHTEOUS.
1. It is more than if He said, I will be thy friend, thy helper, thy benefactor;
for these are relations derived from creatures, and therefore notions of limited
significancy.
2. He is really yours. In nothing else have you such a propriety. Your time is
not your own; your riches are not your own; your children are not your own;

your bodies, and your spirits, are not your own; but God is yours by absolute
promise and donation.
3. Considerthe final issue of the connection. The relation is intended to
display the immensity of His benevolence, andof His munificence, towards
His people. It does much for them here. But they "shall see greaterthings
than these." Theyhave now only "the first fruits of the Spirit, the earnestof
their inheritance." Their alliance with God is often concealedfrom others,
and from themselves;and the advantages it produces are circumscribed by
the world in which we live, and the body of this death. It has not room in
which to operate, ortime in which to expand. Behold, then, an eternity
succeeding time: a new systemprepared to receive them: an happiness in
reserve, of which they can now form no adequate conception!
(W. Jay.)
Opposites to oneness ofheart
R. Harris, B. D.
They are these — First Unresolvedness, whichis when a man waverethin his
mind, being not yet resolvedwhich way to take, or what choice to make.
Secondly, oneness is opposedto hypocrisy and double dealing, to shows and
appearances,to an heart and an heart. Thirdly, it is opposedto inconstancy
and variableness (Galatians 3:20). Lastly, it is opposedto division and
contention (as Acts 4:32). So then, by all that hath been said, you may plainly
see what a one heart is. It is —
1. A resolvedheart.
2. A plain heart, a single heart; when the inside and outside agree, suchan
heart as is no other in intentions than it is in pretences.
3. A constant, fixed heart.
4. Lastly, it is a quiet and peaceable heart. Sucha man as hath peace with
God, and agreethwith himself, so as he goes all one way in God's worship, this

man may be truly said to have one heart. Many motives we might use to
persuade you hereunto. There is but one God, one Christ, one Spirit, one
truth, one gospel, one heaven:besides, thou art but one man, and one heart is
enough for one man; get it, therefore. It is comfortable;for it is an evidence of
our uprightness. And it is profitable, for it unites a man to himself in all God's
services;it delivers him from many temptations, from many distractions, etc.
But how shall I know my heart to be one?
I. Three plain notes of a heart that is one.(1)Integrity. When the heart is
become one, a man goethall one way; he is what he seems, he appears what
indeed he is. He aims at God's whole will, to fulfil the same.(2)A secondnote
is constancy;when a man is at all times like himself, one and the same, take
him when and which way you will.(3) And a third is sincerity: when a man
goes upon one motive, he strains out all by-respects, all selfishness, andlooks
to the common, to a public good, his main aim is the glory of Godin his own
salvation.
(R. Harris, B. D.)
Oneness ofheart
Oneness ofheart is a greatblessing;it is the fruit of the covenantof grace. It is
the first blessing here mentioned; it is joined with other greatblessings. I will
show you the good of it in some particulars.
1. One-heartedness inChristians rejoiceththe Spirit of Christ, which is a
Spirit of love, peace, union, and is grieved with what is opposite to them.
2. It greatly sweetens andcontents the heart of man, when the will, affections,
judgment, and conscienceare friendly and united the right way. It is heaven
in the soul (Romans 14:17;Luke 17:21).
3. It makes the communion one with another delightful and acceptable (Psalm
133:1).
4. It prevents all the evil which comes by divisions and contentions, which are
greatand many.

5. It invites others unto that way where it is found. It is a pleasant and comely
thing to see brethren dwell in unity; men are affectedwith it, there is much
beauty and mirth in the harmony of hearts.
6. It improves grace, and makes Christians thrive much; whereas jars,
divisions, vain disputes, and wranglings, prejudice the lustre and growth of
grace, if not the life.
7. It furthers their prayers; when men are all of one heart, there is much
sweetness andstrength in their prayers (Acts 4:24-31;Matthew 5:9.3, 24).
8. It is an honour to the Lord Christ, that Christians do agree;they are
members of His body, and it is a disparagementto the Head to have the
members fall out, rend and tear one another: this makes strangers speak and
think evil of the way of Christ (John 13:35;l John 3:10).
9. Sympathy with eachother. If there be one-heartednessamong men, what is
the burden and comfort of the one is the burden and comfort of the rest.
10. What evidence of being in the covenantof grace, if there be not union of
the heart within itself, union of it to God and others? whatsatisfactioncana
man have of his being in covenantwith God? Here this one-heartedness is
prefixed as the first thing we should look at; and so in Jeremiah32:39.
11. It makes willing to do one for another. Things difficult become easywhere
love exists;and the ground of it is, The heart is where it loves, not where it
lives.
I. HELPS TO UNITE OUR HEARTS.
1. Considermany things are darkly laid down in the Scriptures, and the scope
of God and Christ therein is not to cause contention, difference, and
censuring, but to unite us more strongly in those things which are clear, and
to cause a forbearance of one anotherin things which are dark and doubtful
(Philippians 3:15, 16).
2. Divine Providence hath ordered it so, that there should be difference and
inequality in the naturals and spirituals of Christians, that so they may have a
greatertendency and fitness for union. As in a ship, or house, all pieces of

timber must not be of the same length, height, and breadth, but differing; that
so they may fit their severalplaces, and conduce to make up a more goodly
fabric: so among men, some have greatnatural and spiritual abilities, some
lowerdegrees ofboth, some lesserthan they; and this is the will and wisdom
of Divine Providence, so to dispense and dispose that all may fitly fall in
together, and make the more glorious structures for heaven.
3. Seek the goodone of another, and that indifferently. Selfishness and
partiality undo and divide, they have private ends, ways, means, and move
upon sinister respects;whereas if we had more self-denying, impartial, and
public spirits, to mind the welfare of others, we should quickly attain to some
gooddegree of this oneness ofheart (1 Corinthians 10:24).
4. Lay aside the wisdom of the flesh, and exalt the wisdom of the Spirit.
5. Humility; where that is it draws the heart of God to it (Isaiah 57:15), God
dwells with the humble spirit; and surely it will gain the hearts of men to it.
Proverbs 29:23, "A man's pride shall bring him low! "it will make God and
man againsthim;" but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit,!' both God
and man will support, speak wellof, do goodto and close with him.
6. Considerwe are brethren, calledand pressedunto peace and mutual
agreementin the Gospel.
II. PRESERVATIVES OF ONE-HEARTEDNESS.
1. Look much at the gifts, graces, andexcellencies whichare in others, not at
their weaknessesand imperfections; let the bright side of the cloud be in your
eyes, not the black side; and this will keepyour hearts united.
2. Lay aside all provoking, dividing names, terms, and speeches.If we would
have our hearts kept in firm union, we must use soft tongues and gentle words
(Proverbs 15:1; Proverbs 12:25).
3. Ever make the bestconstruction of men's words and actions;that will
preserve peace and oneness of heart.
4. Getmuch love and exercise it; that makes hearts one, and preserves them
being one. Christ measures men by their love; and no marvel, love is the

fulfilling of the law (Galatians 5:14); and if we serve one another by love and
fulfil the law, where can the breachbe made, how can the offence come in?
5. Be willing to learn one of another; that will endearour hearts eachto other,
and keepthem in oneness.
6. See God's presence and nearness to us; that is a means to preserve us in a
one-heartedcondition. When the Masteris present the servants are quiet, and
keepso.
III. INDUCEMENTSTO ONE-HEARTEDNESS.
I. That greatapostle Paul saith to the Ephesians (Ephesians 4:3-6),
"Endeavourto keepthe unity of the Spirit": and why? "There is one body,
one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Fatherof
all."
2. Christ hath takenour nature upon Him; and as to unite man and God
together, so to unite man and man togetherin Himself: hence, Galatians 3:28,
"Ye are all one in Christ Jesus";and Romans 8:17, "Joint heirs with Christ";
and Ephesians 2:6, saidto "sittogetherin heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
This should move us to live and love as those who have such high privileges by
Christ.
3. If you love them who are of your own opinion only, and love you, what do
you more than others, than Pharisees,than publicans? (Matthew 5:46). Why
can you not love men who have the same graces with you, as well as those who
have the same opinions with you?
4. It is the fulfilling of a prophecy (Isaiah 11:6-9).
5. Considerwhat oneness ofspirit is amongstthe enemies of God.
(W. Greenhill, M. A.)
I will give them one heart
B. Beddome, M. A.

All that is valuable in Christian experience, or that is desirable in this world
and the next, is in this precious promise. It is the one thing needful, the good
part that shall never be taken awayfrom its happy possessor.
I. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN THIS BLESSING.
1. When God promises to give His people one heart, it supposes that their
heart was previously divided among other objects, and neither devoted to
Himself nor united to one another.
2. Or if there he any sort of affection for what is good, yet the heart of a sinner
is still divided, and so shall it be found faulty (Hosea 10:2). It is divided
betweenGod and Mammon, sin and holiness;betweenthe trifles and vanities
of this world, and the blessedness ofthe next. Hence the lives of sinners are
full of inconsistenciesand contradictions, running into opposite extremes, and
becoming every thing by turns.
II. THE IMPORT OF THE PROMISE ITSELF.
1. They are of one mind as to the Objectof their supreme affections, andthe
way of acceptancewith Him.
2. They are of one heart as to their relation and union to one another. Their
outward circumstances and inward dispositions, their mental abilities and
spiritual acquirements may be very different; some rich and some poor, some
weak and ignorant, others wise and intelligent, some babes in Christ, and
others young men and fathers;yet they are of one heart and one soul as to the
greatobjects of the Christian faith.
3. This oneness is the fruit of Christ's death; for He died that He might gather
in one the children of God that are scatteredabroad. It also arises from His
intercession;I pray, says He, that they all may be one, as Thou Father art in
Me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe
that Thou hast sent Me. It is likewise the proper and distinguishing badge of
discipleship! By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, says Jesus, if
ye love one another.

4. The oneness of heart promised in the text may further be distinguished —
(1) From a double or divided heart. Some men's affections and desires are
scatteredamongsta multitude of different objects;but the heart of a
Christian is in this respectundivided. All the powers and faculties of his soul
go one may, tending towards one object. This one thing I do, says Paul.(2)
This oneness ofheart may be opposedto every species ofguile and
hypocrisy.(3) It is opposedto a doubtful and undecided state of mind.(4) It
stands opposedto a fickle and inconstant heart. A man of a gracious
disposition will appearfor God when he himself is neglectedand forgotten;
and for religion, when it is most derided and opposed. He has lift up his hand
to God, and he will not go back.
III. THE ORIGIN OF THIS BLESSING.
1. This blessing is everywhere ascribedto God in the Scriptures, not only
incidentally and by implication, but in plain and direct terms (1 Chronicles
29:19;Psalm 51:10;Ezekiel36:26).
2. It appears from the nature of the change itself. It is called a creation, a
resurrection;and requires an exertion of the same almighty poweras was
manifested in the former of these events, and such as will be displayed in the
latter.
3. The former state and characterof those on whom the blessing is bestowed.
They were carelessand inattentive; they neither saw their need of it, nor were
inclined to seek afterit. They were weak and impotent; sin had robbed them
of their innocence, and also of their strength. They were stubborn and
obstinate; so far from being co-workers withGod, they resistedHis
operations, and were utterly averse to His gracious designs. Theywere not
only estranged, but alienatedfrom the life of God, through the ignorance that
was in them, by reasonof the hardness of their hearts.
(B. Beddome, M. A.)
And I will put a new spirit within you.

Regenerationand conversion
J. M. Frost.
1. Regenerationis internal, conversionexternal. The one is hidden exceptas
manifested in the other. Each is a change. The one applies to character, the
other to conduct; one applies to the heart, the other to the manner of life.
There may not be the same room for a change in the outer life of one as in the
outer life of another. A young lady, raisedunder the refining influences of an
eleganthome, does not need conversionso much as the notoriously wicked
man; still, she must be born from above, else she can never enter or see the
kingdom of God.
2. Regenerationis a change wrought of God in man's heart; conversionis a
change wrought by the man himself in his own life. Hence the man is turned,
and turns himself; the engine is reversed, and reverses itself. These two great
truths, rather two sides of one truth, should be held distinct and in their
proper relation. In nature are things whose workmanshipsurpasses the
workmanship of the highest human genius. Nature everywhere surpasses art.
Surely among the masterpieceswhichcome from God's hand is His work
wherein a man becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. "We are His
workmanship, createdin Christ Jesus unto God's works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them."
3. Regenerationis the only sure basis of a genuine conversion. Reformation,
without regeneration, is possible. Reformationis not religion; a moral life is
not necessarilya religious life. A religious life is something additional to the
highest moral life — beautifies, adorns, glorifies it; does infinitely more, gives
it a surer basis on which to rest. A godly life, a spiritual-mindedness, a joy and
delight in God's service, must have back of it a change of heart. A religious
life, without regeneration, is perhaps the heaviestand most galling yoke ever
worn by man. Regeneration andconversionstand to eachother as cause and
effect, and we must not reverse the order. We need heart back of life;
regenerationback of conversion. "If you have not known yourself a sinner,
you cannotknow Christ as a Saviour. Some are preaching up nowadays a dry-
eyed faith, and men seemto jump into assurance as if there were no new

birth, no conviction for sin, no repentance." There is greatneed for the
fundamentals in religious experience and convictionand life.
4. Regenerationand conversiontogethercharacterisea people who are God's
people. "They shall be My people, and I will be their God." God's people
here; and God is their God now. This interior life springs from union with
Him, and finds expressionand correspondence intheir outer life. Goodin the
heart and in the life: regeneratedandconverted; spiritual and religious;
walking in God's statutes, keeping God's ordinances and doing them, because
of what God has done within; working out, because Godis working within.
Such are God's people, eacha coin bearing this double superscription. These
are God's people now, but infinitely and gloriouslyhereafter.
(J. M. Frost.)
Powerand efficacyof the Holy Spirit
H. B. Smith, D. D.
I. Before treating of a change of heart, it is very natural and proper that
inquiry should be made WHETHER THE HEART AND AFFECTIONSOF
MEN ARE SO WRONG, AND IN SUCH DISORDER,AS TO BE
SUSCEPTIBLE OF BEING AMENDED. Forif the point were established,
that the motives of the heart were as pure as possible, and the internal, real,
moral characterof men absolutely faultless, there would evidently be no room
for improvement; and all further inquiry into the reality of a change of heart
would be precluded.
II. Our next inquiry is, supposing this most desirable change to be amply
provided for, under the blessedgovernment of God, WHETHER IT MAY BE
EXPECTED TO BE INSTANTANEOUSAND ENTIRE. Reasonand analogy,
then, are decidedly againstsuchan expectation. So far as we know, all
ameliorating processesare, ofnecessity, gradualand slow. And there is
nothing in Scripture or in experience to show that the moral benefits of
Christianity, either in the case ofnations or individuals, are dispensed by any
other law. In looking for a changedman, then, we must not be looking for a

faultless and perfectman; and in seeking forevidence that there is a reality in
the moral change sometimes wroughtby the influence of the Bible, we are not
to look for a change which leaves no room for further amendment.
III. What then? it may be asked — IS THIS CHANGE SUPERFICIAL,
APPARENT, EXTERNALONLY? A change from being notoriously vicious
and bad, to being outwardly strict and exemplary; from living in the
indulgence of personaland socialvices, to a most pure and blameless moral
deportment? This question is easilyansweredby another: does a change of
outward deportment necessarilyinvolve a change of the inward feelings and
motives of the heart?
IV. This brings us to a nearer inspectionof the real nature of a change of
heart. And, to make the point more abundantly clearand convincing, SOME
OF THE DISORDERS OF OUR MORAL NATURES WILL BE
RECOUNTED, both as it regards ourselves, our fellow creatures, and our
moral Governor, and then the inquiry will be, whether the Gospelof our Lord
Jesus Christ contains the moral powerof correcting these disorders; or, in
other words, of changing our hearts in these severalrespects.
1. I am persuaded that it is but too apparent to every one of you, that your
impatience, irritability, pride, and passionmiserably impair and prevent your
own happiness. In other words, that every man is his own worst enemy — far
the worst.
2. Are the inward feelings of our hearts towards our neighbours any better or
more under control, than those which have respectto our own immediate
personalhappiness? Are there, amongstus, no unholy strifes and emulations;
no envious or slanderous thoughts; no coverings and hatreds; no feelings of
malice or revenge?
3. But the true secretofall the other faults and disorders of our moral natures
evidently lies in our not having right feelings toward God, our most holy and
rightful moral Governor. Here, therefore, it is that the inconceivable force of
the Bible motives is brought to bear. This is the mountainous difficulty which
Jesus Christ came to remedy and remove. Here it is that God places His
healing touch; or rather, manifests His new creating power. The heart has

new and right feelings implanted in it towards God, and towards His Son
Jesus Christ, through faith in His name, and by the powerof the Holy Ghost.
V. The only point which remains to be discussedis, WHETHER THERE IS
REMARKABLE FITNESSIN BIBLE CONSIDERATIONS TO PRODUCE
THESE GREAT AND MOST DESIRABLE CHANGES. Thatthere is might
have been inferred from the benevolentdesign of the Gospel, and from
considering who is its Author; it being self-evident that our Moral Governor
would not have provided a religion for a race of beings alienated from Him,
without infusing into it a powerto restore them to His service and His favour.
And the same result comes to us abundantly attestedby observation:
exceedinglybad men have been made radically better by the Gospel, but
never by any other religion; never by any other moral influence.
(H. B. Smith, D. D.)
Of newness of heart
R. Harris, B. D.
1. The thing promised, "I will put a new spirit within you." That you may the
better understand the terms, you may distinguish either of spirit or of its
adjunct newness. First, Spirit is taken in a diverse sense in Holy Scripture.
Sometimes it is takenfor the soul, as it is opposedto the body, as in that,
place. The body returns to the earth, and the spirit to God that gave it.
Sometimes, again, it is put for the faculties of the soul, as, I will sing with my
spirit, that is, with my understanding (1 Corinthians 14.). So, I serve God with
my Spirit (Romans 1:9), that is, with my will. Sometimes, again, it is takenfor
the gifts and graces ofthe spirit, as in that of our Saviour (John 3), That
which is born of the spirit is spirit. Again, you must distinguish here of new. A
thing is said to be new —
1. In regard of the matter of it, when it hath new materials; as when a man
builds an house new out of the ground.

2. In regard of the inward form and species ofit; as when I turn my gowninto
a coat.
3. In regard of the outward form and fashion of it; as when a man breaks an
old bowl, and casts it into a new fashion, there is the same substance as before,
but there is a new figure, a new face setupon it.And so it is to be takenhere.
God will renew the spirit of His people, by putting new qualities into their
souls. Secondly, the Author of this change is God, — "I will put a new spirit,"
etc. That is, I will bestow upon you new graces, new qualities, that whereas
you are naturally void of all goodness,hating Me, and being hated of Me, etc.,
I will put such a new frame of soul into you that you shall love Me, and one
another spiritually. And how will He do this for them? not by extracting good
qualities out of them, as if they were seminally and potentially there before,
but He will infuse and pour the same into them anew. The words thus
explained, we pass on to the point: that whosoeverwillbe soundly assured
that he belongs to the new Covenant, he must have a new heart, a new spirit;
he must be a new man.
1. Necessaryit is, first, in a double respect.(1)In regard of precept; Make you
a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel18:31). And again, Be you transformed
by the renewing of your minds (Romans 12:2); put off, concerning the former
conversation, the old man which is corrupt, etc. (Ephesians 4:22). And be
renewedin the spirit of y our minds (Colossians 3:10). In all these places He
lays this upon us as a charge.(2)It is necessary, as will appear if you consider
it as a means conducing to our main end. To be renewedis the wayto the new
Jerusalem. You see how Godhath smitten a new covenantwith you, put you
under a new governor, given you right into a new city, to the which He hath
setthis new way, so that whosoevertreads the way thither, he must be a new
creature (John 3:5). Secondly, it is possible too. True it is that man cannot
make himself a new heart; but it is true also, that although he concur not as a
cause or agentin this work, yet must he concuras a subject capable of being
renewed;for whosoeveris capable of reason, the same is also capable of grace
(for what is grace but reasonperfectedand elevated);and though man be
unable to renew himself, yet dealeth he with One that both is able and hath
also undertaken to do it for him. He that could make man at first, can with the
same ease remake him again;He that could calllight out of darkness, can

shine in man's heart to give the light of the knowledge ofthe glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ. For as there are no bounds setto God's essence, so
neither to His power. And as He is able to do this for His people, so is He no
less willing to do it; for He hath said it, He hath sworn it, He hath sealedit (as
you have heard), and therefore, sure He will not eat His word, go from His
seal, be forsworn. So that it is possible. Thirdly, it is commodious too; for it
brings along with it —
1. Honour.
2. Comfort.Forthe first, it is the glory of the creature to be renewedand
sanctified; then the creature comes first to be glorious, when it is made new.
There is nothing in the world (saith that Greek father) so beautiful as the new
creature. Man by nature is deformed, ugly, the image of God being utterly
defacedin him.
2. As it is honourable, so it is comfortable to be a new man. indeed, what can
comfort us if we be not so? There be some things that deceive the world,
under the name of a new spirit.These are, first, Civility. A new nature is
another thing than civil honesty. Secondly, Formality is another counterfeit of
this new spirit. Formality is but a picture of true goodness, it reforms only the
outward man; but this new nature, the inward. It is a liveless thing.
1. A new spirit is universal, it goes through the whole man, leavens the whole
lump; but in the hypocrite, that which he hath is private and particular to
certain faculties of his soul; as convictionis restrainedto his understanding,
illumination to his judgment, restraint to his will, etc. But now this new grace
is common to all the powers of the soul; it is not like a little spring, that takes
beginning in some piece of ground, and ends in the same; but like the great
oceanthat compassethaboutthe whole world, and receivethdivers names
according to the severalplaces that it washes and salutes. As it dwelleth in the
head, it is calledwisdom; as in the memory, faithfulness; as in the conscience,
tenderness;as in the will, subjection; as in the affections, it is termed order; as
in the outward man, new obedience:so it receives divers appellations
according to the diverse parts and powers that it affecteth. And as it is

universal for the subject, so for the object too;for it is set againstall sin, and
resolves upon the doing of all duty according to its light.
2. As it is universal, so it is alterative too; it amends not the outside only, but
seeks into the inward man, and alters that.
3. It is humbling. It makes a man thankful to God, merciful to men, and more
baselyto think of himself than of any other.
4. It is diffusive and spreading. A new man would have all the world new, and
go to heavenas wellas himself. On the other side, an old man may have much
light in his head, but little love in his heart. This new spirit works in a man a
new conversation, a new life, new projects, new ends, new endeavours, etc.
Now examine whether you are new or not? What if we be? and what if we be
not? If you be not, then labour to get a new heart; old things we are all
ashamedof. An old scull, an old rotten coat, we are ashamedto be seenin it;
oh, we are not an old inside, an old corrupt heart, this is worse than all the
rest. We naturally all affectnovelties, and by our goodwills we would have
new houses, new diet, new fashions, new everything. And shall we then
content ourselves with an old rotten heart?
(R. Harris, B. D.)
The renovation of the heart
J. Foot, D. D.
I. THIS IS NOT EFFECTEDBYREVEALED TRUTH. No amount of
knowledge ofthe things of God, either here or hereafter, will be sufficient to
renew the heart. Men of most thorough acquaintance with the Scriptures die
without reconciliationto God. The apostate angels have full knowledge ofthe
character, law, and government of God; yet their hearts are not renewed.
II. NOR IS IT EFFECTEDBY THE HEART ITSELF. "Thatwhich is born of
the flesh is flesh." "Theythat are after the flesh, do mind the things of the
flesh." "To be carnally minded is death." But it may still be said, that our
affections may be changedand renewedby our volitions or determinations.

But is it not true, that the volitions have no direct control over the affections?
that the affections control the volitions? Of what use, then, are determinations
and purposes to control and renovate the heart?
III. THE RENOVATION OF THE HEART IS EFFECTEDBY THE
IMMEDIATE POWER OF GOD. This is manifest from the declarations of
the Scriptures. Our regenerationis not of blood, "nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God." Christ said, "No man cancome unto Me,
exceptthe Father which hath sent Me draw him." "It is written in the
prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore, that hath
heard and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me." What, then, is it for
God to draw an individual, according to this passage?It must relate to an
operationwhich infallibly brings every subject of it to Christ; and wherein
can this drawing differ from the others exceptby the immediate actionof the
Holy Spirit in renovating the heart? This meaning will manifestly accordwith
the passage in the prophet from which it is taken. In speaking of the
prosperity of Zion, he says:"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord,
and greatshall be the peace ofthy children." "In righteousness shaltthou be
established." The drawing here mentioned is something entirely beyond the
instruction of the Scriptures, or the convincing operationof the Holy Spirit;
and brings all its subjects to Christ. What canthis be but an immediate
exercise ofDivine power?
1. Those who undergo this change are said to be born again. As being born
constitutes an individual a member of the family of man, by nature; so to be
born againis requisite to constitute him a member of the spiritual family of
Christ. An effectis produced in him, creating him anew unto goodworks;but
of the manner in which this effectis produced, he knows no more than of the
chambers from which the winds issue, or the abodes in which they lodge.
2. Those who undergo this change are described as "createdin Christ Jesus
unto goodworks." The child of God is said to be a "new man, which, after
God, is createdin righteousness andtrue holiness."
3. The renovation of the heart is illustrated by the resurrectionof the dead.
(J. Foot, D. D.)

Regenerationa change ofinward principle
S. Charnock.
Regenerationis a change of principle. The principle of a natural man in his
religious actions is artificial; he is wound up to such a peg, like the spring of
an engine, by some outward respects which please him, but as the motion of
an engine ceases whenthe spring is down, so a natural man's motion holds no
longerthan the delight those motions give him which first engagedhim in it.
But the principle in a goodman is spirit, an eternal principle; and the first
motion of this principle is towards God, to actfrom God and to act for God.
(S. Charnock.)
The law of life
F. B. Meyer, B. A.
"The Law of the Spirit of Life made me free from the law," etc. This is a
familiar process in the world around us. The law of life in a bird, energising
the wonderful machinery of flight, makes it free from the downward pull of
the law of gravitation acting on the weightof its body. The law of life in the
human body, energising in the heart and propelling the oxygenatedblood to
the extremities of our frame, makes us free from the peril to health which
would otherwise ensue from the accumulationof the waste products of our
tissues. Throughoutthe universe law modifies or cancels the operation of law,
as a sound may destroya sound. We all know how the law of the antiseptic
eucalyptus makes us free from the law of the influenza epidemic. So, if we live
in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit, He will antagonise the evils of our own
heart, and make us so free from them that we shall not do as otherwise we
would (Galatians 5:16, 17 R.V.). Our one aim should be not to grieve the Holy
Spirit of God, because the ungrieved Spirit is more than a match for every
besetment of innate depravity or virulent temptation.
(F. B. Meyer, B. A.)

God's law put into the heart by His Spirit
A. Maclaren.
As sometimes you will find in an old monkish library the fair vellum that once
bore lascivious stories ofancient heathens and pagandeities turned into the
menu. script in which a saint has penned his contemplations, an his
Confessions, ora his translations, so our souls may become palimpsests. The
old wicked, heathencharacters thatwe have tracedthere may be blotted out,
and coveredover by the writing of that Divine Spirit who has said, "I will put
My laws into their minds and write them in their hearts."
(A. Maclaren.)
And I will take the stony heart out of their flesh.
A hard heart described
R. Harris, B. D.
I. WHAT IS MEANT BY HEART IN THIS TEXT? Indeed, heart is taken
sometimes particularly for the will of man, namely, when it goes joined with
some other word of like signification, as mind, soul, etc.;sometimes, again, it
is takenfor the whole inside of a man, and so here in the text. All the powers
and faculties of the soulare hardened, are perverted, dead and dull in respect
of any spiritual goodness;his understanding is darkened, his will froward, his
consciencebrawny, etc., all is stony that is within him.
II. WHAT IS MEANT BY A STONYHEIST? This implieth two things —
1. A quality, hardness. That is hard (in a natural sense)that yields not to any
impression or natural agent, that will not yield under your hand, but makes
head and resistance.In a spiritual sense, the heart is said to be hard when it
yields not to the persuasionof a moral agent, that refuseth to be wrought upon
when God deals with it either by Himself or by an instrument.

2. The degree of this hardness;it is hard even unto stoniness, whichimplieth
two things — First, a non-yieldance to goodness.Secondly, a stiff resistance;
as in hard wood, that, when a man comes to cleave it, will not yield to the
stroke, but returns the edge of your tool upon yourself. So when one beats
upon a hard stone, upon a flint or adamant, there is no yieldance, but the
weaponrecoils upon a man with a great deal of indignation, as it were. So,
then, you see what is meant by hard, and what by stony. A heart of stone,
then, is nothing else but an untractable heart, an untamed heart, a heart
disposedto resist, not disposedto yield.
III. FOR THE KINDS OF IT. There is first a natural hardness, common to all
the sons and daughters of Adam. This we bring into the world with us; for we
are all born with a stone in our hearts, it is our natural temper to be hard.
Secondly, a contractedhardness;contracted, I say, by much practice and in
long time, and do obstinate themselves by continuance in sin.
IV. THE SIGNS OF THIS HARDNESS are of two sorts — First, negative;
secondly, positive. The negative signs are — First, unteachableness;secondly,
unsensibleness;thirdly, inflexibleness. Forthe first, man is naturally
untractable to any spiritual goodthing. Secondly, as he is unteachable, so he is
insensible, and that argues a deal of hardness, as is to be seenin a stone, smite
it while you will, beat it as long as you canstand overit, it complains not; lay a
mountain upon it, it never groans or cries, and grind it to powder, out of the
pressure:and so it is with an unregenerate man, let a mountain of sin, let a
world of guilt lie upon his soul, he feels it not, he groans not under it; sin is in
him, as an element in its ownplace, and so weighs not with him, — he sleeps,
he eats, he drinks, he laughs and enjoys himself, as if the matter were nothing;
so he goes merrily to execution, and dreads no danger, no more than if he
were as much reconciledto God as any man living. A third signof a stony
heart is inflexibleness. A stone cannotbend; break it you may, bend it you
cannot; and so it fares with him that is of a stony heart, he will not bend or
bow to God. Let God say or do whateverHe can that is fit to be done to a
reasonable creature, he is no whit moved therewith. These now are the
negative notes of a stony heart. The positive follow, and they are these —
First, stiffness and wilfulness in opinion. A stone will continue still like itself,
talk while you will to it; and so those that have a stone in their hearts will

needs hold fast their own conclusions. Secondly, obstinacyand settledness in
evil practices, whenmen shall be of their humour, who answeredthe prophet
peremptorily: The word that thou speakestunto us in the name of the Lord,
we will not do it. Thirdly, a gainsaying and contradicting spirit; such as was in
the Pharisees.
(R. Harris, B. D.)
And will give them an heart of flesh.
Of softness of heart
R. Harris, B. D.
And, to begin with natural softness ofheart, it is in its sphere and in its own
way a thing commendable in a sort; but not as we are to speak ofsoftness in
this place;for it arisethoftentimes from some weaknessin the body, and not
from strength of the soul. An instance hereof you have in Rehoboam, king of
Judah (2 Chronicles 13:7). My father Rehoboam, saith he, was young and
tender hearted, etc.;of a tender disposition, and a softly man, he was
naturally so. Now, the differences betweenthis softness natural, and that
which we call spiritual, are two. First, natural softness comesupon us without
our endeavour, it costs us no labour; for why? we are born so; — but spiritual
softness costsa man a greatdeal of pains; he that gets it shall know how he
comes by it, it will costhim many a sermon, many a chapter, many a prayer,
many a tear, etc.
2. Natural softness is usually uniform, that is, it ordinarily workethafter one
manner, is easilywrought to one thing as well as another. Bring him to a
sermon, if it be well seton, and delivered with power, he will seemgreatly
affectedtherewith, even to the shedding of tears sometimes;take him at
another time to a play, let him see a tragedy well acted, and he will be as ready
to weepthere too, as he was before at God's house. In short, you may draw
him any way, though usually he is more inclinable to that which is evil than to
that which is good, as we see in the said Rehoboam. On the other side,
spiritual softness makes a man tractable and malleable only in that that's

good. Bring an argument to move him to any goodness,it sways him straight:
but in case a motion be seton footto that which is evil, you shall find him
most stiff againstit, most resolute and peremptory. In a word, no man is so
easilywrought upon by a goodmotion as he that is soft-hearted; no man is so
hard to yield to sin, to be drawn to wickedness, as he. The secondsort of
softness is that we call moral, and this is somewhatmore than natural
softness. In some people, breeding and education doth very much to the
mollifying of their dispositions;conversementwith the heathen sages,and
much reading of their moral writings, may somewhatalter a man, and make
him better. It civiliseth a man, and makes him tame and tractable. First,
moral softness seldompierceth to the heart, it goes notdeep enough; it oils the
face, and smoothes the outside only, it barbs and shaves oversin, but doth not
pluck it up by the roots, and make an utter riddance of it. This civil softness is
like a ripe plum, smooth and soft on the outside, but open it and you shall find
a stone within, etc. Second, this moral softness hath respectto man
principally; indeed, it goes no higher lightly than man, being wondrous stiff to
motions that come from heaven: it stands more upon compliments and
civilities toward men than it doth on duties to God. The third kind of softness
we call a legalsoftness;this is somewhatmore than the two former: and it is
when the apprehensionof God's dreadful judgments threatened or executed
doth break the spirit of a man, melts him with an inward fire, fills him with
fears and terrors, etc. The difference of this from spiritual softness is this —
First, legalsoftness is involuntary; he suffers, indeed, he is smitten and
wounded, but it is againsthis will, he doth not wound himself: he hath some
kind of fears in his heart, and legalterrors, but he would fain castthem off if
he knew how. In a word, he is merely passive in his softness. Contrarily, he
that is spiritually softenedis an agentin the work; he reachethafter softness,
he labours it all he can, he prays for it, he is glad and thankful if he can any
way come by it and obtain it, yea, though it costhim some crossesand losses
in his outward estate. Secondly, legalterrors break the heart indeed, but do
not softenit; the hardness remains still, nevertheless, as it doth in a stone that
is broken all to shivers, and yet the hardness is not takenoff, but dispersed
rather into the severalparcels ofit.
1. What this evangelicalsoftnessis.

2. What's the seatof it.
3. What are the causes ofit.For the first of these: softness, as it here stands in
opposition to an hard and stony heart, is nothing else but a gracious frame of
man's heart, whereby it is easilywrought upon by God, and is apt to work
that which is good. So that by this description of softness it appears to be
double —
(1)Passive, whenthe heart is apt to be wrought upon to any goodmotion.
(2)Active, when it puts forth itself freely, and is apt to setitself a work on that
which is good.Next, the seatof this softness is the whole man; it is true, if we
speak of the chief throne of this grace, it sits eminently in the will, but not
only, the whole man is the seatof spiritual softness;the understanding is made
apt thereby to conceive ofthat that's good:the will is ready to sit down by it,
and rest in it; the conscience,being checkedfor the neglector abuse of it, will
check us for the same;the affections will easilyturn and stop, and the
outward members will concur obediently, as men speak. Now for the causes of
this softness:the efficient, you see, is God Himself. "I will take the stony heart
out of their flesh, and give them an heart of flesh," it is His work alone. He
undertakes it here in our text, and the same you may read, chap. Ezekiel36.
And He performs it too in the conversionof His children; see it in a few
instances. Manassehhad sanguined and flesht himself in blood. And yet even
this man, thus far gone in sin, the Lord softens him by sending him captive
into a far country, casting him into cold irons, etc.;so that he humbled himself
greatly before the God of his fathers, who made him of a lion to become a
lamb, as profitable now, as before he was mischievous. The like you may see in
Paul. Such a change doth the Lord make in His people when He takes in hand
to convert them. Neither doth He thus softenthem only at the first, but when
they stand in need of a secondconversionupon some particular out-let and
out-stray, — as you may see in David, who grew miserably hardened upon his
fall into adultery, dissimulation, and murder, but God so wrought him
afterwards that he became more soft and tender-hearted then ever he had
been before. You have seenwho is the efficient cause ofthis spiritual softness,
God alone. Now for the matter of it; it is habitual grace infused into a man's
soul from above. Saint James calls it the wisdom from above (chap. James

3:17); and tells us further, that it is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy
to be entreated, full of mercy and goodfruits, etc. In a word, God infuseth into
the hearts of His people such grace as maketh them gentle, pliable, and
malleable every way. For the formal cause or manner how the Lord softens
His people, it is thus —
1. He takes the stone out of their flesh, and then bestows on them an heart of
flesh.
2. He not only gives them reasons to persuade them from their natural and
habitual hardness, but mightily works softnessin their hearts: the powerof
God is exercisedin this business, He puts to His hand as well as His mouth for
the effecting of it. Lastly, for the final cause orend, wherefore the Lord thus
softens the hearts of His people, it is laid down in the 20th verse of this
chapter, that they may walk in His statutes, and keepThy ordinances and do
them; that they may comply with Him, and so they may be His people, and He
may be their God; He hereby brings His people home to Himself, takes off the
devil's brand, and claps on His own, even that Image of His consisting in
holiness and righteousness,and so conforms them to His Son Christ that He
may be the first-born among many brethren. This is the generalend why God
softens His people, as hath been said in their first conversion.Inparticular, the
ends are —
1. To make them capable of the goodHe intends them to do, which till then
they are not. To what end should a man sow goodseed, if the ground be not
softenedfirst, if it be not torn up by the plough, and so made fit to receive it?
or to what purpose should one go about to seta stamp on wax that is not
softenedand tempered that it may take impression? So here, man's heart
must be first ploughed, thawed, melted, made soft before the seedof God's
grace be castinto it: for till then the Word cannot have any sound or settled
impression thereupon. Secondly, God softens the hearts of His people, to make
them thereby active in that which is goodwhen man's heart is once grown
hard and crusted over, as it were, it is quickly off from all holy performances,
as every Christian knows by daily experience. This serves first for
examination. Is this the estate of everyone that hath right to the new covenant,
that he hath a soft and tender heart? then let every man reflect upon himself,

and make trial of his own heart, whether it be a hard heart or a soft heart,
whether it be made of a rock or of flesh? Forif a man's heart be hard in
extremity, so as that he is yet under the power of hard, ness, it is certainthat
Satanhath set his mark upon that man for his own, for he writes all his marks
and sets all his names in stone, and makes those whom he hath in possessionof
a rockydisposition.
(R. Harris, B. D.)
STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Ezekiel11:19
"And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will
take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
Adam Clarke Commentary
And I will give them one heart - A whole systemof renewedaffections.
And I will put a new spirit within you - To direct and influence these new
affections.
And I will take the stony heart out of their flesh - That which would not
receive the impressions of my Spirit.
And will give them a heart of flesh - One that is capable of receiving and
retaining these impressions.
Copyright Statement

These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on Ezekiel11:19". "The Adam Clarke
Commentary". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/ezekiel-
11.html. 1832.
return to 'Jump List'
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
And I will give them one heart,.... In opposition to a divided heart, Hosea 10:2;
divided betweenthe true God and idols, wavering and halting between two
opinions, sometimes serving God, and sometimes Baal;a heart to pursue one
way of worship, and to serve the Lord with one shoulder or consent, Jeremiah
32:40;a heart sincere to Godand man, in opposition to a double or
hypocritical one, Psalm 12:2; a heart single to the honour and glory of God,
and firmly attachedto his word and worship: also concord, harmony, an unity
of affections to one another, so as to be of one heart and one soul, as the first
Christians were, who were Jews, Acts 4:32; and an unity of judgment, an
oneness ofprinciple and practice, as there ought to be, 1 Corinthians 1:10;
and all this is the gift of God, and flows from his grace and favour. The
Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "anotherheart"; different from
what they had before;
and I will put a new spirit within you; meaning either the Holy Spirit of God,
the author of, regenerationand renovation: this is representedby the ancient
JewsF16as the same with the Spirit of the Messiahthat moved upon the face
of the waters, Genesis1:2; or the spirit of man, the seatof this renewing work;
or rather the work itself, called "a new man", "a new creature", Ephesians
4:24; and this is a new frame and disposition of mind, in which are new
principles of light and life, grace and holiness;a new understanding of
themselves and state, ofGod and of Christ, of divine things and Gospeltruths;
new affections for God, and all that is good; new desires aftergrace and
righteousness, afterGodand communion with him, after his word and
ordinances, and conformity to Christ; new purposes and resolutions to serve

the Lord, and glorify him; new delights and joys, and in short all things
become new. Instead of "within you", the Septuagint, and all the Oriental
versions, read, "in them"; and to this the Targum agrees;
and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh; a heart hardened by sin, and
confirmed in it; destitute of spiritual life, senselessand stupid as to spiritual
things; stubborn and inflexible, on which no impressions are made by
corrections, admonitions, and instructions of superiors;and so an impenitent
one: this God only can remove; men cannot softentheir own hearts; nor can
ministers work upon them; nor will judgments themselves bring men to
repentance:it is the work of God only; who does it by his word, with which he
breaks the rock in pieces;by the discoveries ofhis love, with which he melts
the heart that is harder than the nether millstone; by giving repentance to
them, by working faith in them, to look to a crucified Christ and mourn, and
all this by "his" Spirit: this is said to be taken"out of their flesh"; not their
body, but their nature corrupted by sin, John 3:6; which shows that this
hardness is natural to men, and rootedin them, and that it requires
omnipotence to remove it;
and will give them an heart of flesh; a sensible and penitent one; a soft and
tender one;a sanctified and spiritual one; one flexible and obsequious to the
will of God; on which impressions are made; on which the laws of Godare
written; into which the doctrines of the Gospelare transcribed, Christ is
formed, and the fear of God is implanted, with every other grace, all which
are the gifts of God, and owing to his efficacious grace. The Targumof the
whole is,
"and I will give them a fearing heart, and a spirit of fearI will put in their
bowels (or in the midst of them); and I will break the heart of wickedness,
which is as hard as a stone, out of their flesh, and I will give them a heart
fearing before me to do my will.'
Copyright Statement

The New John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Modernisedand adapted
for the computer by Larry Pierce of Online Bible. All Rightes Reserved,
Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario.
A printed copy of this work can be ordered from: The Baptist Standard
Bearer, 1 Iron Oaks Dr, Paris, AR, 72855
Bibliography
Gill, John. "Commentary on Ezekiel11:19". "The New John Gill Exposition
of the Entire Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/ezekiel-11.html. 1999.
Geneva Study Bible
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I
will take the i stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of
flesh:
(i) Meaning, the heart to which nothing can enter and regenerate them anew,
so that their heart may be softand ready to receive my graces.
Copyright Statement
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Beza, Theodore. "Commentaryon Ezekiel11:19". "The 1599 GenevaStudy
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/gsb/ezekiel-11.html.
1599-1645.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I will give them — lest they should claim to themselves the praise given them
in Ezekiel11:18, God declares it is to be the free gift of His Spirit.
one heart — not singleness,that is, uprightness, but oneness ofheart in all,
unanimously seeking Him in contrastto their state at that time, when only
single scatteredindividuals sought God (Jeremiah 32:39;Zephaniah 3:9)
[Hengstenberg]. Or, “contentwith one God,” not distracted with “the many
detestable things” (Ezekiel11:18; 1 Kings 18:21; Hosea 10:2)[Calvin].
new spirit — (Psalm 51:10;Jeremiah 31:33). Realizedfully in the “new
creature” of the New Testament(2 Corinthians 5:17); having new motives,
new rules, new aims.
stony heart — like “adamant” (Zechariah 7:12); the natural heart of every
man.
heart of flesh — impressible to what is good, tender.
Copyright Statement
These files are a derivative of an electronic edition prepared from text
scannedby Woodside Bible Fellowship.
This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-BrownCommentary is in the
public domain and may be freely used and distributed.
Bibliography
Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on
Ezekiel11:19". "CommentaryCritical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfb/ezekiel-11.html. 1871-8.
Wesley's ExplanatoryNotes

will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
One heart — Cyrus shall give them leave, and I will give them a heart to
return; and on their way shall there be great utility; and, when come to
Jerusalem, they shall own me, and my laws, and with one consent, build
Jerusalemand the temple, and restore true religion.
The stony — That hard, inflexible, undutiful, incorrigible disposition.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website.
Bibliography
Wesley, John. "Commentary on Ezekiel11:19". "JohnWesley's Explanatory
Notes on the Whole Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wen/ezekiel-11.html. 1765.
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
As God had already spokenconcerning the piety of the Israelites, he shows
that they could not forsake theirsins until they were renewed, and so born
againby his Spirit. Therefore he seemedin the lastverse to praise the
Israelites;but because men too eagerlyclaim as their own what has been given
them from above, now God claims to himself glow of their virtues, of which he
had formerly spoken. Their zealin purging the land of all abominations was
worthy of praise; hence the survivors of the people of Israel are deservedly
celebrated, because theywere impelled by the fervor of zeal to free the
worship of God from all corruptions; but lestthey should boast, that they had
done it in their own strength, and from the impulse of their own hearts, God
now modifies his former assertions, andshows that such pursuit of piety

would exist among the Israelites, afterhe had regeneratedthem by his Spirit.
And this plea alone may suffice to refute the Papists, as often as they seize
upon such passages fromthe Scriptures, where God either exacts something
from his people, or proclaims their virtues. David does this; hence he does it of
his ownfree will: God requires this; hence it is in the will of men that they are
equal to the performance of all things. Thus they trifle. But we see that the
Prophet unites two things together, namely, the faithful electof God
strenuously attending to their duty, and intent on promoting his glory, even
with ardor in the pursuit of his worship; and yet they were nothing by
themselves. Hence it is added immediately afterwards — I will give them one
heart, and will put a new spirit in their breasts But we must defer the rest to
the next lecture.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Calvin, John. "Commentary on Ezekiel11:19". "Calvin's Commentary on the
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cal/ezekiel-11.html.
1840-57.
James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary
A BLESSED EXCHANGE
‘I … will give them an heart of flesh.’
Ezekiel11:19
I. It is God’s doing—the genesis and creationof the new heart.—‘I,’ He says,
and the pronoun must be read with emphasis and decision, ‘I will take the
stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh.’

II. So here is a grave and serious problem for me to consider, the gravestand
most serious to which I can give my thought.—Have I undergone a change in
my attitude towards Him which is so deep-reaching, so revolutionary, so far
beyond my own powers of accomplishment, that none but He Himself can
bring it about? My improvement is not enough, my penitence is not enough,
the resolutionof my mind to remember and to obey Him whom I have
slighted and dishonoured is not enough. Nothing is enough but a superhuman
process, as much above me and beyond me as my first entrance into the world
was. It is the doing of God the Holy Spirit.
III. My soul, thou art worse than frail and faulty!—There is more required
from thee than a greaterattention to duty and an increasedcircumspection.
Thou art altogetherdeadto righteousness andto God, and it is He who must
Himself quicken thee into life. But do not, therefore, sit down in fatalistic calm
and helpless despair. What says He to thee?—‘Yetfor all this I will be
enquired of, to do it for thee.’ He gives the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Nisbet, James. "Commentaryon Ezekiel11:19". ChurchPulpit Commentary.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cpc/ezekiel-11.html. 1876.
John Trapp Complete Commentary

Ezekiel11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within
you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an
heart of flesh:
Ver. 19. And I will give them one heart.] Opposedto a "divided heart," such
as the Paphlagonianpartridges are said to have; [Hosea 10:2] that is, partly
for God, and partly for the world. [Ezekiel33:31] This oneness ofheart truly
and entirely cleaving to God alone, is that boon that David so dearly beggeth,
[Psalms 86:11]that he might attend upon God without distraction. [1
Corinthians 7:35] And as the visible beams are wholly bent upon the thing
that is beheld by the eye, and as it were concentredin it, (a) so might his
desires and endeavours be entirely carriedtoward God, and firmly fixed upon
him.
And I will put a new spirit within you.] The same soul for substance, but
altered in the frame, renewedin the qualities thereof. [Mark 16:17] They shall
"speak with new tongues";so we read of a "new song";the strings are the
same, but the tune is changed. See Psalms 51:12, Ephesians 4:23, 2
Corinthians 5:17.
And I will take awaythe stony heart.] Extraham, saythe Septuagint. I will
draw or pull it out, which none can do but the hand of Heaven. God only can
make the flinty heart fleshly, that is, sensible, soft, pliant, penetrable, buxom,
and obedient to his holy will.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography

Trapp, John. "Commentary on Ezekiel11:19". JohnTrapp Complete
Commentary. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/ezekiel-
11.html. 1865-1868.
Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible
Ezekiel11:19. And I will give them one heart— These are the same
evangelicalpromises as we read in the other prophets; particularly Jeremiah
32:39. The insensibility of men with regard to religious matters is often
ascribedto the hardness of their hearts. Godpromises here to give them
teachable dispositions, and to take awaythe veil from their hearts, as St. Paul
expresses it, 2 Corinthians 3:16 the same temper being indifferently expressed
either by blindness or hardness of heart. See Lowth.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Coke, Thomas. "Commentary on Ezekiel11:19". Thomas CokeCommentary
on the Holy Bible. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tcc/ezekiel-
11.html. 1801-1803.
Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible
And: this may be understood causally, and so gives an accounthow the
reformation, mentioned Ezekiel11:18, should be effected.
I the Lord himself, and he assumeth it to himself thrice in this verse.

Will give: of free grace it is that this renewedheart is in any one; length,
soreness, and multiplicity of troubles will not, cannotwork it, unless God
frame and renew it.
Will give them one heart: they were scatteredabroadthrough the Babylonish
kingdoms, were under various circumstances which might divide them, and
keepthem from eachother, and from centering in a return; but I will stir up
their heart, and with one heart they shall gather together, when the return
shall be proclaimed. Cyrus shall first give them leave, and I will next give
them a heart to return; and on their wayshall there be greatunity; and when
come to Jerusalem, they shall ownme, and my laws, &c.; they shall with one
consentbuild Jerusalem, the temple, and restore true religion; as Jeremiah
32:39 Ezekiel36:26.
One heart; that is, judgment and understanding, mind and will, affections and
conscience;all fixed only on God, and their obedience to him, as Ezekiel
11:20. This one heart is calleda new spirit. A new spirit; an excellent,
regenerate, holy, and sincere soul;they were of a base, corrupt, and
hypocritical spirit, dividing betweenGod and idols; but when God brings
them back, they shall be of another frame, quite changed, and made new.
The stony heart; that hard, inflexible, undutiful, incorrigible disposition
which was in their fathers, who refusedto be amended; I will take that away.
Out of their flesh: flesh in Scripture sometimes speaks anunrenewed, carnal,
sinful state, as Romans 7:18, sometimes for the body, as Psalms 38:3,
sometimes for the whole man; so Luke 3:6 Romans 3:20; and thus in this
place speaks the persons and whole man.
An heart of flesh; not like the old, hard and stony, but counsellable, tractable,
that will hear, consider, obey, do commanded good, and forbear forbidden
evils, submit to my law, and reform on admonitions. All which in part, and so
far as concernedthose times, was fulfilled in the Jews that did return from
Babylon, and is more fully made goodto us in these gospeldays.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Poole, Matthew, "Commentaryon Ezekiel11:19". Matthew Poole'sEnglish
Annotations on the Holy Bible.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mpc/ezekiel-11.html. 1685.
PeterPett's Commentary on the Bible
“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you, and I
will take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh that
they may walk in my statutes and keepmy ordinances and do them. And they
will be my people and I will be their God.”
The constantchange of personis an indication of Ezekiel’s excitementat the
prospect. He was writing in an exalted state and exactgrammar was of
secondaryimportance.
The returning people would be made as one with a united heart (compare
Jeremiah32:39), they would be ‘the house of Israel’and no longer Israeland
Judah, or split by tribal loyalties, and they would be inwardly transformed.
Their stony hearts would become hearts of flesh, softenedand responsive.
They really would be ‘the flesh’ (Ezekiel11:3), the chosenofYahweh. There
would be no more hardheartedness but a determination to walk according to
Yahweh’s instruction, to obey Him and fulfil all His requirements. Once again
they would be His own people, and He would againbe their God in the fullest
sense (see also Ezekiel36:25-28).
There is an interesting contrastbetweenthese promises and Ezekiel18:31
where God tells them to repent of their transgressionsand make for
themselves a new heart and a new spirit. There He knew, of course, that they
would not do it. Thus here and in Ezekiel36:25-28 He promises that grace will
conquer disobedience and bring about in His people what He has commanded.

That this would be through the working of God’s Spirit goes without saying,
as is evidenced in His then present working in Psalms 139:7;Psalms 143:10
and in Ezekiel36:26-27;Deuteronomy 30:6; Isaiah44:2-5; Jeremiah31:33;
Joel2:28-29;Zechariah4:6. While the greatwork of the Spirit awaitedthe
Upper Roomand Pentecost, God’s Spirit has workedin His own through all
ages (e.g. John3:1-6 before Pentecost).
The working of God through the centuries has always had this in mind. It
found partial fulfilment at the return from exile as men sought God afresh
and put away all idolatry (Ezra 4:1-3; Ezra 6:19-21;Nehemiah8-10), and as
His Spirit workedin them for the rebuilding of the temple (Zechariah 4:6).
But it was only partial. They were still partially lacking (Ezra 9:1-2; Ezra
9:10-15;Ezra 10:15; Ezra 10:44;Nehemiah 5:1-9; Nehemiah 13:7-29). It
found partial fulfilment in the Upper Roomand at Pentecostandwhat
followed, continuing still today. But againHis people have shown themselves
to be still partially lacking. But it will find its final fulfilment when we are
made like Him and see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).
Note the contrastof ‘take away’. When His people ‘take away’the
abominable things (Ezekiel11:18)Yahweh will at the same time ‘take away’
their stony heart (Ezekiel11:19). The new birth and repentance and doing
awaywith sin go hand in hand.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Pett, Peter. "Commentary on Ezekiel11:19". "PeterPett's Commentary on
the Bible ". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/pet/ezekiel-
11.html. 2013.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
19. I will give them one heart — They shall finally be a united people, for the
idolaters shall be destroyedand those who return from captivity shall be a
unit in their monotheism (Jeremiah 32:36-39). This was literally fulfilled.
Cyrus gave the Jews leave to return, but Jehovahgave them a heart to return
and greatunity (Wesley). The LXX. reads, “anotherheart,” and the Peshito
reads, “a new heart” (as Ezekiel18:31;Ezekiel36:26).
A new spirit — The whole history of the nation shows how new this spirit was.
Before the captivity it had been constantly falling into all manner of
idolatries; after the captivity there was not a trace of this.
Stony heart… heart of flesh — “The fires of captivity will melt that hard,
implacable, undutiful, incorrigible disposition” (Wesley), and those who
return will become warm and human in heart and sensitive to his presence
and will (Ezekiel11:20;compare Ezekiel3:7; Zechariah7:12).
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Whedon, Daniel. "Commentary on Ezekiel11:19". "Whedon's Commentary
on the Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/whe/ezekiel-
11.html. 1874-1909.
George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary
One. Septuagint, "another." Theyhave read (Calmet) acherfor echad, "one."
(Haydock)

Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Haydock, George Leo. "Commentaryon Ezekiel11:19". "GeorgeHaydock's
Catholic Bible Commentary".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hcc/ezekiel-11.html. 1859.
E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes
I will give, &c. Compare Ezekiel36:25-27;and Jeremiah32:39.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Bullinger, Ethelbert William. "Commentary on Ezekiel11:19". "E.W.
Bullinger's Companion bible Notes".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bul/ezekiel-11.html. 1909-
1922.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

I will give them one heart. Lest they should claim to themselves the praise
given them in Ezekiel11:18, Goddeclares it is to be the free gift of His Spirit.
One heart. Notsingleness - i:e., uprightness-but oneness ofheart in all
unanimously seeking Him, in contrastto their state at that time when only
single scatteredindividuals sought God (Jeremiah 32:39;Zephaniah 3:9).
(Hengstenberg.)Or, 'content with one God,'not distractedwith 'the many
detestable things' (Ezekiel11:18; 1 Kings 18:21;Hosea 10:2). (Calvin.)
New spirit - (Psalms 51:10;Jeremiah 31:33). Realizedfully in the "new
creature" of the New Testament(2 Corinthians 5:17); having new motives,
new rules, new aims. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh. "Stony
heart," like "adamant" (Zechariah 7:12); the natural heart of every man.
And will give them an heart of flesh - impressible to what is good, tender.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on
Ezekiel11:19". "CommentaryCritical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -
Unabridged". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfu/ezekiel-
11.html. 1871-8.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(19) One heart.—Unity of purpose among the restoredexiles was to be at once
a consequence anda condition of their improved moral condition. The
opposite evil is spokenof as one of the sins of the people in Isaiah53:6 : We
have turned every one to his own way.” Self-will, which leads to division, and
submission to God’s will are necessarilycontradictoryterms. Hence the

corresponding promise in Jeremiah32:39 : “I will give them one heart and
one way,” and the blessedrealisationof this, describedin the first fervency of
the early Church (Acts 4:32): “The multitude of them that believed were of
one heart and of one soul.”
Stony heart . . . heart of flesh.—This phraseologyis peculiar to Ezekiel, but
the same thing is often described in other terms. The figure here seems to be
that of a stony heart as unnatural, in the higher sense of that word, unfitting,
and incongruous;this is to be removed, and in its place is to be substituted
“an heart of flesh “—one that canbe moved by the Divine appeals, and is
suitable to the whole being and condition of the people. (Comp. Ezekiel36:26.)
The effectof this change will be obedience to the Divine will, and consequently
a realisationof the covenant relation in a fellowship with God.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Ellicott, Charles John. "Commentary on Ezekiel11:19". "Ellicott's
Commentary for English Readers".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ebc/ezekiel-11.html. 1905.
Treasuryof Scripture Knowledge
I will give

36:26,27;Deuteronomy30:6; 2 Chronicles 30:12; Jeremiah24:7; 32:39,40;
Zephaniah 3:9; John 17:21-23;Acts 4:32; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:3-
6; Philippians 2:1-5
I will put
18:31;2 Kings 22:19;Psalms 51:10;Jeremiah 31:33;Luke 11:13; John 14:26;
Romans 11:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 4:23
I will take
36:26,27;Isaiah48:4; Zechariah 7:12; Romans 2:4,5
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Amplified: And I will give them one heart [a new heart] and I will put a new
spirit within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out
of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to
the touch of their God],(1) (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Young's Literal: And I have given to them one heart, And a new spirit I do
give in your midst, And I have turned the heart of stone out of their flesh, And
I have given to them a heart of flesh.
AND I WILL GIVE THEM ONE HEART: (Ezek 36:26,27;Dt 30:6; 2Ch
30:12;Jer 24:7; Jer 32:39,40;Zeph 3:9; Jn 7:21, 22, 23;Acts 4:32; 1Co1:10;
Ep 4:3, 4, 5, 6; Php 2:1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
THE NEW COVENANT
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Deut 30:6 (Note this prophecy will be fulfilled at the SecondComing of
Messiah)“Moreoverthe LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the

heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your Godwith all your heart
and with all your soul, so that you may live.
Comment: See Circumcisionof the heart
Ezek 36:26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within
you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart
of flesh.:27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My
statutes (Note:God's Provision), AND you will be careful to observe My
ordinances (Note:Saint's Responsibility ).
Jer 24:7 ‘I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they
will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with
their whole heart.
Jer 32:39 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fearMe
always, for their own goodand for the goodof their children after them.:40 “I
will make an everlasting covenantwith them that I will not turn awayfrom
them, to do them good;and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that
they will not turn awayfrom Me.
See relatedstudy - The New Covenant in the Old Testament
AND PUT A NEW SPIRIT WITHIN THEM: (Ezek 18:31; 2Ki 22:19; Ps
51:10;Jer 31:33; Lk 11:13;Jn 14:26;Ro 11:2; 2Co 5:17; Gal 6:15; Eph 4:23)
Notice the charge (in Hebrew there are two commands) in Ezekiel18…
Ezek 18:31 “Castaway(imperative) from you all your transgressionswhich
you have committed (Note: Another way to describe repentance - see Ezek
18:30 below) and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Forwhy will
you die, O house of Israel?
For contextread Ezek 18:30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel,
eachaccording to his conduct,” declares the Lord GOD. “Repentand turn
away(both commands) from all your transgressions, so thatiniquity may not
become a stumbling block to you.

This gracious promise, to be fulfilled in the last days, repeats, in effect, the
prophecy of the "new covenant" promised through Jeremiah (Jer 31:31, 32,
33, 34 = The principal OT passage onthe new covenant(cf. Isa. 59:20, 21;Jer
32:37, 38, 39, 40;Ezek 16:60, 61, 62, 63;37:21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28) and
the only mention of a "new covenant" in the OT. It will be made in the future
with the whole nation of Israel(v. 31); it will be unlike the Mosaic covenantin
that it will be unconditional. Its provisions include
(1) a change of heart,
(2) fellowship with God,
(3) knowledge ofthe Lord, and
(4) forgiveness of sins.
All of this will be fulfilled for Israelwhen the Lord returns (Ro 11:26, 27-
note).
See The New Covenant in the Old Testament!
This new covenant("New Testament")applies to all twelve tribes (Israelplus
Judah) as God's electnation. In addition, the Lord Jesus Christ establishedit
by "my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for the remission of sins"
(Mt 26:28), as efficacious for Gentiles as wellas the children of Israel. Many
think that Jesus was alluding to the oneness ofcovenantwhen He told the
Jews…
The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the
world… Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, hath eternallife… the
flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you are spirit, and life (John
6:51,54,63).
Many of the Jews found this teaching too constraining, too costly, possibly
even too "crazy" and so most departed as documented in the sad passageby
John 6:66. They were "His disciples" for a moment in time, but tragically not
in eternity, for they failed to persevere to the end! (cp Mt 24:13, Mt 24:6,
10:22 Mk 13:13 Lu 8:15 Ro 2:7-note; Heb 3:6,14-note, See also Heb 10:39 Rev
2:10)

The New Covenantis reiterated to Jewishreaders who were being tempted to
go back up under the Old Covenantof Law in Hebrews 8:1-13-note, which
recapitulates Jeremiah31:31-40.
This covenantis called the "everlasting covenant" in Hebrews 13:20-note. See
all uses of this phrase (everlasting covenant) - Gen. 9:16; 17:7, 13, 19; Lev.
24:8; Num. 18:19;2 Sam. 23:5; 1 Chr. 16:17;Ps. 105:10;Isa. 24:5; 55:3; 61:8;
Jer. 32:40; 50:5; Ezek. 16:60;37:26
AND I WILL TAKE THE HEART OF STONE OUT OF THEIR FLESH
AND GIVE THEM A HEART OF FLESH: (Ezek 36:26,27;Is 48:4; Zec 7:12;
Ro2:4,5)
I shall remove the heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of
flesh" (NJB)
This marvelous feature of the new covenant, with God's law written "not in
tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart" (2Co 3:3), has specific
application to Israel, but also applies to all believers. Note its quotation and
application in Heb 8:10, 11, 12, 13 and Heb 10:15, 16, 17, the promises therein
clearly applying to all believers in Christ.
END OF PRECEPT AUSTIN RESOURCES
PASTOR ED REA
Ezekiel11:19–20:“Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit
within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart
of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keepMy judgments and do
them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.”
June 3rd, 2018 by PastorEd in devotional
God promises to give a whole or undivided heart to believers in this, His new-
covenanttime. A very similar description of the new covenantis found in both
Jeremiah31:31 and Ezekiel36:26. This idea of removing a hard or stony

heart was the cry of King David in Psalm 51:10:“Create in me a cleanheart,
O God, / And renew a right spirit within me.” Notice that when we surrender
and repent, it is God who does the work of cleansing our hearts and minds.
In the United States, in 2010, it costalmosta million dollars for a new heart.
What? According to the May 16, 2010, issue ofThe New York Times
Magazine it costs a minimum of $864,700to “procure, transplant and
maintain [a new heart] with immunosuppressant drugs.” Howeverthe most
reliable and lasting heart transplant a person canever receive is the one God
performs on us when we humble ourselves before Him, confessing and
repenting, surrendering our lives to Him. He responds by performing cardiac
surgery on us. We receive a fresh, new, whole, undivided heart that will never
fail and will never need replacing again. And He fills us with the Holy Spirit to
help keepour new heart beating for Him.
During the Civil War, American evangelistD. L. Moodysaid:
I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and
selfishness andambition and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the
Holy Spirit will fill every cornerof our hearts. But if we are full of pride and
conceitand ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God.
We must be emptied before we can be filled.
“LORD, create in us a new heart this day as we surrender to You again and
seek Your will for our path.”
spiritual heart transplant needed
Postedby Norm on 26 January 2009, 4:51 am
SCRIPTURE:Acts 1
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the
Holy Spirit. [ Acts 1:5] The book of Exodus finishes with the tabernacle being

‘baptized’ (filled, covered, anointed) by the glory cloud that representedGod
[Exodus 40:34-38]. God’s presence andpower among them led and
empoweredthem through the wilderness and into the promised land.
When John the Baptist baptized people, it was the symbol of a new beginning,
of being flooded by God’s cleansing mercy and stepping out a new person. But
that baptism was symbolic of goodintentions, not of actual heart-change.
Their hearts may have been sincere, but the sinful nature that corrupted their
hearts was still there. It is because ofsin that no amount of goodintentions,
self-help or religious ritual can fix our hearts. We have a serious heart disease,
a spiritual heart disease. Our problem is spiritual, therefore the solution needs
to be spiritual. We need the Spirit of God to enter into our spirit (our inner
being, centeredin the heart) and rebirth, renew, recreate, revitalize, reform…
make us new from the inside out. We need to be baptized by the Spirit of God.
Considerthe disciples of Jesus. On their own, even with all their good
intentions, they could not understand or follow Jesus without messing up.
Jesus has entrusted to them the mission of telling the whole world about Him,
but thus far their track record is not that good. Their spirit is willing, but
their flesh (i.e. sinful human nature) is weak. Thatis, until they get a spiritual
heart transplant!
Ezekielprophecies about God giving His people new hearts, living hearts in
place of their hearts of stone [Ezekiel11:18-19]Jeremiahtells about a new
covenant, when God writes His will on their hearts [Jeremiah31:33]. Joel
predicts the day when God will pour out His Spirit on everyone [Joel2:28-29].
These all refer to the baptism (flooding, pouring) of the Spirit.
This is the only hope for the disciples (including the newly appointed
Matthias), the only waythey can fulfill Jesus’assignmentto take Jesus
messageto the ends of the earth. By themselves, they are empty balloons, but
with the Spirit of God, they are inflated and will soarwith God. This is what
we will see as we read through the book of Acts.
PRAYER:

Lord, I need Your Spirit to renew and inspire me. Fill me with Your Spirit
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Heart Transplant
Contributed by Ajai PrakashonApr 13, 2012
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Scripture: Ezekiel36:26-32
Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Summary: What indicates the need for a new heart? As sinners, all of us need
a new heart. Have you had a spiritual heart transplant? God’s Spirit will
circumcise unbelieving hearts and give a heart that loves God, desires to obey
Him and has the powerto obey Him.
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Opening illustration: A friend who is a heart transplant cardiologisthas an
appreciationof Ezekiel36:26 that not many of us can understand. Dr. Mohan
was one of the top Christian heart-transplant surgeons. He’s often in the
operating room as he removes diseased, discoloredhearts and replacedthem
with vibrant, pink “new” donor hearts.
Dr. Mohan explained that the process forselecting who gets a “new” physical
heart is similar to who can geta “new heart” from God (Ezekiel36: 26). In
both cases, NEED alone is the criterion.
Ezekiel’s mention of the people of Israelsomedaygetting a “new heart” is a
foreshadowing ofthe change that takes place at salvation. Ephesians 4: 24 and
2 Corinthians 5: 17 refer to it as “new man” and “new creation.” Forthe
Israelites of Ezekiel’s dayand for those of us living today, only one criterion
must be met for us to acquire a “transplant.” We must need it. It matters not
whether we’re rich or poor, respectedor scorned. Citizenship, socialstatus,
and ethnicity are inconsequential. If we need a new heart from God, we can
have one through faith in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
What indicates that need? As sinners, all of us need a new heart. Have you
had a spiritual heart transplant?
Let us turn to Ezekiel36 in our Bibles and get study God given instructions
for a ‘heart transplant’ ..
Introduction: God’s Spirit will circumcise unbelieving hearts and give a heart
that loves God, desires to obey Him and has the power to obey Him. This is
clearly a descriptionof the New Covenant which is promised in Jeremiah. We
need a new heart because we inherited a sinful heart from Adam (Romans 5:
12; Jeremiah17:9). While God commanded Abraham to carry out physical
circumcision, ultimately His desire for all mankind (women included) is
spiritual circumcision. In Deuteronomy Moses speaking metaphorically
instructed Israelto "Circumcise the foreskinof your heart." (Deuteronomy
10: 16KJV)How is this humanly possible? It’s not! Moses gives us the answer
(addressing Israel but applicable to all mankind) declaring that "Jehovah
your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to
love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order

that you may live (spiritually, all mankind needs a "divine heart transplant" =
Ephesians 2: 1). Remember that Scripture is always the best commentary on
Scripture (Compare Scripture with Scripture), and so we go to Colossians
where Paul teaches us that "in Him (Christ) you were also circumcisedwith a
circumcisionmade without hands (Paul is addressing those who have already
become believers or saints by grace through faith, see "the Gospel" in the
removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcisionof Christ. (Personalfaith
or belief in His death, burial and resurrectiongives us spiritual life via the
New Covenantin His blood) having been buried with Him in baptism
(identification with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection), in which you
were also raisedup with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised
Him from the dead. And when you were (spiritually) dead in your
transgressions and the un-circumcision of your flesh, He made you alive
togetherwith Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions"(Colossians 2:
11, 12, 13). The passagefocussesonhaving a new heart installed in lieu of the
old one.
(A) What happens in a ‘heart transplant?’
1. Heart becomes SOFT andTEACHABLE (v. 26; 11:9)
• You can enlighten someone’s understanding, but if their heart’s wrong, it
only enables them to sin w/greaterweightof responsibility resting on him.
• He knows goodto be good, but he prefers evil.
• He sees the light but prefers darkness.
• He turns from the truth because his heart is alienated from God.
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• I will change the whole of your infected nature; and give you new appetites,
new passions;or, at least, the old ones purified and refined.
• The heart is generally understood to mean all the affections and passions.
• I will renew your minds, also enlighten your understanding, correctyour
judgment, and refine your will; so that you shall have a new spirit to actuate
your new heart.
2. Heart is RENEWED (v. 27; 18:31)
• What Moses law could not do God does through His "Spirit within you." His
dwelling within enables the "new heart."
• The heart of stone has been removed and replacedwith a "new heart" and
"a new spirit."
• Only the sovereigngrace ofGod cando that.
• As the believer yields to the Holy Spirit He enables us to "walk" in the
statutes of God and carefully observe His "ordinances."
• The holy life is an exchangedlife.
(B) Results of a ‘successfulheart transplant:’
1. PossessGod’s PromisedLand (God’s promises) v. 28a
One of the most intriguing ideas is the people will return to the land and live
in it permanently. The meaning is to "live" or dwell as permanent residents
and is the opposite of the non-immigrant or alien. "You will live in the land
that I gave to your forefathers;so you will be My people, and I will be your
God" (v. 28). How strange that this promise becomes a stumbling block to
some students of God’s word when the greatermiracle is the radical change in
the heart of believing sinners. If we take verse 28 for what it says God will
take care of the logistics. He will bring the people back to "the land" "from
the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you back into your land"
(v. 24). The problem is not God’s doing it, but is our accepting the
impossibility of man doing it. God will do it in His ownway in His own time.

The people "will live in the land" as permanent residents. This will be a God
sized accomplishment; not something brought about by politicians.
2. God becomes ‘very personal’to us (v. 28b)
• Wholly given up to me in body, soul, and spirit.
• To fill you with love, joy, peace, meekness, gentleness, longsuffering, fidelity
and goodness, to occupy your whole soul, and gratify your every desire.
3. Blessingswith NO SORROW (v. 29)
Not only will He bring his people cleansed, forgivenwith a new heart and new
spirit to their land, but also He promises fruitful agricultural production.
Observe who instructs the increase in the fruit trees, grain, crops, etc. There
will be no more famine for the people in the land. God’s fruitfulness will cause
the people to see His glory and repent (vs. 29-30). Godinstructs the grain to
produce and the crops to yield abundantly. "I will callfor the grain and
multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. And I will multiply the fruit
of the tree and the produce of the field, that you may not receive againthe
disgrace offamine among the nations." The LORD God will also restore the
land to better than the original. Apparently Proverbs 10: 22 says, “The
blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.” It will
be like the Garden of Eden before sin invaded it.
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4. Natural Blessings(v. 30)
You shall be daily and hourly fed with the bread that endures unto eternal
life. "But will not those getproud, who are thus saved, if there be any such?

and will they not undervalue the blood of the covenant, for then they shall not
need it?"
Not only will they be physically and spiritually restored, but the land will once
againbe fruitful. Back in 1948, whenthey returned to the land, the land was a
barren wasteland. The Turks cut down many of the trees, and they taxed the
people by the number of trees they had, so the people themselves cut down
their trees so they would not be taxed so heavily. Things were just a mess, but
today they have planted millions of trees all over Israeland the land is
blooming once again. The latter rains have returned. They have pineapple
trees, citrus trees, olive trees, grape vines, and banana trees, and-so-on. They
are the fourth largestexporterof fruit in the world and yet the land they
occupy is only the size of New Jersey!But as much as that is happening today,
in the kingdom age it will even be greater.
Notice the reasonthat God is going to do this, not because Israelis so great,
but because He is! They did not deserve it, they did not earn it, but God’s
reputation was on the line and He wanted to show the people who He is and
what He cando.
© Purpose of a ‘heart transplant:’ (How do you know it is for real?)
1. Disgustfor SIN (vs. 31; 6:9; 20:43)
You shall never forget that you were once slaves of sin, and soldunder sin;
children of the wickedone;heirs to all God’s curses, with no hope beyond
hell. Such cleansedpeople neverforget the horrible pit and the miry clay out
of which they have been brought. And can they then be proud? No; they
loathe themselves in their own sight. They never forgive themselves for having
sinned againstso gooda God, and so loving a Savior. And can they
undervalue HIM by whose blood they were bought, and by whose bloodthey
were cleansed? No!That is impossible: they now see Jesus as they ought to see
him; they see him in his splendor, because they feelhim in his victory and
triumph over sin. To them that thus believe he is precious, and he was never
as precious as now. As to their not needing him when thus saved from their
sins, we may as well say, as soonmay the creationnot need the sustaining
hand of God, because the works are finished! Learn this, that as it requires

The holy spirit heart transplant

The holy spirit heart transplant

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