"New Heart and Spirit" 12-20-20
Overview
God's Resolution of Grace: A New Heart and a New Spirit
Grace is undeserved, unmerited love—and it is the heart of God's resolution toward His people. Ezekiel, called as prophet in 593 BC during the Babylonian exile, served the unusual dual role of prophet and priest. His message moved between two poles: a warning of Jerusalem's destruction for ongoing disobedience, and a word of hope that God would one day restore His people. In Ezekiel 36:22-23, God makes clear that His coming action is not a reward for righteousness: "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name." The motivation lies entirely within God Himself—His commitment to vindicate His own name among the nations.
This grace is staggering because of who receives it. An ancient maxim describes fallen humanity well: we are "not able not to sin." Scripture confirms this in Romans 5:12—"sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." The teaching of total depravity contradicts the ancient error of Pelagius, who denied that the fall corrupted human nature. Yet surveys repeatedly show that nearly half of churchgoers still affirm that people are "basically good." The proper measure is not other people but the holiness of God Himself, before whom we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean.
Into that condition, God speaks a threefold resolution in Ezekiel 36:24-27: I will restore you, I will cleanse you, and I will give you a new heart and a new spirit. In Hebrew thought, the heart encompasses mind, will, and emotions. A heart of stone is obstinate and unresponsive; a heart of flesh is malleable and impressionable. God promises to replace stubborn rebellion with a renewed inner life, and—astonishingly—to put His own Spirit within His people, animating their human spirit so that obedience flows naturally: "I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes."
The same resolution shapes our lives in Christ. He restores us to the Father through the cross and empty tomb, cleanses us in the waters of baptism, and gives us a new heart and a new spirit through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The result is a transformed mind, will, and affections—new desires that delight in God's ways. This is what theologians call the third use of the law: not merely a curb against sin or a mirror that reveals it, but a guide for grateful living. We remain simultaneously saint and sinner this side of heaven, falling short daily, yet God continues His work of conforming us to Christ. His resolution stands: a new heart, a new spirit, new obedience—all of grace, all for the sake of His holy name. Thanks be to our gracious God.
Transcript
What you open your Bibles, please, with me to the Prophet Zikil, chapter 36 for our study this 3s
morning, is Zikil the 36th chapter. 11s
Grace, it is such a beautiful, beautiful word, and it's even a greater and more beautiful 17s
reality. 26s
Grace is the undeserved love, unmarited love, grace. 28s
We continue today in our sermon series simply entitled Resolutions. 37s
And during this month of December and through January, we're going to be taking a look 42s
at various resolutions, not the resolutions that us humans make. 47s
No, we're looking at the resolutions that God makes because if God resolves to do something, 53s
we can be sure 100% that God keeps his resolutions. 62s
Today I'd like to study with you about God's resolution with regard to grace and this 70s
expression of God's grace, this undeserved unmarited love that was poured out on these people 79s
that we're going to study in the 36th chapter of a Zikil. 87s
Grace, a little background. 95s
Zikil was called to be a prophet in 593 BC. 99s
He was part of the Jews in 597 that were deported from their homeland into what was called 105s
Babylonian captivity. 114s
And so he prophesied starting in 593 BC when he received his call, he prophesied for a period 117s
of 22 years. 125s
He served a very, very interesting role. 129s
Zikil was a combination of a prophet and a priest. 131s
Normally those roles in ancient day were really separated. 137s
The prophet would call for repentance. 142s
The prophet would preach everywhere and the priest. 145s
Well the priest would be in the temple, interceding to God on behalf of the people. 148s
But Zikil, Zikil performed both of those roles. 155s
His message had two different focal points. 162s
On the one hand he proclaimed destruction, a prophecy of destruction. 167s
He proclaimed that Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. 172s
God had raised up this pagan nation. 176s
And God now was going to destroy Jerusalem, bring the people into Babylonian captivity. 179s
And so what Zikil was reminding the people. 186s
And it was hard for them to understand it. 189s
Was that God was going to be true to what God had said. 193s
And that Jerusalem would be destroyed. 197s
He was also called to warn the people. 201s
warn the people that when they were in this Babylonian captivity, 206s
they should not do the same things that brought the punishment of God upon them, 210s
that led them into captivity. 216s
They had disobeyed God over and over again. 220s
They had turned into immorality. 223s
And so Zikil was warning them. 227s
Well, we're in Babylonian exile here. 230s
Let's not repeat the very thing that has caused that. 233s
So that's one aspect of his prophecy, one focal point of his prophecy. 238s
The other focal point of his prophecy was one of hope, one of consolation. 245s
He was proclaiming to the people in exile that God would lead the people back into their homeland. 253s
That God would restore the homeland to them. 262s
So when we come to chapter 36, what we hear is we hear this word of hope. 268s
We hear this word of consolation. 276s
And embedded in that hope and consolation embedded in these words is this beautiful resolution. 281s
This beautiful expression of what God resolves to do. 292s
And it's centered in grace. 298s
Look at me, please, at verse 22 of chapter 36, 304s
God is instructing Zikil. 310s
Therefore, say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God, 313s
it is not for your sake or house of Israel that I'm about to act. 320s
But for the sake of my holy name, which you have profane among the nations to which you came. 324s
God is concerned that his name was discredited. 336s
Put yourself in the sandals of surrounding countries here. 340s
They look here at the people and they would say, well, what kind of God is that? 345s
Look, the Babylonians have come and the God of Israel here has not defended them. 351s
Let's be a very, very weak God. 357s
The people that profane the name of God. 361s
So God is acting for his own sake. 364s
God is defending his own name. 367s
God is expressing who he is, sovereign, Lord of all. 370s
Look at verse 23. 376s
I will sanctify my great name, which has been profane among the nations, 379s
and which you have profane among them. 387s
And the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, 390s
when through you I display my holiness before their eyes. 396s
What was the motivation here for God to act? 421s
Well, certainly it wasn't the actions of the people. 427s
The actions of the people were ones of disobedience and one of immorality. 431s
No, the motivation to act has nothing to do with what the people had done. 437s
It's not as if they had somehow earned God acting. 444s
No, it were riddled with disobedience. 449s
God is simply acting to put his grace and his mercy. 453s
It's fully on display. 460s
There's an ancient victim. 465s
It goes like this, that humans are not able, not to sin. 467s
I know it's a double negative here, but it's been around for centuries. 472s
Humans are not able, not to sin. 477s
That's what the pages here of Ezekiel reveal to us, and yet God and his grace. 482s
God is going to display, undeserved, unmarried love and favor upon his people, upon a people 488s
that were not able, not to sin. 502s
You know, that understanding, that diagnosis of who we are as human beings, as not being able, 512s
not to sin. 522s
That diagnosis can be difficult for us to accept. 525s
I think of a survey that is done. 532s
It's done every two years by a very reputable organization, and they survey people in the church. 535s
And what they ask among a whole series of questions is they ask this. 545s
Do people sin? 552s
Does everybody sin just a little bit, but are most people basically good? 555s
Does everybody sin, at least a little bit, but most people are basically by nature good? 562s
They ask that question every single year, to people in the church. 571s
Four years ago, 54% of respondents agreed with the statement. 578s
They agreed. 586s
Everybody sins a little bit, but my nature pretty much everybody is good. 588s
54% of people in the church agreed with that. 595s
Two years ago, that percentage went down to 52%. 600s
And this year, the percentage, 46%. 605s
So, on the one hand, it's good news, right? 611s
On the one hand, there's been a reduction of people that believe that from 54% to 46%. 617s
Well, that's the good news. 624s
Here's the bad news. 626s
It's 46%. 630s
46% of people in the church, Christians, believe, agree with the statement. 632s
Everybody sins a little bit, but, 640s
most people are basically by nature good. 644s
To agree with that statement, however, put you squarely in agreement with a heretic of old, 652s
by the name of Pelagius. 660s
Pelagius believed that when our first parents fell into sin, 664s
that it didn't affect human nature. 668s
But, yep, the witness that we hear from Scripture, 673s
in fact, throughout Scripture, is the exact opposite of what Pelagius agreed. 677s
For example, Paul says, in Romans 5 chapter, he says, 684s
therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, 688s
and death came through sin. 694s
And so, death spread to all, because all have sin. 697s
There's what the theologians for centuries have termed total depravity. 707s
Depravity is a hard word to hear, and then when you hear the word total in front of depravity 715s
and realize that the people that are being referenced are you and me, human kind, 720s
that can be a hard word to hear. 729s
So what do we tempt to do? 733s
We're tempted to compare ourselves with other human beings. 736s
So we compare ourselves with perhaps a story that we hear on the nightly news, 741s
and we say, whoa, what that person is really, really bad. 747s
And we compare ourselves to that person, and then all of a sudden, 752s
we become well in our own minds pretty good. 756s
But the point of comparison should never be with other human beings. 760s
Now the point of comparison is with God Almighty, 765s
God who is perfect and holy. 771s
We compare ourselves then with the perfection of God, 776s
and we are found wanting, aren't we? 780s
In other words, when we confess our sinfulness, 786s
we don't confess and we say, well, you know God, I sin a little bit, 790s
but really, overall, by nature, I'm good. 799s
We never confess that, do we? 803s
We confess that we are by nature, sinful, and unclean. 805s
God been is turning to this people. 816s
This people turning to them who are not able not to sin. 821s
Turning to them and expressing this incredible grace. 828s
What was God resolving to do? 839s
Look when he please, at verse 24. 845s
There he says, I will take you from the nations, 850s
and gather you from all the countries, 857s
and bring you into your own land. 860s
Here's the first thing that God resolves to do with these people who certainly don't deserve anything from God. 865s
He resolves to restore them. 874s
He resolves to bring them back to the homeland. 877s
The exile will be done, and he will one day bring them back. 881s
Here's the second thing. 889s
He resolves to do. 890s
Verse 25, I will sprinkle clean water upon you, 892s
and you shall be clean from all your uncleanesses. 897s
And from all your idols, I will cleanse you. 903s
Second thing he promises, I'll cleanse you. 909s
First, I'll restore you. 912s
Second, I'll cleanse you. 914s
Here's the third. 916s
A new heart, I will give you, and a new spirit, 918s
I will put within you, and I will remove from your body the heart of stone, 923s
and give you a heart of flesh. 931s
Let's go deeper here. 937s
When God promised these people that he would give them a new heart, 941s
what was he meaning? 945s
So often when we use that term heart, 949s
we'll use it in a phrase like, 951s
oh, he or she, they have such a good heart. 953s
This is a good heart. 956s
There's a kindness expressed from them. 959s
And so when one describes who they are, 963s
sometimes we can say they have such a kind heart. 966s
In Hebrew thought, 971s
the heart is so much more encompassing than how we so often use that term. 973s
In Hebrew thought, 980s
the heart is the mind, it's the will, 982s
and it's the emotions. 986s
Mind will, and emotions. 987s
All encompassing. 990s
So, God says, 992s
I will remove from your body the heart of stone, 995s
and give you a heart of flesh. 1003s
What is the stone signify? 1010s
The stone signifies obstancy, 1013s
stone signifies unresponsiveness, 1016s
and flesh. 1020s
Flush communicates that which is malleable, 1022s
that which is impressionable. 1024s
You see the description of us by nature, 1028s
human kind that can't help but not sending. 1031s
That expression of who we are is that we have hearts of stone, 1036s
in other words. 1040s
By nature we are unresponsive to God, 1042s
in our mind, in our wills, 1045s
in our emotions, what it is that we love. 1047s
And God says to this people, 1052s
who don't deserve it. 1053s
God says, 1055s
I'm going to give you a new heart. 1056s
In other words, I'm going to change your mind, 1059s
I'm going to change your will, 1061s
I'm going to change your emotions, 1063s
that which you love, 1065s
and that's what you desire. 1066s
I'm going to make it malleable. 1068s
I'm going to take that heart of stone. 1070s
That's just unresponsive and in rebellion. 1073s
And I'm going to transform it. 1076s
So God says, 1081s
I'm going to give a new heart, 1082s
and he also says, 1083s
and I will give you a new spirit, 1086s
a new spirit I will put within you. 1089s
What's the spirit? 1095s
The spirit is that which animates us, 1097s
right? 1100s
Our human spirit. 1100s
So what spirit are they going to do? 1103s
I'm going to receive. 1106s
Look further on in that verse verse 27. 1109s
I will put my spirit within you. 1114s
That's God's Holy Spirit. 1121s
That would be placed. 1124s
He's promising it to the people. 1126s
I'm going to give you a new heart. 1128s
And I'm going to give you God's says, 1131s
of my Holy Spirit, 1133s
I'm going to animate your spirit with my spirit. 1135s
That then transforms. 1141s
How you think what your will is, 1143s
and what your emotions are. 1145s
And what is the result of that? 1147s
Verse 27, 1151s
Second part. 1153s
And make you follow my statues, 1155s
and be careful to observe my ordinances. God turns to this rebellious people that 1159s
deserve the very exile they were in. God turns speaking through the prophet 1172s
is equal and says, I'm going to give you a new heart and to give you a 1180s
spirit and that will result in obedience and God says, I'm going to do this. 1188s
Grace, grace, these people were the recipients of God's grace. And with us, what does God 1208s
do for us? Just follow the outline of the text. What did you do to the people of 1230s
old? What did you do for us? First he restores us. He restores us back into 1240s
relationship with him. Sin separates us from God. Jesus Christ bore our sin on the 1248s
cross and through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we are reconciled under the 1258s
Father. The tomb is empty. The sacrifice has been accepted. We have been reconciled 1264s
to God. God says, I restore you. What was the next thing that he did with the 1270s
people of old? He said, I'll cleanse you. I'll cleanse you. And with us, God cleanses us 1278s
in the waters of baptism. Washing us in the promises of the victory one through the cross 1290s
and the empty tomb. Applying that victory to us so that we know that that victory is ours. 1298s
He restores us back into relationship. He cleanses us and what does he do? He gives us a new heart, 1307s
a new heart. He gives us a new spirit. He transforms our heart. He transforms our mind, 1321s
our will, and our emotions. He transforms it so that we have a new mind and a new will and 1331s
new emotions. We love different things then as God transforms us. New mind, new will, new emotions. 1341s
And the spirit our human spirit is animated by the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. A new heart 1353s
and a new spirit so then what's the result? Well, what was the result with the people of old? What 1363s
was it that he promised? Obedience. In other words, the law then for the Christian becomes that 1370s
God for that which pleases God. The law reveals our sin as we have studied. The law is a 1381s
curve. In other words, God just like curves are on a road. God says, don't go outside of these 1390s
boundaries. But for the Christian, there's a third use of the law and the third use of the law. 1396s
Is that God for living? So he transforms our hearts into believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, into 1403s
lovers of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He transforms us into believers. 1414s
And that transformation gives rise to a difference in our lives. That's born because he changes us and 1423s
he's constantly changing us to be more and more like Jesus Christ. A new heart, mind will, emotions 1436s
and our spirit animated by the Holy Spirit, we're now by His grace we desire to do that which he 1446s
desires of us. Do we fall short? Constantly. Constantly. Remember, that phrase we are simultaneously 1460s
saint and sinner. And that sinner part doesn't drop off until the day that the Lord welcomes us 1472s
into paradise itself. It doesn't drop off until that time of transition from life this side of heaven 1481s
to life in the very presence of God in heaven itself. We're only the saint part is left. 1490s
We're going to struggle each and every day but God isn't work. God isn't work expressing 1500s
His grace, His undeserved, unmarried, love to the likes of us. And God says, 1510s
here's a resolution, God says it's my resolution, a new heart, new spirit, new obedience. 1529s
Grace, it is such a beautiful word and an even more beautiful reality. 1548s
Zikil, we see God's expression of grace here in the 36th chapter. These people were the 1562s
severs, even though they didn't deserve it, of the grace of God because you see if you 1571s
deserved it, wouldn't be grace, wouldn't. So to this undeserving people comes grace, 1580s
but a beautiful example. And there's another example of the recipients of God's grace 1592s
of God's undeserved, unmarried love. There's another example of recipients of the grace of God 1601s
that's you and it's me. Thanks be to our gracious, gracious God. 1613s