THE RENEWED HEART
God's answer to the sinfulness of the human heart is regeneration, which happens in individuals who truly repent, turn to God by faith and accept Jesus as the Forgiver of their sins and Leader of their lives.
Regeneration refers to a heart that has been spiritually reborn, renewed, revitalized, reformed and redeveloped (all being necessary processes of the newness) to where it is right with God.
UNDERSTANDING REGENERATION
1. BORN AGAIN (John 3:3)
Regeneration refers to the heart being "born again." Those who repent from their heart of all sin and confess in their heart that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9) are "born again" spiritually and receive a new spiritual heart from God (cf. Ps. 51:10; Ezek. 11:19).
2. A NEW DESIRE TO LOVE AND OBEY
For those who experience this spiritual birth, God creates within them a desire to love him and to obey him.
Repeatedly God makes it clear to his people the necessity of expressing a love that comes from the heart (see Deut. 4:29; 6:6). This type of true love for God and devotion to him cannot be separated from obedience to his Word (cf. Ps. 119:34, 69, 112).
True love for God and faithful obedience to God are like two sides of the same coin (John 14:15, 23; 1 John 2:5; 5:3).
Jesus said the way to fulfill all the law of God is to love God wholeheartedly and love others unselfishly (Matt. 22:37-40).
3. LOVE FROM THE HEART IS NECESSARY
Love from the heart is the necessary part of obedience to God. But it is often the part that is lacking.
Too often God's people try to substitute a practice of religious rituals and regulations (such as sacred feast days, offerings and sacrifices) for a genuine love from the heart (see Isa. 1:10-17; Amos 5:21-26; Mic. 6:6-8).
Outward activity without an inner desire to serve God is not true love and devotion. In fact, it is being boastful and false, and it is greatly condemned by Jesus (see Matt. 23:13-28; Luke 21:1-4).
4. SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES OF THE TRANSFORMED HEART
Many other spiritual activities take place in the hearts of those who are spiritually transformed:
- Praise God with all their heart (Ps. 9:1)
- Meditate on God's Word in their heart (Ps. 19:14)
- Cry out to God from the heart (Ps. 84:2)
- Seek God with all their heart (Ps. 119:2, 10)
- Hide God's Word in their heart (Ps. 119:11)
- Trust in the Lord with all their heart (Prov. 3:5)
- Forgive others from their heart (Matt. 18:35)
- Experience God's love poured into their heart (Rom. 5:5)
- Give to God from their heart (2 Cor. 9:7)
- Sing to God in their heart (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16)
- Love other Christians from their heart (1 Pet. 1:22)
Above all, they live from a heart that has been transformed by God.
Regeneration is being born again spiritually
God creates desire to love and obey Him
Love from the heart is necessary for obedience
True love cannot be separated from obedience
Spiritual activities flow from a transformed heart
Outward activity without inner desire is not true love and devotion
Every scripture referenced in this sermon, in the order they appear.
John 3:3
Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Romans 10:9
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Ezekiel 11:19
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.
John 14:15, 23
"If you love Me, keep My commandments." ... Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
1 John 2:5; 5:3
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. ... For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus said to him, "‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding.
Romans 5:5
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
1 Peter 1:22
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.