Ezekiel 36:26-27 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

This is the second time, after 11:19-20, that God told Ezekiel He would replace hearts made of stone with hearts of flesh, but this time He specifies that the new Spirit by which He would do that is His own Spirit. In Chapter 11 that wasn’t so explicit, though I was aware of it when I wrote on that passage a few days ago. In both passages God makes it very clear that the result and purpose of the heart transplant, the infusion of the Holy Spirit, is to cause God’s people to be obedient to what He tells them. Some people today seem to think the infilling of the Holy Spirit is simply to make us feel good! It is indeed glorious, but the purpose is not centered on us, but on God. Anyone who claims to be filled with the Holy Spirit and is not living a life submitted and committed to God is living a lie. God doesn’t withdraw His gifts once given, (Romans 11:29) but we are responsible to apply them as He intends, and not according to our own whims. There have been several high profile cases of Charismatic ministers derailing rather spectacularly, and one reason for that has been a misunderstanding of this principle. The more God anoints, the more He pours His Spirit through someone, the more humble they should be, the more committed to total obedience. It is heartbreaking that that is not always the case.

I’m certainly not a high profile minister, but the principle applies to me just as much as to anyone. I am aware that God speaks and acts through me by His Spirit, but I must never take that for granted, or think for a moment that it is “mine” to exercise as I will. I have got to walk in moment-by-moment submission and obedience, not trying to use the Holy Spirit but allowing Him to use me. My life needs to be a demonstration of obedient, trusting fellowship with God, so that all who see me may know that it is possible, even for a frail, imperfect human being. My life should make others desire the heart transplant that God offers, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for expressing this truth so clearly this morning. Help me indeed live it out fully at all times, for the sake of the believers in this church as well as for the many You want to draw into Your kingdom through this church, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!