Developing a Tender Heart EZEKIEL 36:25-28

The Lord wants to give each of us a “heart of flesh” so that we will be pliable and responsive to Him. When touched by the finger of God, a tender heart yields to the pressure and assumes the form He desires, much like a lump of clay that allows the potter to determine the shape of the vessel.

To aid in this process, God has sent the Holy Spirit to indwell each believer and awaken responsiveness in him or her. By yielding to the Spirit’s promptings with ready obedience, the heart becomes increasingly tender and sensitive to His leading. The Lord is able to impart greater understanding of His Word to a soft heart because it has faithfully accepted and obeyed previous teachings.

Any resistance to God will result in hardening. But those who are accustomed to intimacy with Christ—which is the result of submission to Him—will be quick to deal with sin and return to the place of obedience and blessing.

People with tender hearts stay closely connected to the body of Christ, seeking to build up and encourage others in their walk of faith. Such individuals are not only receptive to what God wants to tell them; they are also teachable, in that they are willing to listen and be corrected by others.

This week when you read your Bible and pray, let your heart be soft toward the words of God. As He pokes His finger into each hard area, listen to His instructions, and rely on the Spirit’s power to help you yield and obey. Let Him shape you into a beautiful and useful vessel.

The Danger of a Hardening Heart HEBREWS 3:7-19

God repeatedly calls to His children, but the condition of each heart determines the result. Those with soft and tender hearts hear His voice and yield to Him in obedience, but those with hard hearts resist His warnings and instructions. Surprisingly, upon hearing the same voice, some believers are motivated to a deeper and more obedient relationship with the Lord, while others reject and refuse Him.

Since hardening is a slow process that’s often accompanied by rationalizations and excuses, the danger signs may not be readily recognized. How do you respond when the Lord speaks to you through His Word, your conscience, or messages based on Scripture? Carefully consider the following characteristics of a hardening heart:

– Insensitivity or resistance to what God says
– Refusal to put yourself under His authority
– Disobedience to what you know the Lord is instructing you to do
– Justification of sinful conduct
– Resistance to the reproof of others
– Preoccupation with the things of this world (career, relationships, possessions)
– Little interest in spiritual matters
– Absence of private devotion (Bible reading and prayer)
– Avoidance of public worship (gathering with other believers)

A hard heart does not have to stay in that condition. If you have discovered any of the above traits in your life, begin today to return to the Lord. Ask Him to give you a new heart to know Him (Jer. 24:7). Remember, He specializes in making all things new (2 Cor. 5:17).

Why Good Works Aren’t Enough ROMANS 3:10-12

Some people believe that good works are like a “get out of hell free” card. What these folks do not realize is that an individual isn’t condemned by the Lord because of the things he does. He is condemned because of what he is—a person with a spirit bent away from God. We choose to sin because it is our nature to do so.

To find proof that mankind does not naturally obey, all one has to do is observe any two-year-old child. Why does a toddler tug on the lamp cord after his mom says, “Don’t touch!”? His impulse to do what he wants is greater than his desire to please Mother.

Complying with authority is a choice that we learn to make. In the meantime, we all have a rebellious nature. Not one single person is good enough or wise enough to remain sinless and pleasing before the Lord. Therefore, we have all sinned and are under a death sentence (Rom. 3:23; 6:23).

The Word of God says that until the moment of salvation, we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). This means that although the body has not yet undergone physical death, the spirit is lifeless apart from the Lord. We are helpless to save ourselves.

We are a people in need of rescue. The instant we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, our spirit is brought to life and our heart undergoes transformation. In the moment that God saves you, He makes you into a new creature—one with a nature surrendered to Him and His will.

The Cost of Our Salvation PHILIPPIANS 2:5-8

In our world of electronic banking and charge cards, it’s easy to ignore what things cost. The same is true with sin. Our culture enjoys temporary pleasures while disregarding what God says is the price of transgression (Rom. 6:23a).

The Bible tells us what it cost Jesus to pay for our sin. For our sake, He suffered . . .

Physical pain. In the hours leading to His crucifixion, Jesus was mocked, beaten, and humiliated. In His weakened state, He was forced to carry the instrument of His death—the cross. Then He was nailed to it and hoisted up to die an excruciating death.

Man’s sin. Jesus lived a perfect life on earth and never knew the disgrace of sin or the bitterness of regret. But at the cross, the Father placed all of mankind’s sins upon the Savior (2 Cor. 5:21). There, Christ experienced the fullness of our transgressions, guilt, and shame.

Abandonment. In the final hours, Jesus was separated from His Father (Mark 15:34), their fellowship broken for the only time since eternity past. Our sin became the barrier that kept them apart until Christ’s work of atonement was finished (John 19:30).

Divine judgment. God’s wrath was poured out upon our Lord because of man’s sin. Christ experienced the condemnation that we deserved.

Our Savior suffered greatly on our behalf. He gave His life so we might become part of God’s family (John 1:12). He calls us to a life of sacrificial service—doing the Father’s work and living to please Him. In light of what our salvation cost, how can we do anything less?

A Debt Paid in Full COLOSSIANS 2:13-14

Mankind has a debt problem. In the physical world, our desire for a higher standard of living and more “stuff” has led to burdensome credit card balances and unwieldy mortgage payments. The weight of what we owe can cause restless nights and the feeling that we’re trapped. We long for someone to rescue us from the mess we have made.

However, material indebtedness isn’t our biggest problem. Our sin-debt is. All of us were born with a “flesh” nature that prompts us to rebel against the Lord. Our rebelliousness is an affront to His holy nature, incurring a debt that we owe to Him. Until this penalty is paid, we are under God’s righteous judgment and remain spiritually separated from Him (Eph. 2:1-2). The trouble is, we are unable to pay what’s due. No amount of good works, self-sacrifice, or religious devotion will lessen what we owe.

So God, in His great mercy, sent His Son to rescue us. Jesus Christ left heaven and all of its glory so He could come to earth to live and die for us (Phil. 2:6-7). Although the cost to our Savior was enormous, He willingly paid the price we owed. He took our sins upon Himself, bore them to the cross, and discharged our debt in full. Hallelujah!

When we receive Jesus as our Savior, His atoning work is credited to our account. We become children of God and co-heirs with Christ—we’re changed from debtors to inheritors (1 Peter 1:3-4). Let the knowledge of His sacrifice on the cross permeate your thinking, attitude, and choices.