“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.
Ezekiel 18:30-32 (NAS)
30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord GOD. “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord GOD. “Therefore, repent and live.”
God, our God, is the God of new beginnings. It does not matter what you have gone through or what you have done – there is a new beginning for you. God has no pleasure in your death and destruction. He has made a way for you to have a brand new start and all it takes is repentance being sorry for the sin in your life and turning around to follow the Lord. You cannot let pride stand in the way of receiving a fresh start from God. The first thing that God wants to do for you is give you a fresh, new heart – a fresh new spirit.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJ)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
As a Christian, you have a new heart, but you still make mistakes. Don’t let sin stand in the way of your relationship with God and your spiritual growth. Be quick to confess your sin and admit your mistakes so that your Father God can forgive you and wash you and so that you can continue to grow into all the new things that God has for you.
Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NAS)
25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
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 And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”
When God washes you and cleanses you and gives you a new heart and spirit, He also puts His Spirit in you to help you to walk in His ways. You are not alone, struggling to make it through the day. The Spirit of God is there to help you to walk in newness of life. All that is required is that you totally yield yourself to the Spirit of God on a daily basis and keep a repentant attitude.
Colossians 3:8-11 (NKJ)
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
You have a new beginning in God and you keep on being renewed into the image of Him who created you as you walk in obedience to Him. It is an ongoing process.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Thank God His love, mercy and compassion is extended toward us new and fresh every morning and great is His faithfulness.