Stop the rot!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
The recent storms damaged the fence between my neighbour and me. A brother in Christ took a close look at both sides of the fence. He noted that there were two fences and my neighbour’s fence had lost the wood running along the top due to it being rotten. As an act of kindness, he removed the debris from the fence and replaced the decayed wood with new wood. Thus, extending the life of the neighbour’s fence.
As I heard him hammering, my thoughts turned to how much rot and decay (i.e. sin) is in my life, which needs to be removed from my heart. Our Saviour – once a carpenter – is the only One who can remove it and replace it with a new heart. How wonderful God has made this promise to us: ‘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.’ (Ezekiel 36:26-27 NIV).
The Argentinian poet Antonio Porchia wrote ‘In a full heart there is room for everything, and in an empty heart there is room for nothing.’
God replaces the decay of a sinful heart with a heart full of His Spirit. All the rot and decay of selfishness and pride gone, replaced by God’s goodness. God has plans to flood this earth with new hearts – all singing praises to Him, thanking Him for His love and mercy.
Prayer
Wonderful Father, thank you for the new heart you give your children, for writing your law upon them. By your grace we are renewed daily. In Jesus’ name we give thanks, Amen.
Study by Irene Wilson
Irene Wilson is a Deaconess in the Watford congregation of Grace Communion International, and also serves on the Pastoral Council.
Local congregation:
Gracecom Watford
St. Peter’s Church
61 Westfield Avenue
Watford, Herts.
WD24 7HF
Meeting time:
Saturday 11am
Local congregational contact:
George Henderson
Email: watford@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church