Ezekiel 36:26
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Grace
The Power of the Blood
Without a doubt, the blood of Jesus Christ is the most precious gift our heavenly Father has given to his church. Yet, few Christians understand its value and virtue. They sing about the power of the blood. In fact, the anthem of the Pentecostal church is, “There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb” (Lewis E. Jones). And we constantly “plead the blood” as some sort of mystical formula of protection. But few Christians can explain its great glory and benefits, and seldom enter into its power.
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Discouraged at Our Own Hearts
Are you tired of living in need when everything you will ever require has been provided? Perhaps your focus is wrong. You tend to dwell on your weaknesses, temptations and past failures — and when you look inside your own heart, what you see discourages you.
John 4:10
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Failure Isn’t Final
Peter is a classic example of a believer who failed and then got back up and enjoyed great success. Right before the crucifixion he denied Jesus three times (read the account in Mark 14:66-72). At a time when he had a great opportunity to honor Christ, he literally denied him. But after the resurrection, Peter had a one-on-one encounter with Jesus that breathed new life and energy into his ministry.
The Wonderful Riches of God’s Grace
Scripture says, “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Don’t be put off by all the terms in this verse. Simply put, the goal of the gospel is redemption and God’s grace includes everything he has done for us through Christ to redeem us from the power of the devil and bring us into the kingdom of his glorious light!
A Revelation of God’s Mercy
David acknowledged God’s great mercy when he said, “I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly” (Psalm 40:10).
David was grateful to God for such great love because he was deeply conscious of his own failings. “My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up” (40:12). No matter how badly people have sinned, God’s love still reaches them. He sent his Son as a sacrifice for this very purpose.
