Scripture teaches there are three problems
common to all people. That is, each of us has...
- An evil and deceitful heart (a heart that breeds
evil and deceives others, like that of a snake)
• Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?
• Psalm 58:2 In your heart you devise injustice, and
your hands mete out violence on the earth. 3 Even
from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb
they are wayward and speak lies. 4 Their venom is
like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra
- An impure and idolatrous life (a defiled past filled
with idols of self, gods of your own making)
• Ephesians 5:5 For you may be sure of this, that
everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or
who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God
• 2 Corinthians 6:16a What agreement has the
temple of God with idols?
- A lawless and rebellious spirit (daily rebellion
against God’s law, a life of chaos and hypocrisy)
• Psalm 78:8 and that they should not be like their
fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a
generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose
spirit was not faithful to God.
• Matthew 23:28 So you also outwardly appear
righteous to others, but within you are full of
hypocrisy and lawlessness.
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Ezekiel 36:25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you
will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities
and from all your idols. 26 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. 27 And I will
put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees
and be careful to keep my laws. |
Above the Prophet Ezekiel declares to us the work of Christ:
- To take away your heart of stone and give you a
heart of flesh (26) the heart of Jesus Regeneration
- an act of God giving new life enabling us to see,
understand, and respond to Spiritual things
• John 3:3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to
you, unless one is born again he cannot see the
kingdom of God."
• Colossians 2:13 And you, who were dead in your
trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
God made alive together with him, having forgiven
us all our trespasses,
- To wash you of all your filth and you will be clean
(verse 25) the righteousness of Jesus Justification
- an act of God covering our sin by Christ’s blood
• Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together,
says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they are red
like crimson, they shall become like wool
• Romans 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been
justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved
by him from God’s wrath.
• Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of works done
by us in righteousness, but according to his own
mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal
of the Holy Spirit
- To put His Spirit within you and give you a holy life
(verse 27) Sanctification - a work of God to daily
grow us in holiness, the holiness of Jesus
• Ephesians 5:26 that he might sanctify her, having
cleansed her by the washing of water with the word
• John 15:4 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a
man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much
fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” That is,
without Jesus you have no future, with Jesus
you have a new heart, a new Spirit and a new
life
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Confessing Christ, Lord & Savior
If you identify with the above problems and believe
that Christ is indeed the only solution, please cry out
to God in prayer as follows:
Dear God, I confess I am separated from you by my
sin and that on my own effort, I can never fellowship
with you. I believe you provided the way of salvation
through your Son Jesus, who had no sin, but died on
a cross to pay the debt my sin created. I believe that
Jesus rose from the dead and that by calling upon His
name in sorrow for my sin, I ask Him for the heart of
Jesus, the righteousness of Jesus, and the holiness of
Jesus, with the forgiveness of my sin and His personal
gift of eternal life.
- For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, Romans 3:23
- For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
- For it is by grace you have been saved, through
faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of
God 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
- That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is
Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him
from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
Now share this good news with others!
You may wish to note the date when you prayed this prayer as your Spiritual birhtday.
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