A Heart of Flesh

The above scripture is from the Old Testament, which means the prophet Ezekiel was a man under the Law and the relationship with the Lord was one where we had to do good to please the Lord. We who are saved and blood washed, have the Holy Spirit living in our hearts. We are not living by the law, but we are living by grace. This does not mean we can sin and do whatever we want to do. No! however, in this relationship we are not transacting with God, meaning we do not do good to expect God to do something on our behalf. Jesus has already finished the work on our behalf. We are washed by the blood and we are sin free. It is love that motivates our lives. The love of God constrains us and we just do not want to sin, we do not want to do the things we used to do as they are not pleasing to God. We are gradually changed from the old to the new. We have a right to enter into the presence of God. If we sin, we feel guilty and then we run away from God when we should be running to him.

In the law ruled life, each one had to offer sacrifices to God to get forgiveness and this had to be done by a priest once every year. What a tedious way of living. You were far from God and never knew him personally. We have intimacy with our heavenly Father, he knows us and we know Him. He says his sheep hear his voice. We hear his voice through the speaking of the word and the reading of the word. Our faith is built up when we hear the word of God. This is the heart of flesh the word is talking about. We have been changed from a heart of stone which could not hear or receive anything from the Lord, to a heart of flesh, where the voice of our heavenly Father can be heard.

The Thriver hears and obeys the voice of God because the heart of the Thriver is made of flesh and not stone anymore.