What is the new heart that God promised?
God promised through the prophets to give His people a new heart: not just better behavior but a changed inner life, with the heart of stone replaced by a heart of flesh, His law written on the heart, and His Spirit put within to enable obedience. That promise is fulfilled in the new covenant in Christ, where God gives us new hearts and puts His Spirit in us, working in us both to will and to do His good pleasure.
This question arose from studying How can I be saved? and What is repentance?.
Begin by reading
Go into the Word
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
God promised a changed heart, not just changed rules
Ezekiel declares the promise in God's own voice: 'I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.' The new covenant is written deeper than tablets of stone: 'I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it.' The promise is not a better list of rules but a transformed inner life.
I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
It is a divine gift, not self-improvement
Everything about the promise is what God will do: 'I will give them one heart... I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh.' When David begged for a clean heart after his fall, he prayed the same way, 'create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.' We cannot manufacture a new heart; it has to be given.
I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
It is the shape of the new covenant
Jeremiah calls it by name: 'Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.' And its heart is inward and forgiving: God writes His law on the heart, all know Him from the least to the greatest, and 'I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.' Ezekiel joins cleansing and the Spirit to the same promise: God washes, gives a new heart, and puts His Spirit within.
Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest, says Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them.Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
It comes to be in Christ
The new covenant promised through the prophets is inaugurated in Christ. Jesus told Nicodemus that to enter the kingdom you must be born of water and the Spirit, and in Christ, Paul says, 'if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.' The heart of stone replaced by a heart of flesh is what regeneration is: God giving us a new heart in the new birth, and it is God who works in us 'both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.' The promise comes true in everyone He makes new.
Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into the Kingdom of God!Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Its fruit is hearts that love God
The new heart is for relationship. Moses pointed to the end: 'Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart... to love Yahweh your God with all your heart.' Ezekiel says the Spirit within 'cause you to walk in my statutes... and do them,' and David's prayer moves from a clean heart to the joy and ready spirit of salvation. The change of heart is not an end in itself; it is new hearts, enabled by the Spirit, that love God, obey Him, and find their joy in Him.
Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them.And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit.Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
Studying the Word naturally opens more of it. Follow what you just read: it leads somewhere.
Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them.A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
Worth visiting