How God Changes 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.
Ezekiel 36:26
Have you ever struggled to overcome a bad habit, experiencing success for a period of time only to have the bad habit return? If we have no success in permanently changing our bad habits, then how does God change us?
God puts a new Spirit in us, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in the believer and can change our heart to the heart of God. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you (John 14:16-17) Christ sends the Holy Spirit (Advocate) to live in the believer forever. But what is our part in enabling the Holy Spirit to change us?
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6) The Holy Spirit will continue to change us to the mind of Christ until completion, the day we step into eternity. We follow Christ through his Word, guided by the Spirit, and this brings us closer to the Lord and makes us more Christ-like. Our heart changes as our mind is renewed to the mind of Christ. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2) If we continually strive to walk in obedience to the Lord, he will mold us to be Christ-like.
The key to changing is persistence in walking with the Lord, continually growing in knowledge of his Word and experiencing Christ in our lives as we serve him. Essential to growth is reading his Word, praying, fellowshipping with our church family, and walking in obedience, serving the Lord. This process is a new lifestyle that is continually changing us to the mind of Christ, eliminating old sinful habits and replacing them with new Godly habits.
God will change us if we have a repentant heart, a heart that has the desire to change. Then God intervenes with his love and power through the Spirit to change us as we walk in accordance to his will. If we don’t have a repentant heart, have really accepted Christ? Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38) Note the first step in this verse is to repent, which means to change.
Today remember to pray, read the Word, if possible fellowship with other Christians, and serve the Lord by letting the Holy Spirit guide your conscience. Seek to grow spiritually and know God is changing you to the mind of Christ, and think how life would be if you had the mind of Christ.
Prayer: Guide me today Lord to serve you, and help me to make time to pray and read your Word. Help me to put you first today, to be still inside and listen for your divine wisdom. Thank you for another day, and don’t let me waste this day but help me to encourage someone and to grow spiritually. In Jesus name, Amen