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The Lord God said,
"I will give you a new heart
and put a new spirit within you...
I will put My Spirit within you."
EZEKIEL 36:26, 27
Last week, the first born child of my nephew and his wife died just a few minutes after being delivered. Little Eleanor was so beautiful. It was a blessing to spend time with my nephew and his family in Arkansas before, during, and after little Eleanor's funeral. Many tears were shed. Many prayers were cried out to the Lord.
Eleanor has fulfilled what we all hope to fulfill in life -- that our lives would be sacrificially spent to change the lives of others and to transform this world for God's glory. Many have been further changed into Christ-likeness because of precious little Eleanor. And we beheld God's glory in her.
And Eleanor donated her own heart valve so that another child could live. I saw in this a beautiful picture and reminder of how Jesus Christ gave His pure spiritual heart to you and to me so that we can live eternally.
CHRIST'S HEART IN YOU
Christ shedding His blood on the cross took away all of your sins, but it didn't take away your sin-maker -- your spiritual heart. Your heart was by nature completely identified with sin which could not be washed clean. You needed a new heart with a new nature.
This is exactly what Christ did through His cross and resurrection! You were united with (baptized in) Christ through His death, burial, and resurrection. Romans 6:6 says, Our old man (your former heart) was crucified with Christ. Romans 6:8 says, Now if we died with Christ, we believe we shall also live with Him (with a new heart).
The phrase with Him is the "heart" of the gospel. This phrase does not mean near Christ as if you are in the same room with Him. This phrase means to be one with Christ, i.e., united with Him!
Now this does not mean you become divine like Christ. It does mean that you are vitally united with Him.
So, the gospel is not about asking Jesus to come into your heart. The gospel is realizing through the conviction of the Holy Spirit that your spiritual heart is hopelessly sinful. The gospel, then, is asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to give you a new heart.
And the new heart He gave you is His own heart! As a result, you have a new nature, the very nature of Christ!
You are not your own,
for you were bought with a price.
Therefore, glorify God in your body
and in your spirit (new heart)
which are God's.
(1 Corinthians 6:19b-20)
And he who is joined to the Lord
is one spirit (heart) with Him.
(1 Corinthians 6:17)
CHRIST'S HEARTBEAT IN YOU
The life in your new heart is the very life of Christ! Meditate on this amazing truth: your spiritual heartbeat is the heartbeat of Christ Himself! Don't focus on your feelings as truth. Focus on truths from God's Word.
I have been crucified with Christ,
it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me.
(Galatians 2:20)
Meditate on having the same heartbeat as Christ and I promise you that you will be transformed from glory to
glory by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18)!
CLOSING
I believe with all my heart that tears shed by Christians for little Eleanor are rooted in the very tears of Christ...all because these tears are from His heart in us. And now Eleanor is in the arms of Christ.
From my heart to your heart,
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The Gift of a Heart 
