The New Birth Pt 2

Ezekiel 36:26-28 " 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.

Point # 2 When God causes someone to be born again, it will produce change!
When God gives us a new heart, takes away our heart that was cold and hard towards the things of God, and fills us with His Spirit, we will walk in His statutes, keep his judgments and do them.

Supporting Scriptures: Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
God does not need to place a laundry list of do's and dont's before His people under the New Covenant because He has changed their heart to want to love and glorify Him in everything they do.

Matthew 7:16-20 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Discerning who the real Christians are is not rocket science! Sure there will be Judas' and tares that slip in at night while we sleep, but a good tree- a new heart- will produce holy living.
No holiness, no heaven. Do you have spiritual fruit in your life that God is producing that gives sufficient evidence that you have a new spiritual nature?

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Which of the two lists from Galatians characterizes your life?

Appeal to Logic: Ask someone who knows you well. Or here is a novel idea for the 21st century, take responsibility and be honest with yourself.

Conclusion: The Bible was written to act as a mirror to show us what we are in truth. Have you received the Holy Spirit of God? Does your life demonstrate that God has taken away your heart of stone and given you a heart that loves Him and walks in His ways?