The Salvation: Who can change a sinner's heart?

The Salvation: Who can change a sinner's heart? Q: Who can change a sinner's heart? A: Only God can change a sinner s heart. Memory Verse: And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 Bible Reading: Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my Copyright 2018 Tauna Meyer. All rights reserved. 33

statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. - Ez 36:22-28 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5 Discussion Questions: What does the Bible mean when it talks about our heart? Why do we need a new heart? What s wrong with the old one? What happens when we get a new heart from God? Devotion: Our sin is very serious and separates us from God because He is holy. We need to be born again, having a change of heart! So, what now? How can we make that change of heart happen? The truth is that we can t. We do not have the power to remove sin from our hearts. Only God can do that! Only He can change our hearts so that we can be born again. What is the heart? It is our inner self the part of us that controls our mind, thoughts, and emotions. The Bible talks about the heart often as something that can be led astray or divided, meaning that it can lead us to not be completely obedient or devoted to God and His ways. Our heart can be full of sin, selfishness, and pride instead of a desire to love God with everything we say, do, and think. In Ezekiel 11:19, God says I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. (emphasis added) Copyright 2018 Tauna Meyer. All rights reserved. 34

Then in Ezekiel 26:25-28 he says I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (emphasis added) In these passages, God is talking to the Israelites about a day when they will be given back their land and their relationship with God will be repaired. But we learn some important things about what happens when God gives someone a new heart: they are given His Spirit to live within them, and that Spirit helps them to follow His ways and obey Him. The same is true for us! When God changes our hearts, it s like He s a doctor who changes an old heart for a new heart. He gives us a heart transplant! Our stoney heart, hardened by sin and rebellion and unable to seek the Lord, is removed, and a new heart is given to us. Our new hearts are soft toward the Lord, and He enables us to repent of our sin and turn toward God. It s a transformation that only the Lord can do in us! Copyright 2018 Tauna Meyer. All rights reserved. 35

Crafts/Activities: Hard Hearts. Purchase hardened items that can be softened with water. For example, small packed and dried washcloths from the dollar store that expand when you add water, dry sponge cut into cubes, water beads, etc. Talk about and demonstrate how they aren t useful for their designed purpose until they are softened. The same is true of our hearts! The transforming work of God gives us a new heart softened and ready for His purposes. Heart Transplant. Paint a heart on a rock. Then create a soft heart, such as one of painted sponge, a sewn and stuffed felt heart, or some other glue pom poms or flowers on a heart cut out of construction paper. Practice explaining the change of heart using them as props. Changed From The Inside Out. Put white carnations in red dyed water and watch the petals change color over time. Talk about how God changes us from the inside out by changing the inner self, giving us a new heart, and how that change will begin to be evident as we are transformed by it. Copyright 2018 Tauna Meyer. All rights reserved. 36

Q. Who can change a sinner's heart? A: Only God can change a sinner s heart. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 Copyright 2018 Tauna Meyer. All rights reserved. 37

Who can change a sinner's heart? And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 Copyright 2018 Tauna Meyer. All rights reserved. 39

Who can change a sinner's heart? Only God can change a sinner s heart. Samuel Reproves Saul by John Copley (public domain) One example of someone in the Bible having had that heart transplant is King Saul. Take a moment to go read 1 Samuel 10. Before Saul became king, he was timid about being anointed to be ruler over the people, so much so that he even hid himself to try to avoid it! But as we read in 1 Samuel 10, when God chose Saul to be king, he gave him a new heart. When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day. When they came to Gibeah, behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? 1 Samuel 10:9-11 (emphasis added) It appears from this passage that Saul truly underwent a heart transplant from the Lord! God gave him another heart, and the Spirit rushed upon him. The transformation was so significant that all the people around Saul could tell that he had changed and that it was the work of the Lord! Copyright 2018 Tauna Meyer. All rights reserved. 42

Truly, God is the only one who can change hearts. Does that mean that if we are born again and have a new heart given to us by God, we never sin again? No. Although we who are born again have a new heart from the Lord and the Holy Spirit within us, enabling us to hear and receive God s Word and follow His ways, we can still sin in attitude or action. Again, Saul is an example to us, but this time showing us that even those who have been given a new heart can sin and turn away from the ways of God. Although Saul accomplished great things for the Lord, especially in battle, he eventually became prideful and swayed by the nations around him, choosing to defy the Lord s command, and ultimately received God s discipline. Being born again with a new heart given to us from the Lord is essential, but it doesn t mean we may not sin! One day, when we are with Jesus on the New Earth, we will never sin again. Until then, we can repent when we sin. How can we grow to live a life obedient to Christ? By the work of the Holy Spirit transforming us from the inside out. More on that in the coming lessons! Copyright 2018 Tauna Meyer. All rights reserved. 43

Saul: Born Again or Not? Was Saul Really a Born Again Believer? Yes No I m Not sure Just as only God can change our hearts, only God knows our status as a born again believer. However, this passage gives us some important clues and thoughts to consider. Write down evidence you see in the passages we ve covered to support your answer. Copyright 2018 Tauna Meyer. All rights reserved. 44

Sound Words for Kids: Lessons in Theology What the Bible Says About It The heart is the seat of our affections and passions, our understanding, and our will. Jeremiah 17:9 says that the heart is deceitful above all things. But God has the desire and ability to change our hearts! Read these passages and write down a few thoughts about your observations. 1 Samuel 10:9 2 Corinthians 5:17 Jeremiah 24:7 Ezekiel 36:26 Romans 2:29 Psalm 51:10 2 Corinthians 7:10 Ezekiel 11:19 Romans 12:2 Copyright 2018 Tauna Meyer. All rights reserved. 45