re: hearts o' stone...

[brinny]

what does it mean to have a heart o' stone vs a heart o' flesh?

thoughts?

and thank you kindly for any responses.

 

[mont974x4]

A heart of stone is immovable and unreceptive to influence. God's giving a heart of flesh to His people allows us to hear Him and be molded by Him. A heart of stone is incapable of love. A heart of flesh can and does love.

 

[brinny]

Thank you! That was fast, and very edifying. It helps my study of it.

 

[mont974x4]

Are you doing a study of the passage in Ezek. or are you studying the heart itself?

 

[brinny]

wow, no, but i will do a study of it...where in Ezeliel is it?

 

[mont974x4]

It's actually found twice in Ezekiel. I am sure you will be blessed by this study.

I just gave the two verse snippets from each below:

Eze 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
Eze 11:20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. (ESV)




Eze 36:26 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.
Eze 36:27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (ESV)

 

[brinny]

Wa-hooooo!!!! Aren't they BEAUTIFUL???!!! Yes. i will be studying them n' like huggin' 'em...i dunno, they speak sooooo much of like what God's heart is like, don't they? Thank you!

 

[mont974x4]

My pleasure dear sister.

 

[brinny]

Bless yer heart, Thank you!

 

[Grandiose]

Its also the state of Pharaohs heart in Exodus. Pharaoh at times hardened his own heart and at times God hardened Pharaohs heart. It is basically a state of being unrepentantly stubborn to any outside stimulus.

 

[brinny]

Thank you, i didn't think of the Pharaoh, that's an interesting analogy.....

just wonderin'....did the Pharaoh have a heart of flesh before God hardened his heart?

 

[mont974x4]

No. None of us have hearts of flesh prior to God giving us the transplant.

 

[brinny]

well, now see? That's what i'm meditatin' on, thanks

 

[mont974x4]

If we are born with hearts of flesh that become stone at some point then prior to that point we should be able to choose to follow God on our own accord.

I am reminded of Paul's testimony:
Gal 1:14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.
Gal 1:15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,
Gal 1:16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;
Gal 1:17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. (ESV, emphasis mine)



Notice Paul is pointing out that God Himself is n charge of when he was able to see Christ for who He is and respond. We know Paul heard the Gospel prior to his trip to Damascus, and we can safely assume (IMO) that he probably heard it quite often.

 

[brinny]

Yes, he probably did and he was enraged about it, and blind as a bat to it, wasn't he?

 

[Gracelands]

A heart of stone is immovable and unreceptive to influence. God's giving a heart of flesh to His people allows us to hear Him and be molded by Him. A heart of stone is incapable of love. A heart of flesh can and does love.

That's how i see it too. The heart of flesh is mouldable and bendy which suggests possibilitys, life and warmth in contrast to stone which speaks of unchangable,frozen, gravestones.

 

[Grandiose]

Well remember, Pharaoh himself hardened his heart, then God hardened it. They both had an effect on it not just one party. I believe we do not start off completely hardened, but our choices and what we accept along the way have an impact on it. Otherwise we could not be called responsible for our own decisions.

We get to chose what kind of a heart we want to possess, a Christ centered fleshy heart, or a self-centered delusional stone heart.

"Choose this day good, or evil."

 

[mont974x4]

How's your study going, Sister?

 

[brinny]

i got kinda' distracted hahaaaa, thanks for helping me focus...

we each have a heart of stone when we're born, don't we? It's the disease of humanity, isn't it? And you know that intriguing verse i think in Proverbs, about even the blessings from the wicked are an abomination? Do you think that somehow ties into the heart thing?

 

[mont974x4]

i got kinda' distracted hahaaaa, thanks for helping me focus...

we each have a heart of stone when we're born, don't we? It's the disease of humanity, isn't it? And you know that intriguing verse i think in Proverbs, about even the blessings from the wicked are an abomination? Do you think that somehow ties into the heart thing?

I think it is a heart thing. Think about our own righteousness being like filthy rags. Even at our best (humanly speaking) we're still sinful and in need of a savior. Let's say I win the lotto and instead of creating a grand new lifestyle I give it all away. Some goes to various rescue missions. I build a facility for homeless veterans. I fund the local schools for a year. Everyone thinks I am this great man who is totally selfless. But, apart from that divine heart transplant, my best acts do not earn me favor with God and they are, in fact, entirely selfish.

Remember this:
Mat 7:22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
Mat 7:23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' (ESV, emphasis mine)


These people have done, or will do, great things. These will even be done in the name of Christ! And yet, Jesus calls them workers of lawlessness and He sends them away. That, to me, is scary. Scripture tells us to examine ourselves to be sure we are of the faith. We need to see proof of the this heart transplant.