Unmoved in Heart by the Wonders of Christ? Read on, friends...

The Evidence of Spiritual Death

"There is no greater evidence of spiritual death than that which is revealed when men and women sit under the message of the gospel on Sunday morning and then go into the day totally unmoved in heart by the wonders of Christ and Him crucified. I do not look for a man to be a murderer, a thief, a liar or an adulterer to believe he is spiritually dead. The greatest indicator of the true state of man before the living God is his response to the wondrous gospel of 
God’s grace in Christ."  

-preacher Gary Shepard 


 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish 
foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of 
God.” -I Corinthians 1:18 

 “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a 
stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” -I Corinthians 1:23-24 

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” -Ezekiel 36:26 


 The Necessity of New Heart

 I have tried to show people, from the Word of God, that the heart of man is not just some romantic, mystical part of our psyche that is gauged by thoughtless emotions and experiences, no matter how real, that bring us to a salvation that cannot be described in light of God’s Word. In the Bible, the heart consists of the mind, affections, will, and conscience. The Bible says, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). It describes saved sinners as those who “have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered” to them (Romans 6:17). It also tells us that the hearts of unregenerate people are “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). 

Therefore, in order for any of us to know, believe, and trust the Lord Jesus Christ for all salvation, the Lord must give us “a new heart” and “a new spirit,” and He must “take away the stony heart out of [our] flesh, and … give [us] an heart of 
flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26), a heart that is humble, broken and contrite over sin so much so that it drives us to lay hold of Christ and His righteousness for all salvation. God must make us willing in the day of His power (Psalm 110:3). None of us will by the drawings of our own natural hearts come to the true Christ for salvation. We will always seek other ways according to our own sinful hearts. 

But when Christ sends the Spirit forth to bring us under the Gospel and gives us life from the dead, gives us knowledge whereby we are convinced of sin, righteousness, and judgment, gives us faith to believe and trust Christ alone for all salvation, gives us repentance to turn away from ourselves, our works, our idols, and gives us the 
endurance to cling to Christ and persevere in Him, then we can know that God has given us a new heart and a new spirit. This is a heart cleansed by the blood of Christ and is continually recognizing our sinfulness and constant need of Him for our salvation.

-preacher Bill Parker 

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