He Heals Our Hearts
Good morning, Immanuel. Christianity is not simply a set of rules but a person who calls out to us and offers to heal our hearts.
“But that is not the way you learned Christ!— (Ephesians 4:20)”
What is the alternative to the path of futility? Paul, in his teachings, does not encourage us to abandon the disciplines of the old path simply to take on new disciplines. Some religions do. Islam, for instance, has five pillars that followers work through in order to appease Allah. Christianity, however, presents a different approach. It claims that the new path is not a set of rules but a person who calls out to us and offers to heal our hearts. Do you hear His voice? In the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaims, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).
God sees us in our broken condition, and what does He choose to do? He does not simply save us from hell (though He does) or merely show us a new way (though He does that as well). Instead, Jesus pulls us close, enters our lives, and heals our hearts. He pours His love, compassion, forgiveness, and healing truth into the cracks and fissures of our hearts. And our once cold and hardened hearts begin to break open, soften, and strengthen!
This excerpt was taken from a sermon preached by Dr. Tom Cox, an elder at Immanuel, on April 16, 2023. Listen to the whole sermon here.
Amen, thank you Tom 🙏🏼