The Gospel as Heart Repair or Heart Surgery?

Ezek 36:22-32

We often underestimate the gospel of Jesus Christ. We look at the gospel as mere tips for improving daily living or as reassurance for something into the distant future. We do this in part because we underestimate our utter hopelessness and how devastating our sin is. Thus, we fail to recognize how undeserving the grace, sacrifice, and love that Jesus Christ expressed through the cross.

In Ezekiel 36.22-32, we are reminded of how utterly hopeless we are apart from God's grace. There is no inherent good in us. This becomes even clearer when we think about the history of Israel. Our sin has rendered us to be utterly hopeless and no inherent good in us that God had to save us with a new heart transplant. The gospel is not merely a heart repair—where God just needs to modify a valve, unclog an artery, or fix a ventricle. Rather, the gospel is a heart transplant where we need a new heart. Our old heart is dead in sin and has no power or ability to live the way we ought. But praise be to God that not only did Jesus die for our sins, but has given us a new heart (or new Spirit) by virtue of his resurrection!

This sermon will unpack all of these wonderful blessings of the gospel and how it can impact our daily living.