“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” – Ezekiel 36:26-27 NKJV
Welcome to the 17th weekly devotional recap of the year. This week’s articles reminded us of how helpless we were to live righteous lives on our own, and how, by God’s grace, He worked the miracle of changed desires in us, putting the old man to death and making us new creations, saved for good works and empowered to live fully devoted to Him.
We started the week by seeing our state before Christ: in sin, condemned to death, eternally separated from God, and utterly helpless to do anything about it (Romans 5:12). Our efforts, instead of saving us, only showed us how helpless we were, like a dead man trying to raise himself back to life. But in His sovereign mercy, God intervened. We all missed the mark, but He saved us through Christ from both the power and the penalty of sin, bringing us eternal life (Romans 5:6-11). The only hope humanity has is Christ!
On Tuesday, we learnt about the transformation that happens when we encounter Jesus. When God saves us, He awakens something new within us and begins to shape our desires by His Spirit (Philippians 2:13). The seemingly irresistible fleshly desires that once came so naturally begin to lose their grip, and in their place, we are drawn toward what is pure and lasting. This is the miracle of changed desires: we, once ruled by the flesh, are now led by the Spirit to want to do God’s will. When we come to Christ, we receive more than forgiveness—we are given a new heart that longs for what brings glory to God.
Wednesday’s devotional emphasised the truth that for the man in Christ, the old man is dead (2 Corinthians 5:17). You weren’t just cleaned up at salvation; you were made new. Your former nature, bound to sin and driven by fleshly desires, died with Christ (Romans 6:6). The flesh will try to tempt you to return (Genesis 19:26), but remember: the cross was the funeral of your old life, and the resurrection was your new beginning. Fix your eyes on Jesus, not on what He died to free you from. There’s nothing for you there. Your life is now ahead, hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).
On Thursday, we learnt that just as athletes train with discipline for a fading crown, believers must live with even greater intentionality for an eternal reward (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). The Christian race requires stamina, which can be built through prayer, fasting, and spending on God’s Word (Revelation 10:8-10). In addition to constantly practising these spiritual habits that strengthen our walk, discipline requires that you lay aside distractions and anything that isn’t spiritually profitable (Hebrews 12:1). Like in athletics, a believer without endurance cannot run well, so train yourself to pursue the will of God with discipline and fervency.
We ended the week with a reminder that salvation isn’t the end but the beginning of a purposeful life in Christ. For the believer, there is still work to do, growth to experience, others to encourage, and a journey to walk (Philippians 1:25). Good works are a vital part of the life you have been called to live in Christ (Ephesians 2:10)—not to earn salvation, but as its fruit. The purpose of every believer on earth is to know Christ and make Him known, and we are equipped for this through the Word, prayer, and the Spirit. So do not conform to the systems of this world (Romans 12:2); instead, live set apart from the world and for the glory of God (Matthew 5:16).
Child of God, you are a new man in Christ, transformed and empowered to live for the One who saved you—so live like it.
Have a good weekend!
Bible Reading Plan: 2 Samuel 15-18; Mark 15:22-16