Spiritual Wash Day

Ezekiel 36:26-28

I)                   The Profoundness of the new heart.  Vs. 26

A)    The essential of salvation is the renewal of the heart. 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

1.      It’s the first commandment. Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

2.      It’s the first confession. Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

3.      It’s the first commitment. Acts 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

B)    The old evil heart is of stone. Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

1.      It’s hard. Proverbs 28:14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

2.      It’s cold.

3.      It’s dead.

4.      It’s unnatural.

C)    God gives a new heart of flesh. Jeremiah 24:7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

1.      It’s tender.

2.      It’s warm (sympatric).

3.      It’s living.

4.      It’s natural.

II)                The Promise of the indwelling Spirit. Vs. 27

A)    Walk in the ways of the Lord. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

1.      Walk in Confession of the Lord. Matthew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

2.      Walk in Communion of the Lord. Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, preached to thousand each Sunday and hundreds were saved.  When some asked Him the secret of his power and success, He said, “look in the basement.”  And the one who asked Him the question found a large group of men praying as Spurgeon preached.  And it’s as we commune with God that we get power and strength to live the Christians life.

3.      Walk in Commitment of the Lord. 2 Timothy 1:11-13 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

B)    Talk in the words of the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

1.      Two on the road to Emmaus. Luke 24

III)             The Purpose of Eternal Salvation.  Vs. 28

A)    To be in the place of the Lord. Matthew 25:34-36 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

B)    To be in the presence of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

1.      We are confident of His promises.

2.      We are confident of His powers.

3.      We are confident of His person (who He is). The great I am!

4.      We are confident of His presence.

C)    To be the people of the Lord. Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Galatians 4:5-6 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.