This heart change is a work of God, not man. We can’t change our own hearts and we can’t change our student’s hearts. “The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he guides it wherever he pleases” (Proverbs 21:1 NLT). So if the king’s heart and all human hearts are directed and guided by the Lord, what can we do? First, we can ask questions and learn to be good listeners. We are seeking to get at the heart, to probe the motivations and passions of the students heart, and we want to listen well and listen wisely.
Second, we can pray and ask God to change the heart of every student we receive. We learn to pray, pray, pray for our students. And then pray some more.
Third, God has given us the gospel to give to our students. He put it in hundreds of stories, numerous prophecies, and clear teaching in the Bible. But make no mistake, we just have the one message by which God changes hearts.
1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV) For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Yes, this “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” seems to be a narrow focus, it seems to neglect what we might think are important things, but remember something: God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). God has determined through the foolishness of preaching the gospel message to save people; that is, to reach their hearts and change their lives (1 Corinthians 1:21).
Think about it this way: the Holy Spirit has chosen to limit His activity in the hearts of people to the one message: the message of the cross (John chapters 14-16, as illustrated by the water flowing from the rock that was “struck”—which Rock is Christ.). So if we are giving them some other message then we are not involving the Holy Spirit Who is the Agent of change.
Notice this tremendously insightful statement from Kathy Keller, wife of Pastor Tim Keller:
“Instead of the Good News being heard in every sermon, testimony, seminar, and mercy/justice/faith & work program, Good Advice takes its place. How To — live a better Christian life, have better relationships, be more compassionate to the poor and marginalized, more humane at work — all of this is good advice, but it is not the power that changes everything.
Keep the Gospel in the center and everything else will spin around it — put something else in the center and it all falls apart.” -- Kathy Keller, “You must remember this…”, Redeemer Report, April 2017.
Please take a moment and read the following passage of Scripture. What we want to notice is how heart change is connected with forgiveness of sins, which comes from the message of the cross:
This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:10-12 NIV
Question 3. According to Hebrews 8:10-12 NIV, how does the New Covenant connect heart change with forgiveness of sin?
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