在耶稣出生前几百年， 神的先知以西结为以色列的流放带来了改变和更新的应许。主耶和华将以肉心代替他们的石心。神赐下的圣灵会使人们在顺服中生活，谨慎地以神的方式行事。圣灵的恩赐会带来悔改。
400年前，教会领袖们在多特会议上聚集，他们描述圣灵在我们认识信仰过程中的工作，是从死在罪中，到活在基督里。他们的话正好与我们今天所读的以西结书相呼应，他们写道：“使人重生的圣灵，渗透人的心底，打开并软化已经关闭且刚硬的心... 神使之活泼强健，好像一棵树，结出善行的果子。”
神的灵会帮助人们辨别和明白救恩福音的真理。封闭、刚硬的石心会变为肉心。尽管“这种运行的方式，信徒在今生不能完全领悟。”但靠着神的恩典，我们确信，我们的确真心相信，并爱我们的救主。
神的应许在你心中是否又真又活呢？
主啊，感谢你赐下圣灵，祂引导我们效法你。愿赞美和荣耀都归给你。奉我们救主基督的名求。阿们。
以西结书 36:24-32
24我必从各国收取你们，从列邦聚集你们，引导你们归回本地。
25我必用清水洒在你们身上，你们就洁净了。我要洁净你们，使你们脱离一切的污秽，弃掉一切的偶像。
26‘我也要赐给你们一个新心，将新灵放在你们里面，又从你们的肉体中除掉石心，赐给你们肉心。
27我必将我的灵放在你们里面，使你们顺从我的律例，谨守遵行我的典章。
28你们必住在我所赐给你们列祖之地，你们要做我的子民，我要做你们的神。
29我必救你们脱离一切的污秽，也必命五谷丰登，不使你们遭遇饥荒。
30我必使树木多结果子，田地多出土产，好叫你们不再因饥荒受外邦人的讥诮。
31那时，你们必追想你们的恶行和你们不善的作为，就因你们的罪孽和可憎的事厌恶自己。
32‘主耶和华说：你们要知道，我这样行不是为你们。以色列家啊，当为自己的行为抱愧蒙羞！
“I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” — Ezekiel 36:27
Hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, God’s prophet Ezekiel addressed the exiles of Israel with promises of change and improvement. The Lord would replace their hearts of stone with hearts of flesh. The giving of God’s Spirit would move the people to live obediently, careful to do things God’s way. The gift of God’s Spirit would lead to repentance.
Four hundred years ago, church leaders gathered at the Synod of Dort to describe the Holy Spirit’s work in our conversion, from being dead in sin to being alive in Christ. Their words echo the passage we have read in Ezekiel today. “The regenerating Spirit,” they wrote, “... penetrates into the inmost being, opens the closed heart, softens the hard heart... God activates and strengthens the will so that, like a good tree, it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds.”
The Spirit of God helps people to discern and understand the truth of the good news of salvation. The closed, hardened heart of stone becomes a heart of flesh. And even though “in this life believers cannot fully understand the way this work occurs,” we can be assured that by God’s grace we do believe with our hearts and love our Savior.
Is God’s promise alive and well in your heart?
Lord, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit, guiding us to follow your ways, to your praise and glory. In the name of Christ, our Savior, we pray. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
