A heart transplant is a surgical operation replacing a failing heart with a healthier donor heart. It is a treatment usually reserved for people whose heart condition hasn't improved enough with medications or other surgeries. Quite often, the surgery is successful, with no complications. A friend's family member had one done and recovered beautifully. However, the surgeons do not offer any guarantees for success during or after the procedure, nor can they guarantee longevity. At best, the procedure might extend one's life by a few years, but there's always the possibility of the recipient's body rejecting the donor's heart.
A spiritual heart
transplant is a different issue; everyone needs one because we all have ailing
hearts, including those who trust the good they do to qualify them as good
people. The Bible tells us, "The human heart is the most deceitful of all
things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" (Jeremiah
17:9) If you are wondering why the human heart is in this condition, it is
this: "Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious
standards" (Romans 3:23). And also, "Not a single person on earth is
always good and never sins" (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Our sin condition results
from the sin of our ancestors, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden; they chose
to disobey God by obeying the devil (see Genesis 3:1-13). That sin and its
consequences (separation from God) were passed on to us, their descendants.
Because of that, we are each born separated from God. If
that separation isn't bridged, it will continue into an eternity without God
after this life; if it is bridged, we get back into God's good graces. The
Bible addresses it like this: "The wages of sin is death, but the free
gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). The
Bible also says, "This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and
only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal
life" (John 3:16).
Your new spiritual heart is
guaranteed never to be rejected. The transplant gives the recipient/sinner a
new life that will last forever into eternity, even after death. Have you
had your spiritual heart transplant yet? If not, what are you waiting for? If
you postpone this transplant until your earthly life is over, it will be too
late; you will have missed the opportunity to get a new heart. So, stop
whatever you're doing and make that decision today.
A new heart is a free gift
from God! It costs you nothing; it guarantees you will never be cast into hell.
God promised the Israelites, "I will give you a new heart, and I will put
a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a
tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will
follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations" (Ezekiel
36:26-27). This is the only way to obtain a heart that will respond to God's
love and directions.
While a transplanted heart
helps the recipient return to living as before, the spiritual transplant transforms
the recipient's nature and outlook on life. He is totally changed to fall in
love with God and desire to walk in obedience to Him. The Bible describes such
a person as new: "Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). This
changed heart seeks to obey God.
Dear reader, settle this
matter today before it is too late; nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. God
loves you, but He won't go back on His Word; He will hold you accountable for
your sins if you do not repent! Get your heart in order and be ready for that
time.
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